In the autumn of 2015, Veo co-founder Keld Reinicke found himself stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic while his son’s football match had already kicked off the other side of town.
By time he arrived, Keld had missed his son’s first goal in a competitive game, a thought-provoking moment that resulted in the formation of Veo – an ingenious piece of AI driven technology that records and analyses football matches without the need of a camera operator.
Fast forward five years and Veo is now one of the leading technology products in the sports sector, specialising in not only football but basketball, ice hockey, and rugby too.
Veo’s affordable product has been recognised by some of the UK’s leading teams with Premier League clubs Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers among its clients.
At Velocity Football, we have invested in Veo to enable our staff to record all games and training sessions to enhance students’ understanding of how they behave on the pitch in support of their continued development.
The installation of Veo forms part of our commitment to provide students at Velocity Football with an exciting and industry relevant education and real-life experience.
In the final part of our ‘Technology at Velocity Football’ blogs, we spoke to Veo UK Marketing Manager Oli Perkins to learn more about the platform and its usage within our programmes.
Global product
Remarkably, the concept of Veo was developed with the help of a classic pastime – table football.
Co-founders Keld Reinicke, Henrik Teisbæk, and Jesper Taxbøl started work on their innovation in a basement office using two small lenses pointed at each end of the table. The technology worked, and now Veo operates at more than 1,000 clubs and education programmes across 50 countries.
“The bulk of our customers come from a youth football and a semi-professional background, just like Velocity Football and partners Oxford City FC,” said Oli. “The technology used from those early table football days has now been scaled up so we can supply clients with an affordable camera that can capture every moment on the football field without the need of a cameraman.”
Using AI
Veo works by tracking a game via AI to ensure the match ball is always being filmed.
Without needing a camera operator, Veo means we have the capacity to record and store all matches our male and female students take part in. Clippings from games can then be stored and shared instantly using communication tool 360Player which encompasses all aspects of the programme by connecting students with their tutors, coaches, and parents.
Oli added: “The technology Veo has developed means we can film every aspect of a match and identify key areas of a game automatically so coaches can use clippings effectively during a post-match debrief.
“This is an essential tool for coaches as they can provide students with essential and reliable feedback in a short space of time.”
Player development
Veo is widely used within the Velocity programme, in particular to develop students’ understanding of their own performances and video analytics.
With Veo, we are well-placed to introduce students to video analysis – an area that has experienced rapid growth in the sports industry in recent years.
“Video analysis without question helps to enhance player development,” said Oli. “The desire and ability young people now have to interact with technology means Veo is easily accessible for all students within the Velocity Football programme.
“Reflecting on performances is now such an important part of sport. Many clubs find the earlier players start to learn from their previous fixtures, the better.
“Previously, it would have been impossible for programmes like Velocity Football to educate their students using video. But Veo has not only made video analysis accessible for educational programmes, but affordable too.”
Progressive pathways
Lauren Haynes, head coach of Velocity Football’s female programme, has found working with Veo’s technology insightful with a key focus on providing students with a player pathway.
She added: “Veo is multipurpose. We don’t just film a game and share the footage with students, we are able to develop players by watching footage back and can help them step up their classroom work by developing a greater understanding of the game.
“Students can use clips of them playing to show potential clubs outside of Velocity Football too. Veo is a fun way to enhance player development.”
Affordable investment
Veo offers its clients several affordable packages that allow access to the company’s analytical platform and unlimited storage of clips from games and training.
“Teams and education providers can afford the technology Veo has developed, it’s whether they choose to make the investment,” said Oli. “BTEC programmes now have modules that focus on self-assessment and self-analysis which make the investment worthwhile, and we have a number of pricing models to suit any prospective client.
“To have analysis stored digitally benefits students too, it means they can develop their game remotely in line with the technology we know Velocity supplies to its students.
“By filming games and clipping segments of a player’s performance up, Veo can help students to showcase their ability through the power of video.”
