Fifa to provide ‘player stats tablets’ at World Cup

FILE - In this May 27, 2015, file photo, two persons are reflected in the FIFA logo at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss authorities said Thursday, July 16, 2015, that one of the seven FIFA officials arrested in Zurich as part of a U.S. corruption probe was extradited to the United States they day before. Switzerland's Federal Office of Justice didn't identify the FIFA official. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

Fifa is introducing a new approach to tactical analysis at the upcoming World Cup with “small handheld technologies” to be used by coaching teams during matches.

Each of the 32 competing nations will have the option to operate two tablets containing player metrics, real-time positional data and video footage.

One will be allocated to a designated team analyst in the stands, who will be able to communicate via a chat tool with the second device user on the bench.

Information provided by the new system is intended to be assessed both in-game and at half-time, as well as in post-match debriefings.

The implementation of the analysis tools, which has been approved by the rule-making International Football Association Board, follows Fifa’s concerted move towards technology, with the usage of the video assistant referee having already been confirmed for Russia.