How to track rugby player stats without an analyst

You can track useful rugby player stats yourself: choose a short list of actions, tag each one from the sideline with the player's number, and let software count the tags into a per-player report. You do not need an analyst, a camera crew or GPS vests to start.

What to track first

The temptation is to count everything. Resist it. A volunteer with a phone can tag a small set of actions reliably for 80 minutes, but cannot tag thirty. Start with the actions a coach already talks about at half-time:

• Tackles made and tackles missed, which tell you about defensive work and reliability.
• Carries, with the metres gained if you can judge them.
• Turnovers won and conceded, penalties conceded and handling errors.
• Lineouts and scrums, won or lost, for the team.
• Tries, conversions and penalty goals, so the score is on record.
• Substitutions on and off, so minutes played can be worked out.

Agree the list before the match and stick to it for a whole season. Numbers are only useful when they are collected the same way every week.

Tagging from the sideline

Tagging means recording one event: which player, which action, at what point in the match. The fewer taps this takes, the more accurate you will be. The pattern that works is two taps: tap the player's jersey number, then tap the action. Keep the phone in one hand and your eyes on the pitch.

Two practical points. First, decide who tags. If the head coach is also running the game, they will miss events, so give the job to an assistant, a parent helper or a substitute. Second, make sure the tool still works when the signal does not. Many club grounds have poor reception, so tags should be saved on the phone first and sent when you are back online. RugbyMetrics is built that way: every tag is stored on the device at the moment you tap it.

Turning tags into numbers

A tag on its own is just a note. The numbers come from counting tags by player and by match. Tackles made is the count of tackle-made tags for a player. Metres gained is the sum of the metres you entered on that player's carries. Percentages, such as tackle success, are worked out from the counts, and the exact formula should be written down so everyone reads it the same way. Our guide to tackle success rate shows one in full.

Time on the field matters too. A prop who plays 30 minutes and makes 6 tackles is doing something different from one who plays 80 and makes 6. That is why substitutions are tagged: see how to count minutes played.

Reading a player report

A good report is short. For each player it should show the handful of numbers you tracked, and it should answer one question: how did this match compare with what this player normally does? Comparing a player with their own recent average is fairer than comparing a prop with a winger. In RugbyMetrics the report shows each number in green when it is at or above the player's own average, in red when it is more than a tenth below it, and in neutral colours otherwise. For the first match there is no average yet, so nothing is coloured.

Use the report as a conversation starter, not a verdict. A low carry count for a lock may simply mean the game plan sent the ball wide.

Common mistakes

• Tracking too much. Missed tags make every number unreliable.
• Changing definitions mid-season. If a missed tackle means something different in March than in October, trends are meaningless.
• Comparing across positions. Judge players against their own history and their role.
• Tagging after the match from memory. Do it live, or from video, but not from recall.
• Forgetting consent. If your players are under 18, a parent or guardian must agree before you hold their data. Keep a record of who agreed and when.