Costa Rica Sports – Barcelona was first to use the GPS system that is the new popular sensation in national soccer. The team used it in 2015 and since then FIFA has allowed the devices to be used in matches.
They are like sports bras with GPS built into the back. These devices measure over 200 different variables related to the player’s physical performance. They offer millimeter precision.
Three Costa Rican teams now use various such technological systems and others plan to as well. They are very costly, with a price of almost two million colones for a set of 28 devices.
With them, a trainer and coaching staff can see day by day what needs to change to maximize performance and minimize risk. They can also measure distances traveled, speed, accelerations, decelerations and sprints.
