A usual sight during the FIFA World Cup, particularly at the end of the game or when a player celebrates a goal, is the sight of players wearing a tiny black vest. This has become a common recurrence across the world and is even filtering down to training academies in India.

What is this vest?

The vest that players wear holds a small GPS pod that rests between the player’s shoulder blades, which helps to track different data related to the player’s movements.

The vest also has a heart rate strap that goes in front, covering the player’s chest.

Combined, these two wearable technology sends in accurate information about the player back to the support the staff, which is then used to make tactical changes.

What does it measure?

The GPS vest measures a wide variety of data like maximum speed, heart rate, total distance covered, accelerations, and decelerations.

Through these metrics, coaches can also assess other factors like injury and tiredness, which can be used to make substitutions to impact games.

The GPS vest is more meticulously used during training session, when it is used to profile players and track development and progression.

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It is also helpful in tracking players who are recovering from an injury as it helps to provide a potential window for recovery.

Does wearing the vest protect you from a yellow card while celebrating with the shirt off?

Sadly no. Wearing a training vest doesn’t protect you from a yellow card if you remove your jersey while celebrating.