Tools: Shot Plotter (Web-App)

NEWS

Tools: shot-plotter.app

“Tracking shots can be critical in identifying threats and opportunities – the amount of information shot-plotter can help you generate is amazing, the fact it is free is incredible.”

Shot-Plotter is a web application based tool developed by An Nyugen. Completely free to use, and compatible with all devices (as it simply loads in your browser). The tool allows you to track events on a rink with a single click – primarily set up for shots, the customisation options mean that the user can set the tool up for their own needs.

When you head to the main page, the first task is to select your ‘plotter’. The great thing about this app is that it differentiates between NHL and IIHF sized rinks. We would recommend for simplicity that if you plan to use this app in the long run to choose one size and stick to it, but we’ll explain more on why later in the article. The other thing we love is the ability to plot shots vertically on a net, this is a great tool for netminder specific analysis!

After selecting a plot (we usually go for IIHF hailing from the UK) we arrive where we need to be. In its raw configuration the app enables you to select; The Period, Team, Player & Shot Type. Whatever combination you choose will be allocated to the ‘click’ on the map in the table below. A huge bonus here is that it saves each point of data in its own column, which saves huge amounts of time and effort further down the line if you export this information for further analysis or storage!

Setting up your own tracking data

Whilst the app is called SHOT plotter, the ‘Customize Setup’ button reveals the true power and value of the tool (be warned that you must do this before recording any ‘plots’ on the rink). This allows the user to edit or create new details. For example, under Type you could add hits, puck battles, zone entries/exits, or whatever your imagination or needs for locatable information require. You can also add lists of players for ease of use, as radio buttons or a dropdown list.

There are also some really powerful elements that are almost hidden under ‘Special Details’. 2-Location events allow you to track the start and end point of an event, amazing for recording pass or carry data, and distance closest to net is key if you are heading down the xG model route.

Additionally, slightly further down you will see ‘Heat Map View’. This provides you the ability to toggle between single entry markers, and provide an alternative way to present the data to players or coaching staff.

How to use the data

Once you have set the tool up, you can simply start selecting options and clicking away to track your games. Once complete you can either screenshot the map, or scroll all the way to the bottom to download the data in .csv format. This allows for further analysis or visualisation using additional tools such as Excel or Tableau, and storage long term – either standalone or in combination with other match data for longer term analysis.

Below you can see a basic example of how the tracking appears on the web app, the differentiation between colour and shape is great, but these are limited to 5 options in the drop down list or they just appear as hexagons.

The image after, is an example of how we used the tool to do some research into Coventry Blaze’s powerplay puck movement last season. All the data was recorded on Shot-Plotter, using a combination of single and dual location events, then exported to .csv and uploaded into Tableau for refining and visualisation.

Final Thoughts

In the sport analysis world, where software and data can be wildly expensive and complicated, Shot-Plotter provides great value (again we can’t believe its free), adaptability and simplicity. We know that this tool is already used at all levels of the game, and whilst it may lack some of the bells and whistles of some of the better known, high end softwares, the functionality is basically the same.

For anyone out there looking for an entry into basic event tracking, or players, coaches and teams looking for a cost effective way to collect data on their own performance we couldn’t recommend this tool enough. If you’re looking for more assistance in utilising Shot-Plotter, please contact us using the form on our website, but our main advice would be to head over and play around until you find the best way for you.

shot-plotter.netlify.app is definitely a key part of our analysis workflow when we need something simple but effective!