GameShape is a deterministic tactical analysis engine for football. 12 constitutional laws. 9 scored dimensions. 4 game phases. Every score traces back to geometry on the pitch.
No ML models. No probabilistic inference. Same input, same output, every time.
Modern analytics tells you what happened. Not why.
25 frames per second, 22 players, one ball. Massive tracking data and no structured way to convert it into tactical intelligence a coach can act on.
Data Overload
Tracking data volumes have exploded but the tools to interpret structural quality haven't kept pace. Coaches drown in numbers that don't connect to formation decisions.
Inconsistent Analysis
Subjective assessments vary by analyst, producing unreliable and non-reproducible insights. Two analysts watching the same match reach different conclusions.
Black-Box AI
Existing AI tools lack explainability. Coaches can't audit decisions or understand the reasoning behind scores. "Trust the model" isn't good enough.
Generic Metrics
Possession % and pass completion rates miss the structural formation issues that actually determine outcomes. A 70% possession stat says nothing about defensive gaps.
Coaches need a system that evaluates formations the way they think: through tactical laws, not statistics.
The Engine
A constitutional framework for tactical structure.
GameShape is fully deterministic. Given 22 player positions and a ball location, it validates, scores, diagnoses, recommends, and generates coaching language. No guesswork at any stage.
12
Tactical Laws
PASS / FAIL verdicts with structured evidence trails
9
Dimensions
0-100 scores, phase-weighted and context-gated
4
Game Phases
The math changes with the state of play
37
Parameters
Configurable from Gambit to Fortress, tiki-taka to low block
95,000+
Lines of code
1,031
Automated tests
10+
Data providers
13
Built-in formations
25fps
Real-time scoring
Constitutional Framework
12 tactical laws. PASS / FAIL with evidence.
Every formation is validated against laws organized in three layers. Not all laws fire at once; the phase classifier gates which laws apply to the current state of play.
Layer 1: Structural Topology
L1A ConnectivityBall carrier must have ≥2 passing outlets. Builds passing graph, applies offside + interception + range filters.
L1B MembraneDefensive line must form a connected component. Detects splits that allow through-ball penetration.
L1C ReachabilityBall must reach ≥2 horizontal channels (Left / Center / Right). Prevents one-dimensional attacks.
Layer 2: Numerical Balance
L2G Zonal ParityConfigurable from Gambit (-1, accept underload for all-out attack) to Fortress (+2, double spare man for park the bus).
Layer 3: Safety & Coverage
Threat CoverageAll opponents in dangerous zones must be marked by a defender.
Rest Defense≥2 defenders behind ball line. In attack, accepts sprint-back recoverability as alternative.
Zonal Saturation → Rebound CoverageFirst contact zone parity, then second-ball zone coverage. Dependency-gated: if no attacker reaches the delivery target, second-ball check is skipped with a reason.
Laws activate per phase. Attack fires Connectivity + Reachability + Rest Defense. Defense fires Membrane + Threat Coverage + Zonal Parity. The engine only asks questions that matter right now.
Scoring System
9 dimensions. Every score traces to geometry.
Each dimension derives from law checks. Offensive dimensions are gated by ball control. Defensive dimensions evaluate regardless. Structural dimensions bridge both.
Support
Passing triangles around the carrier
L1A Connectivity
Progression
Forward outlets ≥5m ahead, unblocked
L1A + Outlet Check
Width
Horizontal channels reachable (L/C/R)
L1C Reachability
Depth
Runners in final third pinning defense
Computed from positions
Threat
5-component conversion readiness score
Composite: EA+BGP+GA+IR+FAG
Compactness
Max gap between adjacent defenders
L1B Membrane
Security
Rest defenders behind ball line
L3A Rest Defense
Control
Coverage of key defensive zones
L3 Threat + L2G Parity
Resilience
Support triangle area (m²) around carrier
L1A Connectivity
EXCELLENT
80-100
GOOD
60-79
WARNING
40-59
CRITICAL
0-39
Phase System
The math changes with the game.
GameShape doesn't average across 90 minutes. It evaluates per phase, with weights that shift what matters. Width in attack means stretch; width in recovery means compress. The engine inverts the scoring.
Safety Cap: If any safety dimension scores CRITICAL (<40) with weight ≥0.7, the overall rating caps at "Needs Work." A formation cannot be rated "Competitively Strong" when the team is structurally exposed.
Visual Proof
Every overlay renders a calculation.
Nothing is decorative. When you toggle an overlay, you're seeing the mathematical model drawn on the pitch. A compactness score of 15 is abstract. The corridor between your center-backs is not.
Corridors & ZonesCompactness: 15
A 23-meter gap between your center-backs. That's not a number anymore. It's a highway the opponent can see too. Toggle the overlay and the problem is visible in one glance.
Passing TrianglesSupport: 85
Three tight outlets within 10m of the carrier. A rondo structure that makes you press-proof. The overlay shows the geometry of why your team keeps the ball under pressure.
Adjacency RadiusCompactness: 70
Defensive line is connected but one edge approaches the stretch threshold. One more meter and the membrane breaks. The overlay shows exactly which pair of defenders is at risk.
Isolation MarkersSupport: 20
Ball carrier has zero legal outlets. Trapped. The engine flags the isolated player and the recommendation engine generates candidate moves to restore connectivity.
Also available: Support lozenges · Pressure lines · Voronoi diagrams · Passing angles · Position trails · Set piece targets · Landing zones · Coverage grid
How You Use It
Two workflows. One engine.
Build formations before the match. Analyze tracking data after. Both workflows use the same validation kernel, the same 12 laws, the same 9 dimensions.
Build Mode
Prepare before matchday
Choose from 13 preset formations or drag players manually
Set tactical philosophy: Gambit (all-out attack) to Fortress (park the bus)
Validate structure. All 9 scores update instantly
Toggle pitch overlays to see why a dimension is low
Switch phases to test how the shape holds in defense
Snapshot and save moments for team review
Analyze Mode
Review after the match
Import tracking data from 10+ providers (DFL, TRACAB, StatsBomb, Opta, SkillCorner, Hawk-Eye)
Timeline Scrubber: drag through the match at 25fps. All 9 scores shift live with every frame. This is the primary interface
Snapshot key moments. Filter by phase, severity, or specific dimension
AI Search: "show moments where rest defense failed" returns timestamped results
Organization: Season → Team → Game. Scores per game or per player. Structured library, not a folder of clips
Auditability
Every recommendation is provable.
GameShape provides explainability based on topology, not performance guarantees. Every recommendation follows a traceable chain from defect to fix to proof.
1
Law Fails
MEMBRANE_BREACH detected at frame 2,341
→
2
Defect Located
23m gap between CB and LB (threshold: 15m)
→
3
Fix Proposed
Move LB to (32, 45). Filtered through role contracts
→
4
Result Proven
Compactness: 22 → 67. Net overall gain: +14 pts
The coach can audit every step. The law that failed, the geometric evidence, the proposed move, and the before/after score comparison are all traceable to facts on the pitch. No black boxes.
Player Profiles
The engine adapts to who is on the pitch.
Connectivity for a CB with 30m pass range is fundamentally different from a CB with 15m range. The passing graph changes. Recovery calculations change. Recommendations change. Same formation, different structure.
Locomotion
Sprint Speed (m/s) · Acceleration · Stamina
Passing
Pass Range (m) · Pass Speed (m/s) · Long Ball · Foot / Weak Foot
Defensive
Reach (m) · Aerial (%) · Marking Range (m)
Attacking
Finishing (%) · Carry Distance (m)
Players without a custom profile inherit the global defaults. Profiles are an override layer, not a requirement. You can run the full engine with zero profiles and get the same results as today.
Use Cases
What this means for your daily work.
🎓
Youth Academy Director
Standardize tactical education across age groups. Every U-14 coach speaks the same language: "compactness was 35 in the second half, here are the snapshots." Player development becomes measurable. Scores improve season over season. Parents stop hearing "we're working on shape" and start seeing structured progress.
⚽
Local League Coach
Monday: load last week's game, scrub to the three goals conceded. Every goal came from a support collapse. Switch to Build Mode, adjust the formation, validate scores above threshold. By Wednesday training, you have specific positional instructions backed by numbers, not instinct.
📊
Performance Analyst
Import tracking data from the weekend. Instead of watching 90 minutes tagging events manually, search "show moments where security dropped below 30." Seven results. Snapshot each, tag by phase, export the report. What took 4 hours now takes 20 minutes. And the output is mathematically scored, not subjective clips.
🌍
Coaching Education
Build formations interactively during licensing courses. Students see how moving one player changes 9 dimension scores in real time. Tactical theory becomes tangible and auditable. A tool for teaching why structure matters, with mathematical proof.
Positioning
This is not heat map analysis.
GameShape occupies a different category entirely. It complements analytics tools rather than competing with them.
Descriptive Analytics
Wyscout · Hudl · StatsBomb · Opta
"What happened?"
Shows events: passes, shots, tackles
Statistical models with confidence intervals
Post-match summaries and heat maps
Black-box: coaches can't audit the reasoning
Generic metrics (xG, pass completion %)
Structural Validation
GameShape
"Is the structure sound right now?"
Validates against 12 constitutional laws
Deterministic: same input always = same output
Real-time scoring at 25fps as you scrub the timeline
GameShape does not replace your analytics platform, your video tool, or your tracking provider. It answers the question they don't: is the structure sound right now, and if not, where exactly does it break? Use both. They tell you a goal came from a counter-attack. GameShape tells you the resilience score was 12 and shows exactly which gap in the defensive line caused it.
Pilot Program
Be among the first.
We're selecting a small group of academies and coaching teams to shape the product before public launch. Full platform access, direct roadmap input, priority support.
No spam. We'll reach out personally when your spot is ready.