NFL using big data to make better decisions

Big data is a buzzword circulating across industries. It can help marketers develop better campaigns, help company heads make more informed decisions and help retailers optimize sales opportunities based on customer information. These advantages are coming from companies' ability to capture information and enter it into a system that yields good data quality for analysis. Now, even football teams are getting in on the action, implementing strategies that help teams make better decisions about players and games.

NFL teams can use big data to make better decisions about game play, according to a recent blog entry for Sybase, especially when it comes to deciding whether or not to punt the ball back to opponents following a failed first down. They are now using data that's drawn from statistics to make better calls on the field, which could increase the franchises' ability to win.

A study by AdvancedNFLstats explains that coaches have been slow to use this information so far because they are concerned about their job security, which is directly tied to the riskiness of plays. Adhering to traditional strategies takes the pressure off coaches and generally places it on the players.

These new strategies now also being used to analyze information about players' injuries, so coaches can make more informed decisions, according to the San Antonio Express.