Football Analytics Certification

The Football Analytics Certification is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests football (soccer) analytics — event and tracking data, expected goals and what drives shot quality, expected assists and xT, possession value models, pressing metrics such as PPDA, passing networks and progressive actions, set-piece analysis, team style and tactical profiling, player recruitment and scouting with data, goalkeeper metrics such as post-shot xG, physical and load data, match prediction and ratings, data visualisation like shot maps and pitch control, and how clubs integrate analytics with coaches — written to StatsBomb, FIFA and sports science sources for 2026 and 2027. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Football Analytics certificate (SOA-FOOT). Every question is based on published standards and research — including StatsBomb open data and analytics guides (StatsBomb (Hudl)), FanGraphs Sabermetrics Library (FanGraphs), Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (FIFA) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Football Analytics Certification, written for 2026 and 2027. It tests data and shot models, possession and team style, recruitment, performance and communication and analytics in practice with 20 original scenario questions in all, each naming its published source; you get an instant score and a verifiable certificate with a credential ID you can add to LinkedIn.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Football Analytics certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: StatsBomb open data and analytics guides (StatsBomb (Hudl)); FanGraphs Sabermetrics Library (FanGraphs); Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (FIFA); NetworkX documentation (NetworkX developers); Fundamentals of Data Visualization (Claus O. Wilke) (O'Reilly / author site); Clustering (scikit-learn documentation). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Data and Shot Models (Event and tracking data, Expected goals and Finishing and goalkeeping); Possession and Team Style (Passing and progression, Pressing and Possession value); Recruitment, Performance and Communication (Recruitment and scouting, Set pieces and physical data and Working with coaches); Analytics in Practice (Tools and pipelines, Data ethics and Growth of the game). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Football analyst or scout, Club performance analyst or coach, Data scientist moving into football, Journalist or content creator covering tactics and Sports analytics student. It suits students at leading universities, career switchers and experienced professionals who want quick, verifiable proof of Football Analytics knowledge in 2026 and 2027.

Math, stats and economics majors are drawn to sports analytics, social-good data work and geospatial science. Passing earns a founder-signed Science of Apps certificate with a credential ID and QR code that recruiters can verify.

Passes allowed per defensive action: the number of opposition passes in their own half divided by the defending team's tackles, interceptions and fouls there. Lower values indicate more intense pressing.

An expected goals value calculated after the shot, using where it was placed on target, which helps evaluate goalkeepers by comparing goals conceded with the difficulty of shots they faced.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.