Project overview

NetSI Sport

Applying complex systems science to sports data to understand how teams coordinate, adapt, and develop their distinctive styles of play.

NetSI Sport is a research initiative that applies tools and theoretical insights from network science and complex systems to the analysis of sports data. By exploring the intersection of sports, networks, data science and behavioral science, the research team seeks to move beyond traditional summary statistics to uncover the hidden dynamics underlying professional games. NetSI Sport studies performance, coordination, and strategy, and how team- and player-specific signatures are imprinted in interaction networks, with the goal to advance sports analytics through a complex-systems perspective that goes beyond individual sports and offers broadly applicable insights into team dynamics.

Course offering

Topics

Goal scoring dynamics

Analysis of temporal goal-scoring patterns across European leagues, and study on impact of first goal on match outcomes

Comparison of women’s and men’s elite football gameplay

Analysis of men’s and women’s gameplay during the past 5 seasons (using stats and pitch representation networks)

Network of events

Analysis of style-of-play of teams through network representation of match actions

Off-ball impact of players in women’s soccer

Study about how support networks shape opportunities

The language of soccer

Analysis of team gameplay as a system of communication

Transformers and soccer data

Analysis of football sequences to learn the syntax of gameplay

Complex Intelligence

What makes a team a “team”—the whole is more than the sum of singles

Coaches imprint and signature

How much coaches impact on teams style-of-play

Football organization and complexity

Complexity of football (soccer) organization and team performance

Featured news

Jul 8, 2026
What makes a soccer match exciting? There’s data for that
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 8, 2026
What makes a soccer match exciting? There’s data for that
via
Northeastern Global News
Jul 7, 2026
How do World Cup crowds get synchronized so quickly? Researchers explain
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 7, 2026
How do World Cup crowds get synchronized so quickly? Researchers explain
via
Northeastern Global News
Jul 7, 2026
Low block? Final third? Soccer terms, explained
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 7, 2026
Low block? Final third? Soccer terms, explained
via
Northeastern Global News
Jul 6, 2026
Red cards have more than tripled since the last World Cup, data shows
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 6, 2026
Red cards have more than tripled since the last World Cup, data shows
via
Northeastern Global News
Jul 5, 2026
Mexico plays England in one of the best data-driven matchups in the World Cup Round of 16
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 5, 2026
Mexico plays England in one of the best data-driven matchups in the World Cup Round of 16
via
Northeastern Global News
Jul 4, 2026
A data-driven look back at how the host nations reined victorious in the first knockout round
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 4, 2026
A data-driven look back at how the host nations reined victorious in the first knockout round
via
Northeastern Global News
Jul 3, 2026
What makes Harry Kane a devastating finisher
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 3, 2026
What makes Harry Kane a devastating finisher
via
Northeastern Global News
Jul 3, 2026
Is technology ‘ruining’ soccer? How advancements have changed the sport
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 3, 2026
Is technology ‘ruining’ soccer? How advancements have changed the sport
via
Northeastern Global News
Jul 1, 2026
Meet Michael Olise, the conductor of France’s mighty offense
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 1, 2026
Meet Michael Olise, the conductor of France’s mighty offense
via
Northeastern Global News
Jul 1, 2026
Norway beat Ivory Coast in a close knockout round match. Data helps reveal how close it really was
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jul 1, 2026
Norway beat Ivory Coast in a close knockout round match. Data helps reveal how close it really was
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 30, 2026
How Paraguay knocked Germany out of the World Cup
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 30, 2026
How Paraguay knocked Germany out of the World Cup
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 30, 2026
How Brazil beat Japan in its knockout round match, according to the data
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 30, 2026
How Brazil beat Japan in its knockout round match, according to the data
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 29, 2026
World Cup knockout stage preview: Three intriguing games to watch
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 29, 2026
World Cup knockout stage preview: Three intriguing games to watch
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 28, 2026
Here are the numbers that explain the World Cup group stage
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 28, 2026
Here are the numbers that explain the World Cup group stage
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 28, 2026
All three host nations have made it to the knockout round. What’s their strategy?
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 28, 2026
All three host nations have made it to the knockout round. What’s their strategy?
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 27, 2026
3 things to watch for when you attend a World Cup game
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 27, 2026
3 things to watch for when you attend a World Cup game
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 26, 2026
Own goals on the rise at World Cup
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 26, 2026
Own goals on the rise at World Cup
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 25, 2026
What heat maps tell us about World Cup teams
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 25, 2026
What heat maps tell us about World Cup teams
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 24, 2026
Everyone loves an underdog. Here are some of the ones in the World Cup
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 24, 2026
Everyone loves an underdog. Here are some of the ones in the World Cup
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 23, 2026
The data shows Turkey, Ecuador have excelled. Neither team has won
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 23, 2026
The data shows Turkey, Ecuador have excelled. Neither team has won
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 22, 2026
‘Fairytale game.’ The data shows how Cape Verde does it again.
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 22, 2026
‘Fairytale game.’ The data shows how Cape Verde does it again.
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 19, 2026
8 numbers that tell the World Cup’s story over the first week
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 19, 2026
8 numbers that tell the World Cup’s story over the first week
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 18, 2026
Erling Haaland scored a goal minutes after a hydration break. It may not be a coincidence, data analysis reveals
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 18, 2026
Erling Haaland scored a goal minutes after a hydration break. It may not be a coincidence, data analysis reveals
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 17, 2026
Data comes to life as researcher attends World Cup match
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 17, 2026
Data comes to life as researcher attends World Cup match
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 11, 2026
NGN Offside
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 11, 2026
NGN Offside
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 9, 2026
What does data science say about the top World Cup teams?
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 9, 2026
What does data science say about the top World Cup teams?
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 8, 2026
12 players to watch in the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to the data
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 8, 2026
12 players to watch in the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to the data
via
Northeastern Global News
Jun 4, 2026
What network science can tell us about the 2026 World Cup
via
Phys Org
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Phys Org
Jun 4, 2026
What network science can tell us about the 2026 World Cup
via
Phys Org
Jun 3, 2026
What network science can tell us about the 2026 World Cup
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jun 3, 2026
What network science can tell us about the 2026 World Cup
via
Northeastern Global News
Feb 10, 2026
Passing got faster and more accurate in top soccer leagues, study finds
via
Phys.org
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Phys.org
Feb 10, 2026
Passing got faster and more accurate in top soccer leagues, study finds
via
Phys.org
Feb 9, 2026
Soccer passing is harder, shorter and sharper across pro leagues, new research finds
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Feb 9, 2026
Soccer passing is harder, shorter and sharper across pro leagues, new research finds
via
Northeastern Global News
Jan 13, 2026
In treating soccer like a language, these researchers can predict the next word
via
Northeastern Global News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Jan 13, 2026
In treating soccer like a language, these researchers can predict the next word
via
Northeastern Global News
Dec 22, 2025
Spotlight: NetSI Sport, applying Network Science to the beautiful game
via
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
NetSI News
Northeastern Global News
Dec 22, 2025
Spotlight: NetSI Sport, applying Network Science to the beautiful game
via
NetSI News

Events

Team