
For many, GoPro cameras are one of the best pieces of technology to have been developed in the past decade or so.
If you aren’t already familiar with them, a GoPro is a small camera that can be attached to a variety of different things that allow real-time recording of almost anything, including soccer games.
GoPros are useful for a wide range of things on and off the field when it comes to recording soccer games and today we will be taking a closer look at just a few of them as we answer the question of: How to record a soccer game with a GoPro?
There are many ways to record a soccer game with a GoPro, however, some are better than others. For recording a match at field level, the best method is to put the camera inside the goal and for recording at a higher level it is best to stay in the stands.
Here are the 4 best ways to record a soccer game with a GoPro.
1. In the Goal (or behind it)
One of the most common methods that professional goalkeepers use to evaluate their performance is through placing a GoPro in the back of the net, so that their movement, vocality, and shot-stopping can be looked at by those working to help them improve their overall game.
This is also something that some have used to build up a brand name and social media presence for themselves with.
Former Manchester United and Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster became one of the most famous goalkeepers in the world towards the end of his playing career as he started his own YouTube channel.
The channel focussed on his exploits as a cyclist, though also featured some content surrounding his soccer career, most notably the ‘GoPro in the goal’ series that followed his playing days in the Championship and Premier League.
The concept of placing cameras in the goal is nothing new, as broadcasters have attempted to do it for years however, Foster showed that people are really interested in what the professionals have to say about their own careers without any filters.
Placing a GoPro in the goal is also a good idea for anyone that wants to capture the reaction of the fans behind it whenever something important happens during a match.
Like with the players on the field, the GoPro offers a completely unfiltered look into the real time reactions of the hundreds of fans sat behind the goal. Queue bedlam whenever a last-minute goal is scored!
2. Using a Headband
Outside of soccer, this is one of the most common ways to use a GoPro (it is especially popular among runners and cyclists).
For soccer, using a headband to attach your GoPro too can be a fun way of recording your own personal performance from a first-person perspective, something that traditional cameras cannot offer.
There are drawbacks to this though, most obviously that you won’t be able to contest headers at any point during the game as your camera could fall off or injure an opponent.
In a competitive environment, it is unlikely that the official will even allow you to wear a camera in this way as it could pose a danger to those on the field.
Despite this, you could always choose to wear it during training sessions or simple kick-abouts in the park with your friends that have no official rules to obey.
3. Recording from the Stands
This is something that has become ever more popular over recent years following the continued growth of YouTube as a social media and video-sharing platform, the same can be said about the rise of apps such as TikTok and BeReal that allow people to share what they are doing in real-time.
There are now many great social media influencers that use GoPro’s as part of their setup for bringing the atmosphere of some of the biggest games in the world to every room on the planet, while it may not be quite the same experience for those watching, it is a rapidly growing business for those that do it right.
Recoding from the stands is much easier than attempting to do anything on the field, but of course, doesn’t give the same impact on those wanting to analyze their own performance closely.
Using a GoPro in this way is best suited to entertainment, however, if this is something that sounds good then you need to be aware of the restrictions that apply at almost every match.
Any filming of the match itself is banned by almost every soccer federation on the planet as it officially violates television deals that have been struck with broadcasters around the globe.
For this reason, you must only ever film your own reaction to the events on the field, if you disobey these orders then you could see your video struck down for copyright infringement which may lead to a fine.
You will likely be able to film matches of a much lower level though which could prove helpful from an analytical perspective for players and teams wanting to get a broader view of their performances from the stands.
4. On Top of the Goal
The final way to use a GoPro that we’ll be discussing today is to place it on top of the goal (fixing it to the crossbar), which is certainly not something that you’ll want to be doing very often or at a high level in which the GoPro could get broken.
This is a method that should be saved for things like training and youth soccer games as you are less likely to damage the camera due to less power being used on the shots that could hit your GoPro.
By placing the GoPro on the crossbar you get a great view of the entire half of the pitch that you are either attacking or defending, by placing one on each goal you get the best of both worlds (providing your opponents don’t mind being recorded themselves).
From an attacking sense, you can use the footage to analyze your shooting and from a defensive sense you can analyze both your defenders and goalkeeper.
There we have it! They are just a selection of the ways that you can record a soccer game with a GoPro, will you be taking one to the next match that you either play in or watch?