Actim is the brand name for the official data of the Barclays Premier League, The Football League, Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. The data is used to produce Actim Stats.
What kind of stats are produced?
Actim Stats are a collection of team, player and match statistics. They are derived from all the actions that take place during a match, including goals, shots on target, corners, assists, clean sheets, fouls, off-sides, passes, tackles, blocks and clearances. The raw data can be used to generate a wide range of tables and statistics such as player profiles, team and player head to heads and form guides.
Who produces Actim Stats?
Actim Stats are produced by PA Sport, a division of the PA Group, on behalf of Football DataCo.
How are Actim Stats collected?
PA Sport gathers match data for every Barclays Premier League and Coca-Cola Championship match. The data is gathered by two methods - real-time match analysis and the study of video footage. The real-time analysis is conducted by ex-professional footballers who report on action at the grounds, as it happens. Further, more detailed analysis is obtained by studying videos of the matches and collecting more intense data.
What is the Actim Index?
The Actim Index is the official player rating system of the Barclays Premier League and Coca-Cola Championship. It was introduced for the 2004/05 season and was devised by statisticians at the University of Salford in partnership with PA Sport & Football DataCo. The 2006/07 season saw the Actim Index enhanced by the addition of assists and clean sheets to the other playing factors that are taken into account when calculating the Actim Index.
What is the purpose of the Actim Index?
It identifies the players who make key contributions to each match
It allows players to be ranked against each other at random or using such criteria as playing position, nationality, age, or geographical location of their team
It highlights the key players in a league or team
It shows the form of a player & team
Individual player/team performances can be scientifically analysed over a season or any period of time within a season
It provides fans with the knowledge of who is the best
How accurate is the Actim Index?
The calculations are based on the six key factors that contribute to a player's effectiveness and his ability to help his team win matches. The formulae were devised through analysis of hundreds of matches since the start of the English Premier League in 1992 and have been statistically proven to measure a player's effectiveness in winning matches.
How is the Actim Index calculated?
Complex mathematical formulae were devised to calculate the value of each player's contribution, match by match. In simple terms, the Actim Index comprises six calculations:
Calculation 1 - Assesses a player's contribution to a winning team, based on points won by the team when he appeared
Calculation 2 - Assesses a player's performance in each game, by allocating points for actions that positively contribute to a winning performance such as shots, tackles, clearances and saves. It also takes points away from players for negative actions such as yellow/red cards and shots off target
Calculation 3 - Allocates points based on time on the pitch
Calculation 4 - Allocates points for goal scorers
Calculation 5 - Allocates points for assists
Calculation 6 - Allocates points for clean sheets
Did you test the Actim Index system before its introduction in 2004/2005? Who came top?
Yes we did and the Actim Index clearly identified Thierry Henry as the most effective player in the Premier League in 2003/2004. The former Arsenal striker scored 30 league goals that season - eight more than Alan Shearer and 10 more than Ruud van Nistelrooy. Henry also performed well in terms of all-round play and total appearances - factors that recognise the important contributions of players who rarely find the back of the net. Henry picked up Index points for the quality of his crosses and passing as well as his appearance in 37 out of 38 Arsenal league matches. This, together with his remarkable scoring record explained his lead at the top of the Actim Index in 2003/2004.
Is there a subjective element to the Actim Index? Do you award points for entertainment value?
The Actim Index only includes actions that can be measured objectively. Skill, passion and flair are subjective factors so they are not included in the rating system.
Where does Actim Stats and Actim Index appear?
National and regional newspapers, magazines, websites, mobile phones, SMS alerts, TV and Radio both in the UK and abroad.
Isn't the Actim Index biased towards players who play for the top clubs? What about players who play well for less successful teams?
The Actim Index aims to identify successful players who contribute to winning performances. However, rewards for team success are only part of the final rating. Players on losing teams can still score points in other areas. The view is that players deserve recognition for contributing to team success, but should still be able to score points if their team draws or loses.
Is it only players that score goals that do well on the Actim Index?
Goals do improve a player's score but the 2005/06 index for the Barclays Premiership proved that you don't need to be a hot-shot to make an impact. Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand finished 5th in the player index with 624 while netting three goals, and John Terry finished 8th after netting four times during Chelsea's championship winning campaign. Indeed, Steve Finnan of Liverpool finished 12th with a score of 559 scoring no goals from 33 appearances. Jimmy Bullard finished the 2005/06 season in 13th spot (551 points) after a tremendous campaign with un-fancied Wigan. The midfielder scored just four Barclays Premiership goals in his 3,288 minutes on the pitch - compared to the 16 netted by Manchester United star Wayne Rooney (561 points), who ended the season in 11th place while playing just 62 minutes less.
