2025 ISAC Set-Piece Optimization Challenge

“Turning Corners into Goals”

Club América, the most decorated club in Mexican football, has built its legacy on history, titles, and a passionate fan base that spans generations. Yet in an increasingly competitive football landscape, every detail matters. Optimizing how corners are executed and defended can mean the difference between sustaining dominance and falling behind.

This challenge is not just about analyzing data, it’s about turning corners into goals and delivering insights that truly impact the pitch.

The Challenge

Turn eight seasons of Liga MX corner kicks into simple, evidence-based insights a coach or player can use.

Visualizing sure is useful! But your submission should try and go beyond depicting trends:

• Quantify effectiveness: Find if crowding the 6-yard box works better than spreading players out.

• Model impact: What increases the chance of a goal — and the risk of conceding?

• Recommend improvements: Replace 20% of outswingers with short corners—estimate change in shots & counters.

• Communicate clearly: Use visual tools that staff can understand quickly.

You can use Statsbomb’s On-Ball Value ™️ to uncover what truly drives impact in set pieces (use is not obigatory):

• One of the biggest challenges in set-piece analysis is that most current approaches focus only on corners that lead to a shot — using metrics like expected goals (xG). But what about the corners that don’t result in a shot?
• A key opportunity in this competition is to expand the analysis by examining all corners, not just the ones that end with an attempt on goal.

Data

• 8 seasons of Liga MX Hudl StatsBomb 360 data: From Apertura 2021-Clausura 2025
• From Apertura 2021-Clausura 2025
• Each contestant will receive API access for structured queries upon registration.

Official Documenation

• Connect to the API
• Official Hudl StatsBomb documentation
• 360 Data Specs
• Event Data Specs
• Data Glossary
• R tutorials
• Python Tutorials

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Entry Criteria

• All participants must be Undergraduate or high school students
• Teams can use any tools: Python, R, Tableau, Power BI, or even Excel. Use whatever tool you’re comfortable with.
• International teams welcome — read rules for mentorship and prize eligibility.
• Teams and participants must register through the form and provide proof of studentship.
• Submit via the official google form before the deadline.

Mentorship

• If the team is made up only of students from Mexican universities, they can apply to our mentorship program by sending an email to itamsportsanalytics@gmail.com with the subject “Programa de mentoría”. A mentor will be assigned to your team that will help you answer any question that you have during the development of your solution.

Submissions

Your submission must include all three components below:

1. Final Deliverable

Submit one of the following:

• Web application (with URL)
• Research paper
• Jupyter Notebook
• Dashboard
• Excel Sheet
• Other creative format

Important: If using notebooks (Jupyter, R Markdown), export as HTML or PDF. Unrendered code files may not be considered.

2. Source Code

• Complete, well-documented script in any language (Python, R, C#, Rust, Visual Basic, etc.).
• Include clear comments explaining your approach.
• If your code references external files, include all of them.

3. Video Demo

• Maximum 5 minutes
• Show your product in action

Language

Submissions strongly preferred in English, Spanish accepted.

Data Requirements

Use only the provided dataset and publicly available data sources. Submissions using private or paid datasets will be disqualified.

Prizes

Judging Criteria

Key Dates

Final Notes

There’s no single path to a perfect set piece — and no one way to win this challenge. Focus on creating something meaningful, insightful, and tactical.

Good luck, and let your tactical imagination shine!🇲🇽

FAQs

What other APIs or libraries can be used in addition to those provided?

Participants can use any **public** data source to complement their analysis.

How do I access the competition data?

Upon registration, you will receive an email with the credentials to access the official competition data through Hudl StatsBomb's API.

Should this focus on attack scenarios or protection scenarios?

You can choose either! The key is to first establish clear metrics or evaluation criteria for measuring performance. Once you have a way to assess effectiveness, you're free to focus on whichever aspect—offensive or defensive—interests you most.

Is the competition entry free?

Competition entry is completely free. Submit through the submissions form before the deadline. Prizes are awarded at the discretion of ISAC and their judges.

Is this competition open internationally?

Yes, the competition is open to participants and students from all countries.

Can I work in teams?

Yes, you can work individually or in a team. There's no limit on team size, but remember to list all team members in your submission. If nominated as a competition winner, the prize will be split between the team members, subject to terms and conditions.

How will the winners be notified?

Winners will be notified via the email address provided in their submission in late October. Make sure to check your spam folder and keep an eye out for communications from our team.

How do I submit my work?

You must fill in the submission form to enter the competition. Work not submitted via the form will not be considered in the competition.

Can I / Should I share my work online?

We encourage participants to post their projects in public. If you want to promote your work on different platforms, use the hashtag **#ISACHackathon**.

*All prizes are subject to the specific restrictions of each brand