As I write this post, the U.S. v. Belgium match is underway - a win is needed by the United States to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup. Most watching the game may not realize that GPS technology will be monitoring just about every movement taken by U.S. players on the field as well as other metrics, as reported by Bloomberg. According to the report, the team’s medical staff uses matchbox-sized GPS tracking devices with the goal (no pun intended) of keeping players free from injury. Of course, the technology is used for purposes other than injury prevention; coaches can use it to adjust strategies based on positioning and endurance measured through the devices.

So, if this technology can be effective to minimize injury and improve productivity on the soccer (futbol) field, can we expect to see more widespread use, say in the workplace? Feel free to comment below.

Clearly there are many issues to be considered by employers, many of which we have covered in this forum, including the power of “Big Data” analytics tools to process the vast amounts of data that can be captured with this technology.

But for now, enjoy the game. Go USA!