Academic: Professor Bill Gerrard, Leeds University Business School
Brad Pitt’s film Moneyball showed how statistical analysis can transform the way that professional sport is played and managed. Professor Bill Gerrard pioneered this work in so-called ‘invasion sports’ like football and rugby in the UK and has continued to produce leading-edge research which is used more widely in the USA and Australia.
This research has affected practice in the boardroom and the locker room, and has had an impact in day-to-day decision-making in areas including the recruitment of players, training priorities, team selection and game tactics. Professor Gerrard’s work has been used in sports in three continents and is applicable to all invasion team sports including football, rugby union and rugby league.