PFSA Level 2
Opposition Analysis In Football
Leading opposition analysis course in the UK and overseas delivered by industry-experts

Get certified and establish a career in professional opposition scouting. Designed and developed by leading experts to equip football scouts with the ability to effectively analyse the opposition using industry best practice. EXCLUSIVELY endorsed by Instat.

Collecting precise, up-to-date and insightful information about upcoming opponents (and reporting it effectively) is absolutely vital to team and club success. This PFSA Level 2 Opposition Analysis in Football course was developed by elite Premier League Opposition Scouts, Scouting Department Heads and Academy Managers.
Successful completion of the course leads to a certification as a professional Opposition Scout, a membership to the PFSA Scouting Network, with opportunities to generate real, detailed opposition reports for active first-team managers and coaches, career advice and much, much more.
Developed within the guidelines and framework of the English Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan (the EPPP), the course offers an unmatched insight into the world of elite-level opposition scouting. Equally important, it equips you with the tools needed to assess the matchday strengths, weaknesses, shapes, strategies and set pieces of opposing teams through the guidance and eyes of experienced and hard-working opposition scouts. Take your football analysis skills to the next level!
Suitable For
- Football scouts with a deep interest for opposition and individual analysis and the demands set within the game
- Football scouts with an advanced knowledge of the role looking to further their employment potential within a club
- Industry recognition with a professional grade certification
- Football scouts looking to enhance their talent identification and analysis capabilities
- Football scouts looking to gain access on to the UK’s largest independent professional scouting network with the PFSA.
Learning outcomes
Successful completion of the PFSA Level 2 Opposition Analysis In Football course will provide you with the knowledge to:
- Understand the complexity the role demands – within a department at a range of levels including advanced, intermediate and beginner.
- Gain a solid understanding of the tools and technology utilised within analysis, meeting the adaptions within the game
- Establish deeper understanding in applying and presenting reports in line with best practice methodology at a range of levels
- Understand formations and their impact on gameplay and analysis
- Ability to sufficiently analyse game performance and present with confidence to your peers.
- Demonstrate understanding around systems of play, principles of play, units and outcomes. Aligned to club expectations.
- Conduct advanced game analysis to consolidate learning objectives to achieve professional competences
- Critically appraise different formations used within tactics, giving you the ability to adapt your analysis to certain styles of play
Units Include
- Module 1 & 2
- Understanding the role, aims and expectations of a professional opposition scout.
- Evolution of opposition scouting
- Opposition analysis and the recruitment workflow
- Modern scouting developments and the use of metrics
- Understanding systems of play
- Analysing a teams formation
- Analysing a teams style of play and how they are influenced
- Understanding levels of performance and expectations
- Module 3, 4 and 5
- Set-plays and tools for application
- Breaking down set-plays
- Wide-angled match analysis
- Compiling an effective opposition report
- Using software, analysis tools and data applications
- The future of scouting
Delivery, Dates and Prices
Overview: The PFSA Level 2 Opposition Analysis course is offered through Zoom, facilitated by highly experienced tutors actively participating in the industry. This format enables learners to harness technology for networking and connecting with professionals via our interactive platform.
Delivery and Time: 2 x 4 Hour Sessions (Tutor-led via Zoom) plus additional homework and assessments.
Tutors: Delivered by TWO of our UEFA Pro License tutors and one of our expert opposition analyst currently engaged as Head of Opposition Scouting for a Championship club.
Teaching and Learning Style: Online Zoom sessions with large group presentations by lead tutors, online breakout sessions and interactive tasks, tutor and student-led group discussions, workbook completion comprising player analysis tasks, multiple choice, short answer and matching questions, review exercises and private study.
Assessments: The assessment for this course will consist of satisfactory completion of two course workbooks. The workbooks comprise additional course content, opposition analysis tasks, true/false, ranking, multiple choice and short answer questions, review and reflection tasks and private study. Once successfully completed, access to the Scouting Network will require successful completion of an additional individual assessment by a course tutor.
Price: £200
Available Dates:
Day 1: Dec 16th (9am till 1pm) | Day 2: Dec 17th (9am till 1pm) (NEW)
Day 1: Feb 24th (9am till 1pm) | Day 2: Feb 25th (9am till 1pm) (NEW)
Day 1: Apr 27th (3pm till 7pm) | Day 2: Apr 28th (3pm till 7pm) (NEW)
Example:
Overview: The new PFSA Level 2 Opposition Analysis self-paced option can be taken in your own time and at your own pace. It is perfect for those who actively work or play on the weekend and can not commit to classroom or Zoom based sessions.
The PFSA Self-paced Level 2 Opposition Analysis course does not involve any tutors or active users for networking purposes. These are unique to the classroom and online Zoom based courses.
Find out more by visiting the SELF-PACED Level 2 Opposition Analysis In Football course homepage.
Delivery: Self-Paced (Immediate and Flexible Start)
Teaching and Learning Style: Online interactive session delivered via our education learning platform. Each module includes interactive presentations comprising of player analysis tasks, multiple choice, short answer and matching questions, review exercises and private study.
Assessments: The evaluation process for this course is comprised of two components. The first part involves a 35-question multiple-choice quiz. Subsequently, learners will be required to complete a thorough match report on a selected game, which will be reviewed and assessed by one of our course tutors.
Price: £149
Example
Meet the team
Every PFSA Level 2 Opposition Analysis session delivered via Zoom will have a minimum of two tutors. All have an extensive background in football including 2 UEFA Pro coaches and a current Head of Opposition Analysis for a popular Championship club.

Steve Jones
Steve holds over two decades of experience working within football, most recently as Head of Opposition Analysis for Cardiff City and Millwall FC. In addition to tutoring on the PFSA Level 2 Opposition Analysis course, Steve is a full-time 1st team analyst.
Having started as a guest tutor, Steve now delivers every month with the PFSA giving our users a 1st hand experience of life as a professional opposition scout at the top of the game.

Jason Blake
Jason holds the UEFA Pro coaching badge and has previously worked with Burnley in several senior positions under managers Sean Dyche and Eddie Howe through the academy and 1st team. Jason tutors for the PFSA across all of our tutor-led programmes, including talent identification, opposition analysis and advanced reporting.
Prior to his role with the PFSA, Jason was approached to work in the Chinese Super League with Dalian Yifang and was also Director of Coaching at UCFB a leading sports University and PFSA Partner.

Kevin Braybrook
Kevin is one of the PFSA’s lead tutors and has an exceptional background in football. Kevin currently holds the UEFA Pro License and has worked in several first-team roles from opposition analyst to scout throughout the football pyramid, including the Premier League.
Alongside his role with the PFSA, Kevin is head of UCFB’s Coaching Programme. UCFB are a leading Sports University in the UK and Overseas, with campuses at Wembley Stadium, Etihad Stadium and the 100k capacity MCG In Australia. UCFB is also a strategic partner to the PFSA and collaborates on several courses.

Richard Bredice and Guests
The Level 2 Opposition Analysis course have welcomed many guests over the years. One popular guest is PFSA member, Ex-Manchester City First Team Analyst and current Burnley FC 1st Team Analyst Richard Bredice.
Richard has worked with the PFSA for several years, helping create the Level 1 and 2 Opposition Analysis courses. He also contributes to our tactical reviews, which he produces once a month. He currently works full time with Burnley FC having been asked to by Vincent Kompany during his days at Manchester City.
Level 1 Included
The PFSA Level 1 Opposition Analysis course is 100% self-paced and can be taken at your own pace and in your own time. This is also included in the Level 2 Opposition Analysis in Football course. Once registered below, a member of the PFSA will be in touch with all the details on how to enrol, and claim the free Level 1 Scouting Course.