Construction Of An Aggregated Football Activity Heatmap As A Reference Point Using The Amis Method

Objective. Traditional heatmaps in football analytics are built on "raw" data, and the color scale is adjusted individually for each match. This makes direct correct comparison of teams' spatial activity across different matches impossible. The aim of this study is to present a normalized aggregated heatmap of the football pitch from a reference tournament as a fixed reference point for comparable measurement of spatial activity in match actions. Method. The author's Adaptive Multi-Interval Scale (AMIS) method was used to transform raw activity values into a 100-point interval scale. Based on data from the 2012/2013 Russian Championship seasontaken as a conventional starting date for digital analyticsobtained using the "Match Management Program", a unified normalization function was constructed. In this function, the reference point of 50 points corresponds to the average statistical level of the reference tournament. Results. A unified 100-point interval scale was created based on the reference tournament. The reference pointan average statistical normalized reference heatmapwas determined. The heatmap revealed a persistent asymmetry favoring the right flank (5-10%), which correlates with the known dominance of right-footed players and serves as a validity criterion for the method. Scientific novelty. For the first time, an open, mathematically rigorous spatial reference standard for a football pitch is presented, using an interval scale that allows measuring absolute deviations of intensity in any match. Practical significance. The reference standard and the method used can be employed for objective comparison of different matches, including matches from different eras, identifying zones of excessive/insufficient activity, calibrating data collection systems, and constructing integral indices. The method is also applicable to other scientific fields.