Table 1.
Participants
| Participant | Current Role | Experience | Organization | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Assistant Coach | 25 years | Professional club (1st division) | Morocco |
| P2 | Sports Agent | 6 years | Player representation agency | Spain |
| P3 | Senior Scoutin Analyst | 7 years | Professional football club (1st division) | United States |
| P4 | Scouting Analyst | 6 years | Football data analysis company | Argentina |
| P5 | Performance Analyst | 4 years | Professional football club (3rd division) | Portugal |
Table 2.
Semi-Structured Interview Guide
| Topic | Question | References |
|---|---|---|
| Perceptions of Data Use in Scouting | How do you perceive the use of data in scouting? Do data complement scouts' intuition or replace experience in decision-making? | (Cameron et al., 2025; Frost et al., 2025) |
| How can data and subjective judgement be combined in scouting? How can this integration create more value in decision- making? | (Furley et al., 2025; Monsees, 2025) | |
| How do you perceive the use of artificial intelligence and big data analytics in scouting? What is the potential of these technologies to support more informed decisions? | (Dubois & Walzak, 2025) | |
| Implementation and Challenges of DDDSS | What challenges arise from implementing and integrating technologies such as AI into the scouting process? | (Dubois & Walzak, 2025) |
| Considering limitations in resources and expertise in many contexts, how can data be managed to become a competitive advantage in scouting? | (Harkness-Armstrong et al., 2025) | |
| How can objective and subjective factors be integrated to create a more holistic evaluation of players in the scouting process? | (Singh & Suguna, 2023; Wieland et al., 2023) | |
| Impact of DDDSS in Scouting | How do data analytics, AI, and advanced metrics influence decision- making in player recruitment and selection within your organisation? | (Barron et al., 2018) |
| How do advanced data and rating systems contribute to a more comprehensive player evaluation? How are different data sources integrated to build more holistic and predictive profiles? | (Malikov & Kim, 2024) | |
| How can data help identify and quantify the value of players whose contributions are not reflected in traditional statistics? | (Goes et al., 2019) | |
| How does data analysis influence financial strategies and support strategic decisions to improve club performance and competitiveness? | (Ball et al., 2025; Cameron et al., 2025) | |
| Future of Scouting | In the future, what will be the role of human scouts and coaches given increasing automation and intelligent data systems? | (Dubois & Walzak, 2025) |
| How can scouting evolve to integrate subjective and non-quantifiable factors using technology to create more complete player profiles and minimise bias? | (Dubois & Walzak, 2025) | |
| Smaller organisations often struggle to keep pace with technological evolution. Could the use of these systems still provide a competitive advantage? | (Beiderbeck et al., 2023) |