Graph-Based Multiplayer Detection and Tracking in Broadcast Soccer Videos

In this paper, we propose a graph-based approach for detecting and tracking multiple players in broadcast soccer videos. In the first stage, the position of the players in each frame is determined by removing the non player regions. The remaining pixels are then grouped using a region growing algorithm to identify probable player candidates. A directed weighted graph is constructed, where probable player candidates correspond to the nodes of the graph while each edge links candidates in a frame with the candidates in next two consecutive frames. Finally, dynamic programming is applied to find the trajectory of each player. Experiments with several sequences from broadcasted videos of international soccer matches indicate that the proposed approach is able to track the players reasonably well even under varied illumination and ground conditions.