Aerial duel
A contested ball in the air between two players. Aerial duels won is a common metric for centre backs and target men.
Glossary
Statistical terms
Statistical vocabulary used in football — both traditional match stats (goals, assists, possession) and the modern analytics terms now used in coverage (xG, xA, PPDA, progressive passes).
Statistical terms explained
Every term in the statistical terms category, with a short definition.
Statistical vocabulary used in football — both traditional match stats (goals, assists, possession) and the modern analytics terms now used in coverage (xG, xA, PPDA, progressive passes).
There are 50 terms in this category. Each entry below includes a short definition and, where one exists, a link to the relevant page elsewhere on the site.
Statistical terms
Assist
Credit given to the player who provides the final pass before a goal is scored. The most common attacking statistic after goals.
Big chance
A subjective rating of a goal-scoring opportunity considered very likely to be converted. Used by some data providers to flag chances of high quality.
Blocked shot
A shot prevented from reaching the goalkeeper by contact with an outfield player.
Carries (also: progressive carries)
Instances of a player advancing the ball with their feet. Progressive carries — those that move the ball significantly towards the opposition goal — are a key modern statistic.
Chances created (also: key pass)
Passes that lead directly to a shot, whether or not the shot results in a goal. A broader measure of creativity than assists.
Clean sheet
A defensive performance in which a team does not concede a goal during a match. Most often credited to the goalkeeper, but reflects the whole defensive unit's performance.
Clearance
A defensive action in which a player kicks or heads the ball away from danger without attempting to pass to a teammate.
Cross
A pass played from a wide area into the penalty box, usually from near the byline or close to it. The classic delivery for headers, tap-ins and near-post flick-ons.
Deflection
A change in the direction of a shot, pass or cross caused by contact with another player. A shot that takes a deflection becomes harder for the goalkeeper to read.
Dispossessed
An event in which a player loses the ball to an opponent through a tackle or challenge rather than a misplaced pass.
Distance covered
The total distance a player runs during a match, measured by tracking systems. Used as a measure of physical work-rate.
Duel
A one-on-one contest between two players for the ball. Duels are commonly split into aerial duels and ground duels.
Expected assists (also: xA)
The total expected goals value of the shots a player creates for teammates. Measures creativity by the quality of chances produced rather than whether they were finished. Shortened to xA.
Expected goals (also: xG)
A statistic that estimates the likelihood of a shot being scored, based on factors like shot location, body part used, and the type of pass that preceded it. Often shortened to xG; has become one of the most widely cited modern football statistics.
Expected goals on target (also: xGOT, post-shot xG)
An adaptation of expected goals that uses the quality of the shot once it is on target — accounting for placement as well as starting position. Often shortened to xGOT; also called post-shot xG.
Expected threat (also: xT)
A statistic that values every pass and carry by how much it raises the team's chance of scoring within the next few actions. Often shortened to xT.
Field tilt
A statistic that measures the share of attacking-third passes a team has during a match. A higher field tilt means the team spent more of the game in the opposition's final third.
Form table
A league table calculated using only the last few matches played, rather than the full season. Used to track recent momentum rather than overall standing.
Goal
A successful attempt to put the ball between the posts and under the crossbar. The ball must wholly cross the goal line for the goal to count. The fundamental scoring event in football.
Goal difference
Goals scored minus goals conceded across a competition. Used as a tiebreaker between teams level on points in league tables.
Goals against
The total number of goals a team has conceded over a competition or period. Often abbreviated GA.
Goals for
The total number of goals a team has scored over a competition or period. Often abbreviated GF.
Heat map
A visualisation showing where a player or team spent most of their time on the pitch, drawn as colour intensity over a pitch diagram.
High-intensity run
A run at high speed, captured by tracking systems. Often counted in match summaries as a measure of physical output above mere distance covered.
Interception
A defensive action in which a player reads and cuts out an opposition pass. Distinct from a tackle, which involves a direct challenge for the ball.
Key pass (also: chances created)
A pass that leads directly to a shot. Equivalent to a "chance created" in most data providers' definitions.
Own goal
A goal that is recorded against a team because one of its own players caused the ball to enter their own net.
Pass
The act of playing the ball to a teammate. The most basic action in football and the unit on which most attacking statistics are built.
Pass accuracy (also: pass completion)
The percentage of a player's or team's passes that successfully reach a teammate. A simple measure of passing quality.
Pass map
A visualisation showing the average passes between teammates during a match, with positions and frequency of passing connections.
Possession (also: possession percentage)
The percentage of match time during which a team has the ball. Used as a broad measure of which team dictated play.
PPDA
Passes Per Defensive Action — a measure of pressing intensity. The fewer opposition passes a team allows between defensive actions, the more aggressively they are pressing.
Progressive carry
A carry that moves the ball significantly closer to the opposition goal — typically defined as at least 10 yards towards the goal line.
Progressive pass
A pass that moves the ball significantly closer to the opposition goal — typically defined as at least 10 yards towards the goal line, with stricter definitions in the attacking thirds.
Rebound
A ball that comes loose after a shot is saved, blocked or strikes the woodwork, often leading to a follow-up chance.
Recovery
A defensive action that wins back possession after the team has lost it, whether through a tackle, interception or loose-ball recovery.
Save
A defensive action by the goalkeeper preventing a shot from entering the goal. Saves on target are tracked as a basic measure of goalkeeping performance.
Save percentage
The percentage of shots on target faced by a goalkeeper that they save. A basic measure of shot-stopping performance.
Shot
Any attempt to score a goal — whether on target, off target, or blocked.
Shot accuracy
The percentage of a player's or team's shots that hit the target — landing on goal rather than missing or being blocked.
Shot on target
A shot that would have gone into the goal had it not been saved or blocked on the goal line. Excludes shots that miss the target.
Sprint
A burst of running above a defined speed threshold, recorded by tracking systems. Counted as a measure of explosive physical effort.
Successful pressure
A pressing action that leads directly to winning the ball back within a few seconds. Used to measure how effective a team's pressing is in practice rather than how often they press.
Tackle
A defensive action in which a player makes physical contact with the ball to win it from an opponent. Tackles won is a basic defensive statistic.
Touch (also: touches)
Any contact a player makes with the ball during a match. "Touches" is used to measure how often a player is involved in play.
xA (also: expected assists)
The total expected goals value of the shots a player creates for teammates. Measures creativity by the quality of chances produced rather than whether they were finished. Short for expected assists.
xG (also: expected goals)
A statistic that estimates the likelihood of a shot being scored, based on factors like shot location, body part used, and the type of pass that preceded it. Short for expected goals; has become one of the most widely cited modern football statistics.
xGOT (also: expected goals on target, post-shot xG)
An adaptation of expected goals that uses the quality of the shot once it is on target — accounting for placement as well as starting position. Short for expected goals on target; also called post-shot xG.
xT (also: expected threat)
A statistic that values every pass and carry by how much it raises the team's chance of scoring within the next few actions. Short for expected threat.
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