Statistics glossary

Every indicator tracked by Statsmaker, with its definition, its synonyms and how it is computed. Essential to read data this dense.

Shots & finishing 7

Shot on target

syn. shot on target, unblocked shot on target

Any attempt that ends up in the back of the net (goal), or that is clearly an attempt to score and would have ended up in the net had it not been stopped by the goalkeeper or intercepted by the last outfield player (goal-line clearance). Shots that hit the woodwork are not on target, unless the ball then ends up in the back of the net. Shots blocked by another player are not on target.

Shot off target

syn. shot off target

Any attempt that ends up over or wide of the goal without being touched by another player, or that would have done so had it not been stopped by the goalkeeper or recovered by an outfield player, or that hits the woodwork directly without then going into the goal. Blocked shots are not counted as shots off target.

Shooting accuracy

Proportion of shots on target out of total shots (excluding rebounded shots and own goals).

(Shots on target / Total shots) × 100

Goal / Own goal (OG)

syn. Goal, OG, Own goal

Attribution of a goal to the player who scored it or, in the case of an own goal, to the opposing player. In the event of a dispute over attribution, STATSPORT AFRICA follows the decision of the governing body of the competition concerned.

Blocked shot

syn. blocked shot, blocked shot

Any attempt heading toward the target but blocked by an outfield player, while other defenders or the goalkeeper are still behind the blocker. This includes shots unintentionally blocked by a teammate of the shooter. A shot cleared off the line by an opponent is counted as a shot on target, not as a blocked shot.

Penalty (won, conceded and taken)

syn. penalty, penalty kick

Awarded when a foul committed in the box is whistled (to the offending player and their team). A "foul won" leading to a penalty is counted only for the player and does not take into account handballs deemed deliberate by the referee. The penalty taken is counted as a shot (or a pass for a two-player penalty) for the team and the player.

Expected Goals (xG)

syn. Expected Goals, Expected Goals, xG

Expected goals (xG) assess the quality of a shot according to several variables: shooting distance and angle, body part used, shooting situation, type of pass received, etc. The sum of a player's or team's xG estimates the number of goals they should have scored on average. The value, between 0 and 1, expresses a probability of scoring: an xG of 0.53 reflects an estimated probability of 53%.

xG ∈ [0 ; 1] — Expected goals = Σ (xG of shots)

Passing & creation 9

Pass

Any intentional transfer of the ball from one player to another: passes in open play, goal kicks, corners and free kicks played as passes. Crosses, throws by hand and throw-ins are not counted.

Assist

syn. assist, assist provider

Last ball touched before the scorer receives the ball and scores. If the ball is deflected by an opponent, an assist is credited only if the recipient would have received the ball anyway without the deflection. Own goals, direct free kicks, direct corners and penalties never have an assist provider.

Key pass

syn. key pass

Last pass (or deflected shot) played to the recipient of the ball who shoots but does not score.

Cross

syn. cross

A ball played from one side of the pitch with the intention of finding a teammate in a specific area in front of goal.

Successful cross

A cross played from the wings that reaches a teammate in the penalty area, placing them in the best conditions to shoot.

Missed cross

An attempted aerial or ground pass from the wings that is not received by a teammate in the danger zone.

Passing accuracy

Proportion of completed passes out of total passes attempted. Crosses are most often excluded (treated separately). A completed pass reaches a teammate directly, without being touched by an opponent.

(Completed passes / Attempted passes) × 100

Through ball

syn. through ball, through ball

Transmission of the ball forward, not to the feet but into the free space behind the opposing defensive line. The receiver runs into that space, which allows the lines to be pierced and a goal-scoring opportunity to be created.

Expected assists (xA)

syn. xA, Expected assists, expected assists

In the continuation of expected goals: the probability that a pass becomes an assist, given the shooting position of the shooter it sets up.

Dribbling & possession 8

Touches

syn. touches

The sum of all a player's actions with the ball. Lost aerial duels and lost challenges are not counted.

Dribble

An action by a player in possession who attempts to beat their direct opponent one-on-one. The dribble is successful if it beats the opponent while keeping the ball, and failed if the player is tackled or pushes the ball too far.

Successful dribble

A technical action in which a player beats a direct opponent by feinting or going past them, while retaining control and possession of the ball at the end of the duel, in order to create an advantage or progress toward the opposing goal.

Failed or missed dribble

syn. missed dribble

A failed attempt to beat a direct opponent, generally ending in a loss of the ball, an intercepted pass or a loss of balance: the player fails to keep control of the ball while getting past the defender.

Ball recovery

syn. recovery

A player recovers the ball in a situation where neither team has possession, or when it is played directly to them by an opponent, thereby securing possession for their team.

Possessions

syn. possession

One or more successive sequences in favor of the same team. A possession ends when the opposing team regains control of the ball.

Ball lost

An action by which a team goes from the offensive status (in possession) to the defensive status, requiring an immediate reaction (counter-pressing or fallback). In official statistics, the "balls lost" data assesses a player's technical waste: failed passes, missed controls or lost duels.

Ball lost

syn. turnover, counter-pressing

A player in possession loses control of the ball to the opponent or out of the bounds of the pitch, marking the end of the offensive phase and the start of the defensive transition. Main causes: technical errors, opponent actions (pressing, interceptions) and lost duels. A team records on average 210 to 260 per match; counter-pressing consists of immediately harrying the opposing ball carrier.

Defending & recovery 5

Tackle

syn. tackle

Awarded when a player takes the ball away from the carrier during a ground challenge. The tackled player must be clearly in possession of the ball at the moment of the tackle.

Successful tackle

Awarded when the tackler or a teammate recovers the ball following the tackle, or when the ball goes out of play (danger averted). If the opponent was attempting to dribble, they are credited with a failed dribble; if they had possession without dribbling, a ball lost.

Failed or missed tackle

syn. missed tackle

Awarded when the ball ends up at the feet of an opponent following the tackle. Cutting out a pass is not a tackle. A tackle is missed when the player does not touch the ball driven by the opponent (fouls committed on an attempted tackle + lost challenges).

Clearance

syn. clearance

A defensive action in which a player sends the ball away from their own goal, without aiming for a specific recipient.

Interception

Awarded when a player recovers the ball by intentionally cutting out its trajectory: they anticipate an opponent's pass and position themselves on the path to intercept it.

Duels & fouls 6

Duel

A face-off between two opponents for control of the ball. For every duel won there is a corresponding duel lost.

Aerial duel won

An aerial duel pits two players against each other fighting for a ball with the head. The player who wins the ball wins the aerial duel.

Aerial duel lost

The opposite of the aerial duel won: the player who does not win the ball with the head loses the duel. When more than two players are fighting, the lost duel is credited to the opponent closest to the winner.

Foul committed

Any infringement penalized by a foul whistled by the referee. The player who commits the foul is credited with a lost duel. Offsides are not counted as fouls committed.

Foul suffered

A player winning a free kick or a penalty for their team, following a foul by an opponent; the player who suffers the foul wins the duel. No foul won is awarded for handballs, dives, back-passes to the goalkeeper, unobserved dropped-ball procedures, dissent, breaches of the 6-second rule and obstructions.

Cards

syn. yellow card, red card, second yellow

Disciplinary sanctions collected as follows: yellow, second yellow card, red. As far as possible, STATSPORT AFRICA follows the referee's official report to align with the official statistics, save for obvious error.

Goalkeeper 2

Goalkeeper save

syn. save, save

A goalkeeper saves an opposing shot when they prevent the ball from entering the goal (with any part of the body) against an intentional shot from the opponent.

Clean sheet

syn. clean sheet, shutout

A player or team that does not concede any goal during a full match.

Tactics & phases of play 11

Pressing

syn. pressing, counter-pressing

Applying pressure on an opponent who receives, carries or releases the ball. A pressing action is successful when it allows the team to regain possession within five seconds of the pressure.

Building from the back

syn. build-up

A phase in which the team in possession restarts play from its defensive zone. Facing the opponent's press, it circulates the ball cleanly (short or long passes) to reach the halfway line and launch an attack.

Long ball or direct play

syn. long ball, direct play

Direct play consists of quickly sending the ball forward, often through long aerial passes or switches, to bypass the opposing midfield. The long ball is one of the tools used to drive this direct play, exploiting the pace of the forwards or the presence of a target man.

Positional attack

syn. positional attack

A phase in which a team progresses patiently and indirectly against an opposing block already in place. It relies on possession, technical mastery and intelligent movement to create gaps and unbalance the defense.

Fast attack

An offensive action aimed at exploiting an opposing defensive imbalance through speed. Triggered right after recovery, it is characterized by a lightning surge forward, vertical passes and a minimum of touches to strike quickly.

Counter attack

A rapid offensive transition phase occurring after regaining the ball. It aims to surprise the disorganized opponent by projecting play forward within a few seconds, limiting the defense's reaction time.

Low block

A defensive strategy in which the team drops deep into its own half, tightening its lines to condense the central areas and deny depth. It deliberately gives possession to the opponent in order to better exploit the spaces on the counter-attack.

Medium block

A defensive organization in which the team positions itself in the intermediate zone of the pitch, between its own box and the halfway line, to reduce spaces, prevent the opponent's progression and steer it toward the flanks.

High block

A defensive organization in which the team positions its back line very high, often around the halfway line, in order to reduce the playing space and stifle the opponent's build-up.

Offensive transition

The set of tactical actions carried out immediately after regaining the ball, aimed at exploiting the opponent's defensive disorganization to progress quickly from defense to attack.

Defensive transition

A phase that starts immediately after losing possession. It involves deciding in real time between recovering the ball right away or securing the space to avoid the counter-attack: a brief moment but one with tactical choices heavy with consequences.

Rating & assessment 5

Match rating

syn. rating out of 10, individual rating

A rating out of 10, awarded automatically to every player on a team sheet. It starts at 6,00 — the player who does his job without standing out — then adds decisive actions (block A), volume and quality weighted by playing time (block B), and subtracts discipline (block C). It is capped between 3,00 and 10,00 and rounded to one decimal. It is never entered or corrected by hand. It stays empty — and is never replaced by an average rating — when it would be meaningless: zero minutes played, team sheet not entered, match not finished, or unknown position.

Rating = clamp( 6,00 + A + α × B + C , 3,00 , 10,00 ) — where α = 0,55 + 0,45 × (minutes played ÷ 90), capped at 1,00

A worked example

A player from the MIL line, 78 minutes played, on an ordinary team sheet. This calculation is produced by the engine that actually rates matches: it is not copied by hand, and it changes if a coefficient changes.

Starting base 6,00
A — Decisive actions (never weighted by playing time)
No action from this block on this team sheet
B — Volume and quality (weighted by α)
2 × Key pass (+0,10 per unit) +0,20
2 × Successful dribble (+0,06 per unit) +0,12
4 × Ground duel won (+0,04 per unit) +0,16
8 × Duel lost (ground or aerial) (-0,02 per unit) -0,16
2 × Successful tackle (+0,06 per unit) +0,12
3 × Interception (+0,06 per unit) +0,18
4 × Recovery (+0,04 per unit) +0,16
7 × Ball lost (-0,03 per unit) -0,21
1 × Shot on target not converted (+0,05 per unit) +0,05
Pass completion -0,01
Finishing -0,04
Block B total, weighted by playing time (α = 0,94) +0,54
C — Discipline (never weighted)
1 × Yellow card (-0,30 per unit) -0,30
1 × Foul committed beyond the second (-0,04 per unit) -0,04

Match rating 6,2

The scale, coefficient by coefficient

One coefficient per line of the pitch. Block B values are multiplied by α, the playing-time weighting; those of blocks A and C are not.

Match rating coefficients, by line of the pitch
Criterion	GK	DEF	MIL	ATT
A — Decisive actions (never weighted by playing time)
Goal scored	+1,50	+1,30	+1,15	+1,00
Assist	+0,90	+0,80	+0,75	+0,70
Penalty saved	+1,00	—	—	—
Penalty missed	-0,70	-0,70	-0,70	-0,70
Own goal	-1,00	-1,00	-1,00	-1,00
B — Volume and quality (weighted by α)
	GK	DEF	MIL	ATT
Key pass	—	+0,10	+0,10	+0,08
Successful dribble	—	+0,06	+0,06	+0,05
Successful cross	—	+0,08	+0,06	+0,06
Ground duel won	+0,04	+0,05	+0,04	+0,03
Aerial duel won	+0,05	+0,07	+0,05	+0,04
Duel lost (ground or aerial)	-0,02	-0,03	-0,02	-0,02
Successful tackle	—	+0,07	+0,06	+0,04
Missed tackle	—	-0,05	-0,04	-0,02
Interception	+0,03	+0,07	+0,06	+0,04
Recovery	+0,02	+0,04	+0,04	+0,03
Ball lost	-0,02	-0,04	-0,03	-0,02
Shot on target not converted	—	+0,05	+0,05	+0,04
Foul suffered	+0,02	+0,02	+0,02	+0,02
Save	+0,13	—	—	—
Goal conceded (goalkeeper)	-0,25	—	—	—
Clean sheet (at least 60 minutes played)	+0,60	+0,40	+0,15	—
C — Discipline (never weighted)
	GK	DEF	MIL	ATT
Yellow card	-0,30	-0,30	-0,30	-0,30
Red card	-1,50	-1,50	-1,50	-1,50
Foul committed beyond the second	-0,04	-0,04	-0,04	-0,04

What do GK, DEF, MID, FWD and the dash mean?

GK: Goalkeeper
DEF: Defender
MIL: Midfielder
ATT: Forward
—: The criterion does not apply to this line. This is not « zero points »: the criterion does not exist for this position.

Two terms in block B are not counters

Pass completion: (pass completion rate − line reference) × 0,03, capped at ±0,60. References: goalkeeper 70 %, defender 84 %, midfielder 86 %, forward 76 %. No pass attempted does not count as 0 %: the term is then void.
Finishing: (goals scored − expected goals) × 0,35, capped at ±0,70, for every line. The cap avoids paying twice for a goal already rewarded by block A.

Deliberately excluded from the formula, and why:

Touches: Counting them would reward sterile possession: a player who touches the ball often without ever moving the game forward would be rated higher than a player who is decisive in few touches.
Blocked shots: Semantically ambiguous: the strike is the player's, the block is the opponent's. Counting them positively would reward a failed attempt; negatively, it would punish an initiative.
Offside: Too dependent on the passer's timing to be credited to the receiver.
Captain's armband: Not measurable, and therefore immediately disputable.
Team result: An individual rating must not depend on the score: a great match in a beaten team is still a great match. Only the clean sheet, which is a collective defensive fact, is kept.

Formula version: 1. Ratings already published keep the version that produced them; they do not change retroactively.

Season rating

syn. average rating, weighted average

The average of a player's match ratings, weighted by minutes played: a substitute who came on for ten minutes does not weigh as much as a starter. A player enters the ranking from 5 rated matches and 450 minutes; below that, his rating is computed and shown, but flagged as outside the ranking, together with the matches and minutes he still lacks. ⚠️ The average and the threshold are assessed over the competitions you have access to: the same player may therefore be ranked under one subscription and outside the ranking under another, and both displays are correct.

Σ (match rating × match minutes) ÷ Σ minutes

Clean sheet (as the rating counts it)

syn. clean sheet (rating)

No goal conceded by the player's team while he was on the pitch, and at least 60 minutes played. This definition, and this one alone, awards the clean-sheet bonus in the match rating. A goalkeeper brought on in the 85th minute of a goalless match does not qualify: he did not keep a clean sheet, he watched the end of a match. ⚠️ It deliberately differs from the « clean sheet » counter on the player page — see the next entry.

Clean sheet (player page counter)

syn. clean sheet (player page)

The number of matches played in which the player's team conceded no goal, over the whole match and whatever the player's playing time. This is the long-standing counter of player pages and goalkeeper rankings; it has not changed. ⚠️ It is therefore normal for a player to show a clean sheet on his page without the corresponding match rating counting it: the rating applies a stricter criterion, bounded by presence on the pitch.

Notable gap

syn. significant gap, notable gap

In the comparator, a gap is flagged as notable when the difference between the highest and the lowest of the compared values reaches 25 % of the highest. The threshold is the same for every statistic, including those where a low value is better — « lower is better » reverses which side is highlighted, not the calculation. A statistic with no value is not counted as zero: without at least two known values, no gap is flagged.

(highest value − lowest value) ≥ 0,25 × highest value