12 terms

What the numbers mean

Every number on this site, in plain words, with a small example. Link to any term with its own address, like /glossary#xg. How each one is worked out is on the methodology page.

xGExpected goals: How likely a shot was to be a goal, from 0 to 1, judged on thousands of similar shots: where it was taken, the angle, the body part and the kind of chance. Add up a team's shots and you get how many goals its chances were worth.; Example A penalty is about 0.78 xG. A shot from 30 yards is usually under 0.05.
npxGNon-penalty expected goals: xG with penalties taken out. Penalties are big chances that a team does not really create in open play, so leaving them out shows attacking quality more fairly.; Example A striker with 6.2 xG who took three penalties has about 3.9 npxG.
xAExpected assists: The xG of the shots a player set up with a pass. It credits the chance they made, whether or not the team-mate scored.; Example A cut-back that leads to a 0.4 xG shot adds 0.4 xA, even if it is missed.
xGOTExpected goals on target: The goal chance of a shot after it was struck, judged on where it ended up in the goal. Only shots on target have it. More xGOT than xG means the shots were well placed.; Example A 0.10 xG shot into the top corner can be 0.60 xGOT.
Big chance: A situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually one-on-one or from very close range.; Example A tap-in from two yards with the keeper beaten.
Per 90Per 90 minutes: A number divided by minutes played and multiplied by 90, so players who play different amounts can be compared. We only rank per 90 numbers for players with five full games (450 minutes) or more.; Example 4 goals in 600 minutes is 0.60 goals per 90.
Percentile: Where a player ranks among players in the same position in the leagues we cover. The 90th percentile means better than 90% of them.; Example A forward in the 95th percentile for xG per 90 is among the top 5%.
PPDAPasses allowed per defensive action: How many passes a team lets the opponent make before it tries to win the ball, in the opponent's part of the pitch. Lower means more pressing. Ours is approximate, from team totals.; Example A PPDA of 8 is an aggressive press; 15 or more is a team that sits back.
Deserved (xG) tableExpected points: The table if every game had been decided by its chances. We replay each match from the xG of its shots to see how many points each side earned on average, then rank by that.; Example A team that keeps winning 1-0 with less xG sits lower in the deserved table than in the real one.
Momentum: Who was on top in each five minutes of a game, from the quality of shots and the touches in the final third. Bars above the line are the home side, below the away side.; Example A run of tall home bars after half-time shows the home side took over.
Pass network: Each player's average position while the same eleven were on the pitch, with lines between players who passed to each other often. Thicker lines mean more passes.; Example A thick line between the two centre-backs and short lines forward can mean a team struggled to progress.
Player ratingOut of 10: A score for each player's game from their actions on the ball and off it, from one consistent model so ratings compare fairly. Around 6.5 is an ordinary game, 8 or more an excellent one.; Example A defender with 9 clearances, 4 tackles and no errors might rate 7.8.