Pulse Map: combining 3 visualizations into one chart
How we layered xG race, momentum bars and event icons onto a single timeline — and why a single canvas reads better than three separate charts.
Match-analysis dashboards usually fight you. xG race over here, possession bars over there, event timeline somewhere below. By the time you've scanned all three, you've lost the plot of the game.
The Pulse Map is our attempt to fix this. Three visualizations on one canvas, designed to be read in 10 seconds.
The three layers
Layer 1 (top): cumulative xG difference. A single line that goes up when home creates better chances, down when away does. The slope tells you who's dominant. The crossing points tell you when momentum flipped.
Layer 2 (middle): event timeline. Icons for shots (size = xG), fouls (when high-pressure), substitutions, cards, goals. Read horizontally to see when things happened. Vertical clustering reveals chaotic phases.
Layer 3 (bottom): momentum index. A sliding 5-minute window of possession × shot-rate × territorial dominance. Filled area chart, two colours. The bigger the wave, the more lopsided that phase.
Why this beats three separate charts
Cognitive load. Studies on dashboards consistently show that related signals presented on a shared axis are processed 3-5x faster than the same data split across charts. The eye doesn't have to recalibrate scale + position + colour mapping each time.
For football specifically, time is the master axis. xG, momentum, and events all happen against the same minute-by-minute clock. Forcing them apart hides the relationships.
What you can read off it in 10 seconds
- Who controlled which phase — slope direction of the xG line
- Game-changing moments — sharp inflections in xG combined with goal/red icons
- Manager interventions — substitutions plotted against momentum waves
- Phantom dominance — high possession (big momentum waves) that doesn't translate to xG (flat line)
Example: Tottenham 4-3 Leeds
One of the most chaotic Premier League games of recent seasons. Conventional summary: "high-scoring shootout, both teams attacked, Spurs won late." Pulse Map: four distinct momentum reversals, each preceded by a substitution from one side. Conte and Marsch were swapping tactical jabs every 15 minutes. The chart shows it in one glance.
You'll find the Pulse Map on every match's Post-Match Lab page. Pro tier required after the free daily allowance.
Open any player or team and explore.
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