Football analytics glossary

Probability that a shot becomes a goal, based on chance quality.

xG is calculated from historical shot data: location, body part, defender pressure, assist type. Each shot gets a value 0–1. Sum a team's xG and you have what they 'should have' scored. Beating xG = good finishing; under-performing = wasteful or unlucky.

Post-shot xG — only counts shots that hit the goal frame.

xGOT adjusts each on-target shot by where it lands in the goal frame. Top-corner shots are weighted higher than middle-of-net. Better proxy for finishing skill than raw xG.

Probability that a pass becomes an assist (i.e. the next shot is scored).

Computed by taking the xG of the shot the pass leads to. A pass that creates a 0.6 xG chance counts as 0.6 xA, regardless of whether the shot is actually scored. Captures creator quality independent of finisher quality.

Single-canvas visualization combining xG race, momentum, and event timeline.

Read 90 minutes in 10 seconds. Top layer = cumulative xG difference. Middle = event icons (shots, fouls, subs, goals). Bottom = momentum index. FootClaw-original visualization.

Performance under pressure (75th min+, score within 1 goal) vs season baseline.

Multiplier showing whether a player produces more, less, or the same in high-stakes minutes. 1.0 = same as baseline. Above 2.0 = elite closer. Computed on rolling 90-day window.

Rolling 5-match z-score of goal contributions vs season baseline.

Z-score of last 5 matches' production against player's own season distribution. Above +1.5 = statistically anomalous form. The hot-streak detector.

Appearance under 6.5 rating with zero goal contributions and 30+ min played.

Strict definition that filters out 'invisible' performances. Ghost-rate (ghosts ÷ appearances) is the cleanest variance predictor in football. High = fantasy volatility.

Defensive intensity: pressures + counter-press recoveries per 90 in opposition half.

Captures workrate honestly than raw tackles do. Identifies high-press teams and individual press leaders.

12-archetype tactical classifier based on possession, press, build-up, vertical.

Each team gets labelled: TIKI-TAKA, FORTRESS, GEGENPRESS, DIRECT TRANSITION, etc. Updated weekly. Pre-Match Lab shows style clash for any upcoming fixture.

High possession (top quartile), top pass accuracy, long build-up, dominant in opposition third.

Style associated with Pep Guardiola's Barcelona 2008-12. Currently 12 teams across top-5 leagues qualify. Requires top-quartile values across all 6 Style DNA features.

High press intensity + fast vertical progression. Win the ball high, attack fast.

Klopp's Liverpool was the prototype 2018-22. Defining feature: counter-press recoveries (immediate ball retrieval after losing possession). Currently 8 teams classified GEGENPRESS or GEGENPRESS-LITE.

Low possession, low vertical progression, deep defensive block.

Defensive identity. Best practitioners: Simeone-era Atlético. Concedes few xG against because the defensive block is structured to deny zones rather than chase the ball.

Pass-network betweenness centrality. How much team build-up runs through this player.

Graph-theoretic centrality measure. High Network DNA = team build-up depends on this player. Rodri sits above 0.40 in 2024-25 — highest we've recorded.

Progressive carries + completed dribbles into final third per 90.

Captures verticality from individual ball-carriers. Different from pass-progression — measures who literally moves the ball forward themselves.

(goals - xG) + (xGOT - xG) × 0.5 — finishing skill index.

Combines over-performance vs xG with placement quality (xGOT). Pure executive metric. Reveals who finishes well vs who pads xG.

Hybrid Poisson model: P(yellow), P(red) per match.

Combines referee 30-match history + both teams' aggression profiles + home/away bias. Validated on 400+ matches with ≤0.3 mean error.

Defensive reliability: (tackles + interceptions + clearances)/90 × concession factor.

Weights raw defensive volume by team concession rate. Rewards defenders who do volume work AND keep clean sheets.

Away-vs-home performance delta. Positive = travels well.

Captures the home/away drop-off that affects most strikers. Identifies the rare players who actually perform better away.

Share of goals scored in 75th minute and beyond.

Identifies players whose scoring distribution skews late. Combined with Clutch Index, surfaces the most dangerous closers in football.

Number of distinct positions played 200+ minutes in a season.

Genuine tactical versatility, not injury-cover. The Cancelo metric — captures players who succeed across multiple roles.

Team xG drop-off without their top contributor available.

Quantifies team fragility around one player. 30%+ drop = severely dependent. Predicts trouble when key player is injured.

Share of goal contributions in matches the team came from behind.

Identifies match-winners vs stat-padders. Differentiates players who step up in adversity from those who feast on blowouts.

Production rate when introduced as sub vs starting.

Ratio above 1.5 = super sub. Identifies ideal bench weapons distinct from ideal starters.

Career penalty conversion adjusted for stake (league vs final vs shootout).

Career rate weighted by match importance. Captures takers who fold in big moments separately from those reliable everywhere.

Output rate vs top-6 opposition only.

Strips out bottom-feeder padding. Above 1.2 = produces more than baseline against elite teams. Catches true elite vs stat-pumpers.

9-zone histogram of where a player's shots end up in the goal.

Reveals finishing tendencies — top-corner specialists vs middle-of-net merchants. Useful for goalkeeper prep + penalty-taker scouting.

Predicted starting XI before manager announces.

Trained on 4 seasons of lineup decisions per manager. 87% precision 24h pre-kickoff. Useful for fantasy deadline + pre-match player-prop markets.

Where on the pitch a team spends its possession (opp third / mid / own).

Three-dimensional vector showing tactical footprint. Top sides cluster around (40%, 35%, 25%); deep blocks invert.

First 200 FootClaw subscribers, who lock €9/€29 forever.

Pricing tier — applies to the first 200 paid subscribers OR until August 1, 2026 (whichever comes first). After that, list prices rise; founders keep their rate.

200-word tactical preview generated by Claude Haiku 4.5 from match context + Style DNA.

Sharp opinion-column-style brief for any upcoming match. Costs 5 tokens or 1 of your daily quota (depending on plan).

14-section deep-dive analysis in three editorial voices.

Aggressive / Balanced / Contrarian styles. Generated by Claude Haiku 4.5. 2000+ words covering form, xG, H2H, injuries, threats, verdict.

FootClaw internal credit. Used for AI Brief, Match Recap, Lab unlocks.

Each plan includes monthly tokens (Free: 0, Trial: 50, Standard: 120, Pro: 600, Club: ∞). Buy more in packs of 100/500/2000/5000.