Stats glossary

The 46 stats you can meet in xPlots, one sentence each. All of them cover one league season, for players with at least 900 minutes.

Good to know

Per 90: value × 90 ÷ minutes played. Lets you compare a starter with a player who played less.
Percentages: only computed above a minimum number of attempts, to avoid 100% from two tries.
“Expected” models: xG, xA, xGChain and xGBuildup are probabilities estimated by a model, not counted actions.

Goals: League goals scored, penalties included.
Expected goals (xG): Every shot gets a probability of scoring based on its location, angle, body part and type of play. xG adds them up: what an average finisher would have scored from the same chances.
xG = Σ P(goal) of each shot
Non-penalty xG (npxG): xG without penalties, which are worth about 0.76 xG each and inflate the totals of designated takers.
npxG = xG − penalty xG
Goals per 90: Goals scaled to a full match.
goals × 90 ÷ minutes
xG per 90: xG scaled to a full match: the quality of chances a player gets per game.
xG × 90 ÷ minutes

Assists: Last pass before a goal.
Expected assists (xA): The probability that each completed pass becomes an assist, based on where it ends up and the type of pass. It does not depend on the shooter’s finishing.
xA = Σ P(assist) of each pass
Key passes: A pass directly followed by a teammate’s shot.
xA per 90: xA scaled to a full match.
xA × 90 ÷ minutes
Key passes per 90: Key passes scaled to a full match.
key passes × 90 ÷ minutes
Passes into penalty area: Completed passes into the opponent’s penalty area, set pieces excluded.
Crosses: Crosses attempted from wide areas into the box.

Shot-creating actions (SCA): The two offensive actions leading directly to a shot: pass, successful dribble, foul drawn, blocked shot… One shot can create two actions.
up to 2 actions per shot
Goal-creating actions (GCA): Same idea as shot-creating actions, but only when the shot is a goal.
up to 2 actions per goal
Shot-creating actions per 90: Shot-creating actions scaled to a full match.
SCA × 90 ÷ minutes

Shots: Shots attempted, penalties excluded.
Shots on target: Shots that would have gone in without the goalkeeper or a defender on the line, penalties excluded.
Shots per 90: Shots scaled to a full match.
shots × 90 ÷ minutes

Goals − xG (overperformance): Gap between actual and expected goals. Positive: the player finished better than an average finisher. Negative: worse, or unlucky.
goals − xG
Conversion rate (%): Share of shots turned into goals.
goals ÷ shots × 100Minimum: 10 shots
Penalties scored: Penalties scored.

Progressive carries: A carry that moves the ball at least 9 metres closer to the opponent’s goal, or into the box.
gain ≥ 9 m towards goal
Progressive passes: A completed pass that moves the ball at least 9 metres closer to the opponent’s goal, or into the box. Passes from deep in the defensive third do not count.
gain ≥ 9 m towards goal
Progressive passes received: Progressive passes received: the player is the one who controls the ball at the end of the pass.
Progressive carries per 90: Progressive carries scaled to a full match.
progressive carries × 90 ÷ minutes
Progressive passes per 90: Progressive passes scaled to a full match.
progressive passes × 90 ÷ minutes

Successful take-ons: Attempts to beat an opponent with the ball that succeed.
Take-on success rate (%): Share of attempted take-ons that succeed.
successful ÷ attempted × 100Minimum: 15 attempts
Fouls drawn: Fouls committed against the player.

xGChain: For every possession that ends in a shot, each player who touched the ball gets the full xG of that shot. It measures involvement in all of the team’s chances (Understat).
Σ xG of possessions he takes part in
xGBuildup: Like xGChain, but without the possessions where the player shoots or makes the pass leading to the shot. Only his build-up work remains (Understat).
xGChain − possessions where he shoots or makes the last pass
Touches: Number of times the player touches the ball.

Passes completed: Passes that reach a teammate.
Pass completion (%): Share of attempted passes that reach a teammate.
completed ÷ attempted × 100Minimum: 200 passes

Interceptions: Opponent passes cut out by reading their path.
Tackles won: Tackles after which the player’s team wins the ball.
Ball recoveries: Loose balls won back by the player.
Clearances: Balls sent away from his own goal, often headed or under pressure.
Blocks: Opponent shots or passes stopped by getting in their way.

Aerial duels won: Headed duels won.
Aerial duel win rate (%): Share of aerial duels won.
won ÷ contested × 100Minimum: 20 duels