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Football · Level 8: Expert · Sub-level 8.83

Defensive Metrics: Pressures & Blocks

10 tests · 100 facts · updated 12 October 2026 · markdown

What defensive numbers record and what they miss: tackles, aerial duels, blocks, clearances, one against one defending, errors, xG against and the defenders in the record books.

Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.

Test 1Tackles won, attempted and by thirdTake a test

  1. A tackle counts whoever collects the loose ball; a tackle won means the tackler's side ended up with possession.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  2. A tackle near one's own box stops danger; one high up the pitch starts an attack, so the location tells two different stories.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  3. Tackles by forwards high up the pitch are the footprint of a team that tries to win the ball back early.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  4. A defender targeted by the opponent's best dribbler makes many tackles; one who is avoided makes few, and may be better.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  5. Set against the take-ons that got past him, tackles show how often he actually stopped the man in front of him.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  6. A defender facing few attacks gets few chances to tackle, however good he is at it.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  7. Centre-backs who defend forward, stepping into midfield to meet a receiver, record more tackles away from their box.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  8. Every tackle won is a tackle, and those in the attacking third are a subset of all tackles won.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  9. The tackle is won because the ball ends with the tackler's team, even though a team-mate picked it up.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  10. Almost two of his tackles per 90 come in the defensive third, far more than anywhere else.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

Test 2Aerial duelsTake a test

  1. Both players are logged, one with a won aerial and one with a lost aerial, so the totals always pair up.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  2. Against a side that plays long, a centre-back may contest ten headers; against a patient passing side, two or three.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  3. Winning headers against centre-backs gives a direct team a way up the pitch from goal kicks and clearances.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  4. A header won straight to an opponent is logged as won, even though the team has lost the ball.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  5. A lost header in midfield costs possession; a lost one in the box often costs a chance on goal.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  6. Long balls and clearances create contested headers at both ends, so direct sides have the most duels in the air.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  7. Corners and wide free kicks are decided in the air in the box, so his headers won there show what he does at dead balls.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  8. The higher and longer the ball, the more likely two players meet it in the air.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  9. The aerial duel is logged for both players, and the loose ball that follows is a separate contest.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  10. Aerial duels are recorded for both players, so the winner's gain is always the loser's loss.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

Test 3Shot blocksTake a test

  1. Blocks record the ball hitting a player who stood in its way, split into shots blocked and passes blocked.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  2. A team that blocks many shots is facing many shots; the blocks show bravery but also how often it is under pressure.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  3. Arms away from the body can turn a good block into a penalty, so defenders tuck them in or put them behind the back.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  4. Event data treats a blocked shot as its own outcome; it is not counted as on target because the goalkeeper was never tested.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  5. xG measures the chance at the moment of the shot, before anyone blocks it, so the block does not change its value.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  6. A defender who stands in passing lanes and gets a touch on the ball is credited with a pass blocked.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  7. A side under heavy pressure blocks a lot, but the shots that get through come from the same close-range positions.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  8. Shots off target are the most frequent of the three outcomes, blocks come next, and roughly one in ten shots becomes a goal.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  9. Getting across the line of the shot before it is struck is what turns a chance into a block.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  10. A defender who stands in the path of a shot and stops it is credited with a block.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

Test 4ClearancesTake a test

  1. A clearance is logged when a defender kicks or heads the ball away without aiming at a team-mate.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  2. Teams that clear often are defending often and losing the ball straight after, which invites the next attack.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  3. A side that keeps the ball under pressure would rather find a team-mate than kick it away, so its clearance numbers fall.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  4. An interception cuts out an opponent's pass; a clearance sends the ball away from a threatening area.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  5. Height and width give the team time to reorganise and keep the ball away from the dangerous central area.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  6. Clearances off the line are logged as their own type, because they stop what would otherwise be a goal.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  7. If the opponent wins the loose ball each time, the clearance only postpones the next attack.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  8. A header that drops near the six-yard line is as good as no clearance; one to the edge of the box is soon back in; a long, high ball to the halfway line takes longest to return, and play is live throughout.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  9. After a clearance the defence steps up together, so the opponent's second wave starts further from goal.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  10. The header is aimed away from danger rather than at a team-mate, which is a clearance.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

Test 5One against one defending in the dataTake a test

  1. It records the times a player facing a dribbler won the ball with a tackle.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  2. Dividing successful tackles on dribblers by all the dribbles he challenged gives the share of one-against-ones he won.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  3. A challenge lost is a one-against-one in which the dribbler got the better of him.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  4. A rate answers whether he stops the winger when it matters, whatever the number of times he is attacked.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  5. A defender who holds his position and forces the attacker wide or backwards may not win the ball himself, but the move goes nowhere.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  6. Van Dijk went through the whole league season without an opponent completing a take-on past him.

    Source: Opta Premier League data · recall

  7. Keeping one of the league's best dribblers quiet is worth more than good numbers against a winger who rarely takes anyone on.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  8. Winning the ball is best, delaying and turning the attacker back is next, and being beaten is the failure.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  9. Closing and showing him one way comes before the tackle, which is timed for the moment the winger commits.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  10. Stopping a take-on with a tackle is logged as a dribbler tackled, which counts towards his challenge success.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

Test 6Errors leading to shots and goalsTake a test

  1. It is logged when a player's mistake, such as a slip, a poor touch or a bad pass, leads directly to an opponent's goal.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  2. An error that leads to a shot is recorded whether or not the shot goes in; only some of them become goals.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  3. Benzema charged down his throw for the first goal, and Bale's long shot slipped through his hands for the third.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  4. They concluded he had been concussed after a clash with Sergio Ramos earlier in the match.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  5. Data collectors judge whether a mistake led directly to the chance, so the figures carry some subjectivity.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  6. Ba collected the loose ball and scored; Chelsea won 2-0 and Manchester City went on to win the league.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  7. A forward's mistake leaves the whole team between the ball and goal; a keeper's or centre-back's leaves almost nobody.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  8. The closer to one's own goal the mistake, the fewer defenders are left to recover the situation.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  9. Real scored in the 51st minute, Liverpool levelled in the 55th, and Bale scored in the 64th and 83rd.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  10. His mistake gave the ball to the opponent, who scored directly from it, which is exactly an error leading to a goal.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

Test 7xG against as a team measureTake a test

  1. Goals conceded swing on opponents' finishing and goalkeeping; the chances a defence allows are what it controls.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  2. Dividing xG against by shots against shows whether opponents are shooting from good or poor positions.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  3. Plenty of low-value shots is the signature of a deep, compact block that lets opponents shoot only from distance.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  4. A penalty is worth about three-quarters of a goal, so one or two can swamp the figure for the chances a defence allows.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  5. Shots in the box are where most goals come from, so their number shows how often the defence is breached.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  6. Conceding from corners is fixed with marking and delivery defence; conceding in open play needs changes to shape and pressing.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  7. xG for minus xG against is one of the best single predictors of a team's future results.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  8. A defence decides how many shots it allows and largely where from; whether they go in also depends on finishers and the goalkeeper.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  9. Volume, then quality, then luck, then the source of the chances: each step narrows down what needs fixing.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  10. B's opponents created 1.4 expected goals a match against it, clearly the most of the three.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

Test 8Defenders in the record booksTake a test

  1. Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini were the core of Juventus's run of Serie A titles.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  2. Van Dijk came close to becoming the first defender to win it since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  3. Beckenbauer, playing as a libero for Bayern Munich, won it twice in the 1970s.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  4. Sammer won it after being named player of the tournament as Germany won Euro 1996, and after Dortmund's Bundesliga title.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  5. They kept four clean sheets, the last a 0-0 with Ukraine in the round of 16, and lost the shoot-out without scoring.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  6. Zaccardo's own goal against the USA and Zidane's penalty in the final were the only goals Italy let in.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  7. The back line of Tassotti, Costacurta, Baresi and Maldini let in 15 goals in the league that season.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  8. Beckenbauer first won it in 1972, Sammer in 1996 and Cannavaro in 2006.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  9. Milan's record came in 1993-94, Italy's in 2006 and van Dijk's in 2018-19.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

  10. He was the first defender to win the players' award since John Terry in 2005.

    Source: Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA) · recall

Test 9Defending the box in dataTake a test

  1. Shots from outside the box score rarely, so most goals come from inside it.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  2. A defence that keeps shots to 20 metres and more concedes far fewer goals, even if it faces many attempts.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  3. Every pass or carry by the opponent into the penalty area is an entry against, a measure of how often the defence is breached.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · recall

  4. Packing the box forces attempts from range or through a crowd of defenders, both of which score rarely.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  5. A shot from a few metres gives the goalkeeper almost no time to react, so its xG is the highest in open play.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  6. A cut-back from the byline is aimed at runners arriving around the penalty spot, so a midfielder is sent to guard it.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  7. Most goals come from players who arrive late and free; losing a runner is how a box is breached.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  8. Each zone of the box is covered before the ball arrives, so the cross meets a defender wherever it lands.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  9. The far-post tap-in is inside the six-yard box, the penalty spot is 11 metres out and the edge of the box 16.5 metres.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  10. Nearly every mark is well outside the penalty area, the pattern of a defence that protects its box.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

Test 10What defensive numbers cannot seeTake a test

  1. Event data records actions on the ball; stepping up in line with team-mates leaves no event unless someone touches it.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  2. The data records who touched the ball, not the marking plan, so a lost runner may never show up against the right name.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  3. A centre-back who moves his line into place prevents chances without ever touching the ball.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  4. Knowing where all 22 players are at every moment shows spacing, cover and line height, not just the moments on the ball.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  5. Numbers point to candidates; how he reads danger, covers and moves the line is judged by watching him.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  6. When he stands in the lane, the opponent passes elsewhere, and nothing about the pass he prevented is recorded.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  7. On-off figures capture what a defender adds to the whole unit, including the things no single event records.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  8. Event data sees only actions on the ball; broadcast tracking adds the players on screen; stadium tracking sees everyone.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  9. Data narrows the list cheaply; video and tracking judge what data misses; a live visit comes last.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

  10. The offside is logged against the attacker; the defenders' step up is invisible in event data because nobody played the ball.

    Source: Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions) · applied

Sources

IFAB Laws of the Game / FIFA & UEFA technical reports / Opta, StatsBomb and FBref definitions / club and analyst publications / peer-reviewed research

  • Football analytics literature (Opta, StatsBomb, FBref definitions)85
  • Match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFA)14
  • Opta Premier League data1