Skip to content
Insporta Book
en
EnglishРусскийDeutschEspañolEestiSuomiItalianoFrançaisPolski日本語한국어中文
FootballCricketFutsalTriathlonTennisGolfFigure SkatingBasketballMethodologyWhy it worksTake a test

Football · Level 8: Expert · Sub-level 8.82

Progressive Passes & Carries

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

How the ball moves forward in the data: progressive passes and carries by each provider's rules, FIFA's line breaks, entries into the final third and the box, and the players who carry it.

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 1What counts as progressiveTake a test

  1. Besides the distance rule, FBref counts every completed pass into the penalty area as progressive.

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

  2. Clearances and long kicks from deep easily gain distance without doing much, so the zone is excluded.

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

  3. Measuring from the furthest point reached recently stops a team from 'progressing' by passing back and then forward again.

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

  4. Wyscout asks for 30 m inside the own half, 15 m for a pass from the own half into the opponent's, and 10 m inside the opponent's half.

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

  5. Ten metres near the opponent's box change the danger a lot; ten metres near one's own box change very little.

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

  6. FBref measures ten yards from the furthest recent point; Wyscout uses zone-based thresholds of 30, 15 and 10 metres.

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

  7. The furthest point of the recent passes is where the backward pass started, and the second pass ends only five yards beyond it.

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

  8. The thresholds are 10, 15 and 30 metres: the nearer the goal, the less ground a pass needs to gain.

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

  9. Only completed passes are considered; the gain is measured from the recent furthest point, and deep starts are excluded.

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

  10. A enters the penalty area, which always counts; B starts in the defending 40% and C gains too little ground.

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

Test 2Carries and progressive carriesTake a test

  1. Carries record the ball moving at a player's feet; dribbles, or take-ons, record attempts to go past an opponent.

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

  2. Like passes from deep, carries that stay in the defending half gain ground that rarely matters, so they are left out.

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

  3. It records a player moving the ball himself into the third of the pitch nearest the opponent's goal.

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

  4. A winger who takes the ball from halfway to the box covers ground at his feet that other players cover by passing.

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

  5. A failed take-on is counted separately; being dispossessed is having the ball taken while simply in possession.

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

  6. A miscontrol is a player failing to bring the ball under control, so possession is lost without any opponent's action.

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

  7. Covering ground with the ball is not the same as taking it towards goal; progressive carries measure only the second.

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

  8. The winger receives wide, carries the ball infield, crosses the line of the penalty area and only then shoots or passes. Under FBref's rule a carry into the penalty area counts as progressive however short it is.

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

  9. Every carry into the box counts as progressive, and every progressive carry is a carry, so each figure sits inside the one before.

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

  10. He moves the ball well towards goal at his feet and ends in the opponent's half, which is a progressive carry.

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

Test 3Line breaks in FIFA's reportsTake a test

  1. FIFA's new metrics, including line breaks and offers to receive, were released during and after the matches in Qatar.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · recall

  2. FIFA splits the opponent into lines and records completed passes that go past one or more of them.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · recall

  3. The team without the ball is read as three horizontal lines, and each pass is checked against them.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · recall

  4. Behind the back line there is only the goalkeeper; beating the front line still leaves two lines to play through.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · applied

  5. FIFA records runs and movements that offer the ball carrier a pass, whether or not the pass is played.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · recall

  6. Compact blocks protect the centre first, so the gaps between players there close quickly.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · applied

  7. Receiving in the space between midfield and defence lets a player turn and run at the last line before it can reset.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · applied

  8. Each line beaten leaves fewer defenders between the ball and the goal.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · applied

  9. The fewer defenders left between the receiver and goal, the more dangerous the reception.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · applied

  10. The ball passes the two away forwards and the four midfielders and is received in front of the back four.

    Source: FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup) · applied

Test 4Passes into the final third and the boxTake a test

  1. The count covers completed open-play passes that enter the third of the pitch nearest the opponent's goal.

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

  2. It records open-play passes that reach a team-mate in the penalty area, whatever their length.

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

  3. Most goals come from inside the box, so a completed pass there is much closer to a real chance.

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

  4. Reaching the final third is common; getting the ball into the box is the step its attacks are failing.

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

  5. Deep completions count passes, crosses excluded, that reach a team-mate within roughly 20 yards of the opponent's goal, an alternative to box entries.

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

  6. A direct team does not need long spells on the ball; quick breaks take the ball into the box straight away.

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

  7. Splitting out crosses shows whether a team gets into the box by combination and carries or by crossing.

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

  8. The final third starts about 35 metres out, the box 16.5 metres out and the six-yard box 5.5 metres out.

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

  9. Each pass is logged under a different count: a progressive pass, a final-third entry and a box entry.

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

  10. B starts outside the final third and ends in the box; A stops short of the box, and C starts inside the final third already.

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

Test 5Ball carriers of the modern gameTake a test

  1. Doku arrived in August 2023 as a direct dribbler who carries the ball at full-backs.

    Source: Club and match reports (BBC Sport, club statements) · recall

  2. Davies, a winger turned left-back, covers large distances with the ball at speed.

    Source: Club and match reports (BBC Sport, club statements) · recall

  3. When a defender is beaten, another must leave his zone to stop the carrier, which frees a team-mate.

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

  4. A carrier who loses the ball in midfield has team-mates ahead of him, so the opponent can break into the space behind.

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

  5. Iniesta's quick transfer of the ball from one foot to the other let him carry through tight midfield spaces.

    Source: Club and match reports (BBC Sport, club statements) · recall

  6. With the opponent still out of shape, the ball carrier can cover large distances before anyone meets him.

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

  7. Against a compact side, a second defender arrives quickly, so holding the ball too long turns a carry into a turnover.

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

  8. The carry is a decoy as much as a run: its value is the defender it pulls out of position.

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

  9. Vinícius arrived in Madrid in 2018, Davies at Bayern in January 2019 and Doku at City in 2023.

    Source: Club and match reports (BBC Sport, club statements) · recall

  10. Wingers are the players most often asked to take the ball at their feet towards goal, so they top carry tables.

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

Test 6Switches of play in the dataTake a test

  1. FBref's switches are passes that cover more than 40 yards across the width of the pitch.

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

  2. A switch may gain no ground towards goal, but it takes the ball to the side where the defence has fewer players.

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

  3. Event data only says the pass was completed; the positions of nearby defenders show whether the receiver had time.

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

  4. A block that slides to the ball side has fewer players on the far side, so switching is the natural route round it.

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

  5. With the full-backs inside, the wingers hold the touchlines, and a long switch is the quickest way to reach the free one.

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

  6. A diagonal that crosses the pitch and moves the ball ten yards past its furthest recent point meets both definitions.

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

  7. A failed long switch hands the ball over on the side where the passing team has few players to counter-press.

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

  8. The pitch is about 68 metres wide; only the last of these covers most of it.

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

  9. Attempts say how often a team tries, completions whether the pass arrived, and free receptions whether it achieved anything.

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

  10. The ball crosses almost the whole width of the pitch to 7 on the far touchline, which is a switch.

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

Test 7Progression by roleTake a test

  1. A centre-back and a number 10 receive the ball in very different places, so their progression numbers are not like for like.

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

  2. Passes that begin in the deepest 40% are left out, and a goalkeeper's distribution starts there by definition.

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

  3. Keeping the ball moving under pressure lets centre-backs, full-backs and 8s find the forward passes that show up in the data.

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

  4. An overlapping full-back runs long distances down the wing; an inverted one moves into midfield and passes more.

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

  5. Passing and carrying are the two ways to move the ball forward, and the per-90 rates of both show the full picture.

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

  6. Near the box there are fewer yards to gain, and a 10's final passes are counted as key passes or box entries instead.

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

  7. Two players now take the ball from the centre-backs, so each of them has fewer chances to play forward.

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

  8. The build-up starts at the goalkeeper and moves up through each role to the space behind the opponent's midfield.

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

  9. The pass is only progressive if it gains the required ground; the reception facing forward is what makes it useful.

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

  10. B carries forward 3.8 times per 90 against 2.3 progressive passes; A does most of his progressing with passes.

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

Test 8Progressive receptionsTake a test

  1. It credits the receiver of each completed progressive pass, showing who the team's forward passes go to.

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

  2. Forward passes are aimed at the most advanced players, so wingers and strikers receive the most of them.

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

  3. A pass forward needs someone moving into space to receive it; the two figures show both halves of the action.

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

  4. Receiving forward passes around halfway or facing his own goal gives a striker few chances to shoot himself.

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

  5. Being open for forward passes in midfield is a skill of scanning and positioning, not only of passing.

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

  6. However good his movement, a player only receives if a team-mate sees him and plays the pass.

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

  7. Most goals come from inside the box, so a forward who receives there often gets more and better chances.

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

  8. The move away first creates the space; the pass is played into the run rather than to his feet.

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

  9. A carry is his own action, a pass needs a team-mate to receive it, and a reception needs a team-mate to pass it.

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

  10. 6's forward pass finds 11 running into space, so 11 is credited with receiving a progressive pass.

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

Test 9The cost of losing the ballTake a test

  1. Risky forward passes and carries win ground but also fail more, so both sides of the trade belong together.

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

  2. A turnover close to one's own goal leaves the opponent a short route to a chance before anyone can recover.

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

  3. Safe passes complete more often but create little; a creator's misplaced through balls are the price of his chances.

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

  4. A player who passes sideways completes nearly everything; one who tries to break lines misses more but does more.

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

  5. Losing the ball near the opponent's goal is rarely punished; losing it in the middle of one's own half often is.

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

  6. Players asked to beat defenders lose the ball more; the question is whether the chances outweigh the losses.

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

  7. Keeping the ball a lot means playing out from the back, and a lost pass there is close to one's own goal.

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

  8. The nearer to one's own goal the ball is lost, the shorter the opponent's route to a chance.

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

  9. A lost pass in the first phase catches the team spread out for its own attack, which is why the break arrives with numbers.

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

  10. Most of the marks sit around the team's own penalty area, where a turnover leads straight to a chance against.

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

Test 10Where progression numbers misleadTake a test

  1. Moving the ball forward helps only if the team keeps it; forward passes that are lost straight away inflate the count.

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

  2. More possession means more passes of every kind, including progressive ones, whatever the player's quality.

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

  3. Dividing by possession shows how much a player progresses per unit of the ball his team has.

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

  4. A dead ball is played with the opponent standing off, so the ground it gains says little about open-play progression.

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

  5. A ten-yard pass past nobody and one that splits two lines count the same in a simple progressive tally.

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

  6. A side chasing a goal plays more forward passes and faces a deeper opponent, which inflates its numbers.

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

  7. Unpressed centre-backs against deep blocks can rack up progressive passes that more pressured players never could.

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

  8. Role and possession make the players comparable; destination and turnovers show quality and cost.

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

  9. Each step adds a condition: direction, then distance gained, then opponents beaten.

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

  10. B makes 6 per 90 with 42% possession; A makes 8 with 65%, which is fewer per unit of 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)86
  • FIFA Enhanced Football Intelligence (2022 World Cup)10
  • Club and match reports (BBC Sport, club statements)4