Half-Space Lab

Football, read through the data.

Analysis of goals, chances, passing and pressing, built from event data and explained in plain language. Every chart shows its source and every piece says how it was made.

The five lanes of a football pitchA pitch seen from above, divided lengthways into wing, half-space, centre, half-space and wing. The two half-spaces sit between the penalty-area edge and the six-yard-box edge.WingHalf-spaceCentreHalf-spaceWing

Latest

  1. What expected goals (xG) is, and what it isn't

    xG puts a number on how good a chance was. At Women's Euro 2025 it tracked how often shots actually went in at almost every distance.

    Explainers

  2. How to read a shot map

    Where shots came from, how good they were and which went in, all on one pitch. The Euro 2025 final shows how much a shot map adds to a 1–1 scoreline.

    Explainers

  3. How to read a pass network

    Dots for where players stood, lines for who passed to whom. Spain's network from the Euro 2025 final shows a team built on its centre-backs and right side.

    Explainers

  4. What PPDA measures, and how to read it

    Passes per defensive action is the simplest number for how hard a team presses. At Women's Euro 2025, Spain allowed opponents the fewest passes before stepping in.

    Explainers

  5. What a half-space is, and why this site is named after one

    The two in-between lanes of the pitch give a player the passing angles of the centre with less traffic, which is why coaches obsess over them.

    Explainers