Analyzing an individual soccer player in the context of team play.

I love to problem solve. I am sure this is why my two favorite sports are basketball and soccer. Both offer abundant problem solving opportunities on individual and group levels. Statistics kept in both sports seek to quantify individual and team performances. Sabremetrics has taken statistics to a whole new level. However, almost all statistics are ball related and that's where I feel analyzation of player performance through statistics leaves something to be desired.

Consider there are 22 players sharing 1 ball during a soccer match. It stands to reason the vast majority of time a player spends on the pitch is without the ball. What I have set about doing is to define the relationship between on-the-ball statistics and off -the-ball actions and  how this impacts the game. I believe the place to start this process is to define principles of play in the game. In order to do this I believe it essential to consider the three elements of play - penetration, depth and width.

Penetration without the ball can happen in a number of ways.

1) A target player in front of the opponents back line.
2) Off-the-ball runs at or through the opponents back line.
3) A player in an offside position

There also needs to be a means of gauging the effectiveness of each action. Did the action have a positive, negative or no discernible impact on possession of the ball?   For the lack of better terminology I consider this in the context of Attacking Unity.  In this regard the action must also be viewed in terms of uniqueness and duplicity. That is, was the action singular and performed as Intelligent Support or as an act of unaware individualism duplicating the actions of a teammate? Was there a positive impact on the teams spacing?

Penetration with the ball happens in two basic ways.

1) Running with the ball
2) Passing the ball

Maintaining possession of the ball is obviously the king consideration when penetrating with the ball However, there are variable acceptable levels of risk associated with these actions. What is accepted, even expected, in the attacking third of the field might be far different than what is considered prudent in the middle or defending thirds of the field.

There is quality of decision making to be considered as well. Was running with the ball the correct decision or should the player have chosen to pass to the feet of a target player or into space to a teammate making a run?

So much to consider and we have yet to even begin looking at width and depth in relation to attacking play.  Or the defensive side of play, at all.  Tomorrow I will take a look at the element of depth and associated principles of play. Remember, we are just beginning a process here. I'm not quite sure where it will end, but have in mind to analyze my son's play through video review. For comparison's sake I will likely analyze some of his teammates play as well. My intent is not so much to create a new realm of soccer statistics as it is to discover the quality my powers of observation.