Stupid Question Time- Measuring possession.

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by sam_gordon, Apr 25, 2019.

  1. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    OK, so how do you measure "possession"? Is it by which team is controlling it? And then they're considered to have possession until the other team clearly does? I've had one person tell me he timed it based on which half of the field the ball was on (surely that's not right).

    In the grand scheme of things, it's really not a big deal, just something I've been curious about for a while.
     
  2. CoachP365

    CoachP365 Member+

    Money Grab FC
    Apr 26, 2012
    Soccermeter app. Download it, find a game on espn3 or footballia and practice.

    First game of u13 I used it we won 7-1. We dominated possession, having it a total of about 9 minutes, compared to 2 for the other team, out of a 70 minute game.

    I said to them "Imagine if we could get that number up to 20 minutes". By the end of u14 we were regularly getting between 25-30 minutes (low level community travel).
     
  3. SpiceBoy

    SpiceBoy Member

    Barcelona
    United States
    Aug 2, 2017
    Interesting question
    Method A - I always thought it was manually calculated by how long each side held (possessed) the ball and as soon as the other team took possession of the ball the other teams possession timer starts. .

    Method B -The "timing how long each team had the ball" seems logical but a while ago, I was told that the possession statistic actually counts number of passes per team and that is equated to possession percentage.

    The number of passes thing (Method B) came from somebody who knows more about soccer than I do, but I don't really know.
     
  4. pu.ma

    pu.ma Member

    Feb 8, 2018
    Or counting the # of consecutive passes during each possession. Long string of passes = good possession. String of one or two means you didnt really have possession for very long, etc.
     
  5. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    But the passing doesn't make sense to equate to possession. You can do a lot of passes in a short time, or few passes in a long time.

    Let's say the defense doesn't challenge. So the attacking player with the ball just stands with his foot on the ball. 0 passes, but time is expiring (and yes, that has happened to DS).
     
  6. pu.ma

    pu.ma Member

    Feb 8, 2018
    I think it's more of an indicator of quality instead of time. So a coach can measure whether the team is improving in keeping possession by moving the ball around.
     
  7. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    OK, I'll buy that, but that's not the question I'm asking. Watch any professional match and they give possession stats, usually in a % form. My question is how do they determine that?
     
  8. TheKraken

    TheKraken Member

    United States
    Jun 21, 2017
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From what I've read it varies depending on league or competition. Premiere League does number of passes X team completes divided by total passes completed by X and Y teams. Some do it on a time clock.
     
  9. ppierce34

    ppierce34 Member

    Aug 29, 2016
    Fort Wayne, IN
    i think all the players wear some fancy technology these days. is that just to measure miles traveled or does it measure anything else?
     
  10. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    I'm pretty sure it does miles traveled as well as heart rate and possibly some other individual health stats. I have no idea how it would be able to track possession.
     
  11. SpiceBoy

    SpiceBoy Member

    Barcelona
    United States
    Aug 2, 2017
    AS it is a Friday afternoon and my curiosity was piqued - For the ManU vs. ManCity game on Wednesday;
    NBC reported 63% possession for ManC 37% possession for ManU.
    Looked up total passes ManC = 702 ManU = 406
    406/1108 = 36.6%
    702/1108 = 63.3%

    Looks to me like what TheKraken said above at least for premier league being announced statistic possession is number of passes per team / total number of passes.
     
  12. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    Thanks. I still think it's a bad way to keep the stat.
     
  13. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    My kid wears a heart monitor - at least for 30 days.
     
  14. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's a tricky metric that needs to be analyzed in context, IMHO.

    Counter-attacking teams will generally sacrifice time of possession in the interest of stretching the opponent out and drawing them out. Just as one example.
     
  15. Cantona's Eyebrow

    Dirty Leeds
    Togo
    Oct 8, 2018
    "Stupid Question Time", that's the first thing you've posted that I've agreed with :ROFLMAO:
     
  16. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    Good to know that with all your vast soccer knowledge, you can't answer the question. Nice to know you're willing to educate people about "the beautiful game". I guess if it's not making someone feel bad (or physically or mentally), it's not worth doing?
     
  17. Cantona's Eyebrow

    Dirty Leeds
    Togo
    Oct 8, 2018
    Awwww diddums :laugh:
     
  18. Cantona's Eyebrow

    Dirty Leeds
    Togo
    Oct 8, 2018
    Why would I want to be able to measure it? :confused: Your question is utterly pointless o_O
     
  19. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    Yet you were forced to not only open the thread but respond to it? In fact, in the OP, I even said it's a really minor issue.
     
  20. Cantona's Eyebrow

    Dirty Leeds
    Togo
    Oct 8, 2018
    Fixed that for you.
     
  21. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    It's so pointless that EVERY professional match has a "possession" stat. They put it up on the screen. So the question is "how is that determined?" Look, you don't have a valid answer and that's fine. But instead of saying that or ignoring the question altogether, you'd rather throw insults.

    I have no problem saying "I don't know." Apparently you do.
     

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