Football is a game of context. A completed pass, a line-breaking ball, a progressive carry – they all mean something very different depending on where the opponent’s block is, how deep they’re defending, and how your own team is set up.
At MyGamePlan, we specialise in helping clubs add that extra layer of context, tailored to their unique game model. Tracking things like “successful passes” is a good starting point. But our clubs already go further:
- Was the pass line-breaking?
- Did it happen in the attacking half?
- Did it happen within 3 seconds of a possession gain?
Now we’re taking this one step further.
What’s new: Defensive block states for your own team and the opponent
With this new update, you can filter and drill into events by defensive block – both for your own team and for the opponent.
You can now break your analysis down by:
- Horizontal defensive block
- High block
- Mid block
- Low block
- Vertical defensive block
- Left block
- Centre block
- Right block
So instead of just looking at “successful passes”, you can now answer questions like:
How well do we break lines when the opponent is in a low block?
How do our centre-backs progress play when the opponent defends in a high press?
Where do our opponents like to attack when we defend in a mid block on our left side?
This update lets you connect your on-ball actions to the defensive organisation in front of them.
Why it matters: Going beyond generic passing stats
Take a simple example: a line-breaking pass from your 6 into your 10.
- It’s useful to know that it broke the line.
- It’s even more useful to know it happened in the attacking half.
- But it becomes truly valuable when you know it was played against a low block, when the opponent was sitting deep and protecting their box.
Breaking a low block is a very different problem from playing through a high press. With defensive block states, you can now isolate and study the actions that matter most to your game model – in the exact contexts where they need to work.
How we calculate defensive blocks
We use tracking data to capture the position of every player on the pitch and understand how the defensive unit is organised.
Instead of relying on “positions on paper” (4-3-3 vs 3-5-2), we use dynamically calculated roles within the block:
- A centre-midfielder who drops into the back line becomes part of the defensive block.
- A full back who is overlapping high may not be part of the defensive block in that moment.
This gives a much more accurate picture of where the defensive unit actually is – not just where they’re listed on the teamsheet.
We then define defensive blocks as:
Horizontal (height)
- High block: defensive line is in the opponent’s half
- Low block: midfield line is in the defending third
- Mid block: all other situations
Vertical (width)
- Left block: centre point of the defensive block is in the left third
- Right block: centre point of the defensive block is in the right third
- Centre block: all other situations
These definitions run in the background so your analysts and coaches can just focus on the football questions.
What you can do with it
Own team & players
Drill into how your players perform in specific defensive contexts, for example:
- % of successful passes by CBs or DMs when the opponent is in a high block
- Passes between the lines:
- When the opponent is in a high block (under pressure)
- When the opponent is in a low block (breaking the block)
- When the opponent is in a left block:
- Can your CB or midfielder find space on the right?
- Does your full back attack the weak side with well-timed runs?
This makes it much easier to connect your principles of play to objective data: “Did we actually exploit the space we planned to exploit?”
Opponent analysis
You can also flip the lens and see how your next opponent behaves against different blocks:
- If you press high, study how they build up vs a high block
- Look at sequences when they are in a low block, to see:
- How they break down set defences
- Which players are most involved in those moments
- Filter for passes in behind when they play against a high block to understand how they exploit space behind your line
This gives your staff a much sharper picture of what to expect and where to adapt in your game plan.
Scouting & recruitment
Defensive block context isn’t only for team and opponent performance. It’s also incredibly powerful in scouting:
- Identify midfielders who consistently break lines vs low blocks
- Find forwards who create chances when pressing high
- Spot centre-backs who can switch play to the weak side when the opponent shifts into a strong-side block
You’re no longer just looking at “good stats” – you’re looking at good stats in the exact game situations that you care about.
