Beyond the Box Score: How Soccer Shot Charts Can Transform Chances into Goals
Help your players see exactly where they’re most likely to score with shot charts from Hudl Assist+.
Every soccer coach has been here: One of your players takes a shot from 40 yards out, convinced they’ll make a game-changing goal, only for the goalie to scoop it up easily. Instead of a score, you’re giving your opponent a great opportunity to reset and take possession on their terms.
When you try to explain to your player that shots like that are much less likely to be successful, they have a hard time hearing you. And the next time they have the ball around the midfield line, what might they do? Take another shot from 40 yards out.
You and your players need shot charts from Hudl Assist+. When athletes can see soccer game analysis, like say the likelihood of a 40-yard shot attempt making it to the back of the net (i.e., zero percent), your players will start to understand that there are smarter decisions to be made.
After all, seeing (the data) is believing.
Why You Need Soccer Shot Charts
You won’t win games without accurate shots on goal. And knowing where your team’s most accurate shots came from is crucial information. Without being able to see the data, it will be hard to convince your athletes of the facts.
Shot charts from Assist+ are completely objective—there’s no bias, just precise performance data. Look at one game or multiple games to see trends for your players. Get answers to questions like “How many shots come from that zone on average?”
Once you and your players have this resource to rely on, their decision-making in the most important moments can improve. It’s easier to convince players where to shoot from when they know they have a greater chance of scoring. They’ll see better options than that 40-yard shot, and start to make smarter choices. Your offensive players will know which side of the field they’re most likely to be successful, and how close to the goal they need to get to be accurate.
Start paying attention to your shot chart and your players will learn why it’s important to set up better quality chances, rather than focusing on quantity of shots.
Key Insights from Shot Charts
If you haven’t introduced the penalty box as the “magic line” to your players, now’s the time. As soon as your players cross that line and enter that box, chances are, their shots will be more successful. Opponents will have to change how they defend you, or risk a potential penalty.
That’s the calculated, decisive mindset a shot chart can provide—how to get into the zones that make the most sense from a scoring perspective. And once your players grasp where their optimal shooting areas are, you can really open their eyes.
How Assist+ Makes It Easy To Analyze Shots & Goals
By analyzing the Assist+ shot charts from your team’s most recent game, you'll immediately see where your players’ shots are most successful and where they need to sharpen their skills. Here’s how:
- Open a game (or games).
- Scroll down the insights module on the right side of your screen and select “Shots.”
- Continue scrolling down to the location section of the module. The zone view will show your percentages from different areas of the pitch, or switch to the points view to see the exact location each shot was taken and whether it was successful or not.