Possession

re statistics like - 'Barnsley had possession for 55% of the game.'

Possession of what, and how do they work it out?

Does it follow that if one team has possession for 55% the other team has 45% possession?

And are there times when no team has possession?

 

9/10 of the law...

 

Some people say I'm possessed

 

Are you inferring that you have taken ownership of this thread?

 

willing to let you have 45% of it!

 

Not sure if serious.

 

yes serious - a recent statistic suggests that if a team has possession of the ball for 30 minutes of the 90 minutes they are doing well. On average during a game neither team has possession for about 30 minutes in total of the 90 minutes.

 

That's because the ball is only in play for about 50-55 minutes so the time the ball is out is play is disregarded. Obviously if one team has 55% possession the other has 45%.

 

The keeper kicks the ball out of his hands. It's up in the air for a few seconds. Who has possession of the ball then?

 

The good Lord!

 

Maybe they just have a counter that goes up every time a player touches the ball.

 

The keeper's team would have possession as would be the case with any pass that has yet to find its target or be intercepted.

 

no! -- once the player has kicked the ball away he has given up possession.

 

There is a difference between plyer having possession and a team having possession

 

I agree that we're all being a bit pernickety and like dustani says, there are far more important things in life, but the stats really are flawed. Once you boot the ball up field, as much in hope as expectation (so every time you do it), whether that be from the keeper or a defender, then your team really isn't in possession of the ball any more, even if your centre forward manages to get his head on it.

It's not something I've thought about much before. Possession stats mean **** all to me, and most paying punters. We like good forward passes, a player taking the defender on, good crosses, efforts at goal and, most importantly, actual goals. Plus good defensive play. We care not a jot how many times we pass it sideways and backwards in midfield before the inevitable punt forward. That's something that only managers worry themselves about. However, I have sometimes been surprised by the possession stats. Some games we've had all the ball, all he chances, but the stats say the opposition had more possession than us. Sometimes it's vice versa. I think I know why now.

Scowen wins the ball in midfield, short pass to Hourihane, great pass out to the wing to Watkins who curls it in to the near post, Winnall gets his head on it but it just flashes wide. 8 seconds of possession for us.

Their keeper punts the goal kick long, their big centre forward gets his head on it, it trickles over the by-line near the corner flag. 10 seconds of possession for them. Much longer if the statisticians record that possession reverted to the opposition as soon as the ball went out of play, in which case it could be a minute of possession for them.