Introducing PFF FC's Physical Metrics Spider Charts
Spider charts, also known as radar charts, have become a staple in sports analytics, offering a visual and intuitive way to evaluate player performance across multiple metrics at a glance. Our friends at PFF have used these charts in their fan-favorite NFL Draft evaluations since 2015. The effectiveness of spider charts for quick visual comparisons and player evaluations has led to their rapid adoption by a number of data providers.
Although spider charts come with caveats, they are a powerful tool when used in appropriate contexts, such as when categories are interconnected in a meaningful way and the resulting shape conveys useful insights. For our physical metrics, spider charts meet these criteria perfectly, providing a clear snapshot of a player's strengths and enabling side-by-side comparisons between players.
The benchmark dataset used for these charts includes physical data from the top five European club competitions: the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1. This dataset spans the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons. However, the benchmark can be easily tailored to include competitions that are most relevant to our customers. Each player’s metrics are compared within their position group. The position groups we use are goalkeepers, full backs & wing backs, centre backs, midfielders, wingers & attacking midfielders, and centre forwards. This segmentation ensures meaningful comparisons, as physical demands vary significantly between positions.
What’s included?
We selected a comprehensive set of metrics to depict a player’s physical performance. Here’s what’s included:
PFF FC’s Athleticism Score: Our proprietary metric quantifies a player’s physical abilities, providing decision-makers with a single, clear insight into athletic performance. Learn more here.
Maximum Speed: The highest speed achieved by a player, based on an average of their top 5 fastest games (km/h).
Total Distance: Total distance covered (kilometers) per 90 minutes.
Sprinting Distance: Distance covered at speeds ≥25 km/h per 90 minutes.
High Speed Running Distance: Distance covered at speeds between 20 km/h and <25 km/h per 90 minutes.
High Speed Runs: The number of times a player runs at speeds between 20 km/h and <25 km/h per 90 minutes.
Sprints: The number of times a player runs at speeds ≥25 km/h per 90 minutes.
Sprint Percentage: Sprinting distance as a percentage of total distance covered.
Accelerations: The number of times a player accelerates at a rate of over 3 m/s² per 90 minutes.
Decelerations: The number of times a player decelerates at a rate of over 3 m/s² per 90 minutes.
Examples
Now let’s dive into some examples. A standout player among wingers and attacking midfielders in this season of the Premier League is Anthony Elanga. The Swedish winger has delivered exceptional physical performances this season, mostly operating on the right for Nottingham Forest. Elanga ranks above the 85th percentile in key metrics such as Sprint Percentage, Sprinting Distance, Sprints and Maximum Speed, leading to an impressive Athleticism Score.
Spider charts make it easy to compare players, and a comparison with his teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi highlights their contrasting physical profiles. Hudson-Odoi, who is Forest’s first-choice left winger, only excels in Sprint Percentage and Sprinting Distance, where he also ranks above the 85th percentile. However, his overall physical performance differs significantly from Elanga’s, leading to a much lower Athleticism Score.
This article was crafted using PFF FC's Physical Metrics platform, Epitome. If you're affiliated with a club and would like to explore its capabilities, feel free to contact us at sales-fc@pff.com to arrange a demo.