Aerial Duels Won

Definitions & scope

Aerial duel / aerial challenge

An aerial duel is a contest between two or more opposing players to get the ball when it is in the air. This usually involves a player jumping or performing some kind of aerial manoeuvre. In situations where more than two players are competing for the ball, each pair of opposing players may have their own duel event recorded. This is a specific type of duel event, which is different from ground duels or sliding tackles.

Aerial duel won

A player is credited with winning an aerial duel if they are the first to make contact with the ball. This is true even if the ball goes out of play or is immediately lost. If a foul is committed during the duel, the player who was fouled is given the “win”. The player does not have to keep possession of the ball after making contact to be credited with a win.

Contested vs. uncontested

Some analysts differentiate between aerial duels where players are close enough to compete for the ball and situations where a player touches the ball in the air without any meaningful opposition. In some definitions, only duels that are considered to be “contested” are counted. This helps to avoid over-crediting a player for winning the ball when there was no real opposition.

Scope & boundaries

Aerial duels can happen anywhere on the pitch, whether in a defensive, midfield, or attacking area. The statistic is typically combined to give a total over a match or a season.

Some things may be excluded, such as:
– If the first contact cannot be clearly determined.
– If two players make contact with the ball at the exact same time.
– Some data providers may not separate offensive from defensive aerial duels in the base metric.

Metrics & formulas

Counts / totals

– Aerial duels won: The number of times a player successfully won an aerial duel by being the first to make contact with the ball.
– Aerial duels attempted: The total number of aerial duels a player took part in (both wins and losses). This can also be broken down into “aerial duels lost” by subtracting the number won from the number attempted.

Win rate / success percentage

The aerial win % is calculated by dividing the number of aerial duels won by the total number of aerial duels attempted. This is often shown as a percentage (e.g., 60%) and is a good way to compare players, as it adjusts for the volume of duels they are involved in.

Normalised metrics

– Per 90 minutes: This metric adjusts for playing time. For example, to find the number of duels won per 90 minutes, you would divide the number of duels won by the total minutes played, and then multiply by 90.
– Percentiles / ranks: This ranks players against their peers. For example, a player in the 90th percentile for aerial duels won is in the top 10% of players in the league.

Advanced / contextual adjusted metrics

– Elo / rating-based metrics: These models give more credit for a win against a stronger opponent. A win against a top defender would be worth more than a win against a less-skilled player.
– Bradley-Terry / paired comparison models: These are statistical models that estimate a player’s underlying ability by considering the strength of the opponent they are facing.
– Integrated models in EPV / possession models: Some models that measure the value of possession incorporate aerial duel outcomes as a factor that influences the value of a possession transition.

Example calculation

Imagine Oliver Giroud contested 50 aerial duels in a season, winning 30 of them.

– Aerial win %: 30 ÷ 50 = 0.60, or 60%.
– Duels won per 90 minutes (if they played 2,700 minutes) = (30 ÷ 2700) x 90 = 1.0 per 90.

Context & interpretation

Zones / field areas

– Zones: Aerial duels can vary in difficulty and importance depending on where they happen on the pitch. For example, winning an aerial duel in your own penalty area is much more crucial than winning one in the midfield.
– Penalty box: Duels in the penalty area, especially from corners or crosses, have higher stakes and often involve more intense pressure from the opposition.

Match state & tactical factors

– Style of play: Teams that play a lot of long balls, crosses, or direct passes will naturally have more aerial duels.
– Set-pieces: Corners, free-kicks, and goal kicks are all times when aerial duels are more likely to happen.
– Game situation: In the late stages of a match, if a team is winning, they might use more aerial play to relieve pressure. If a team is losing, they might use more aerial play to chase goals.
– Opposition tactics: If a team’s opponent is known for being weak in the air, they may try to exploit this by sending more aerial passes into the box.

Physical & technical drivers

– Physical attributes: Being taller and having a good vertical leap helps a player get to the ball earlier.
– Timing & anticipation: A player’s ability to predict where the ball will go and jump at the right moment is crucial.
– Body strength: Having a strong and balanced body helps a player resist challenges and hold their position.
– Positioning: Getting to the best spot on the pitch before your opponent is often the most important factor in winning an aerial duel.

Limitations, nuances & caveats

– First contact does not mean control: Winning the first touch does not guarantee that a player will keep possession of the ball or that it will lead to a good outcome for their team.
– Data definition discrepancies: Different data providers may have different ways of defining an “aerial duel” or an “aerial duel won.”
– Small sample size: A player who has taken part in only a few aerial duels may have an inflated or unstable success rate.
– Opponent strength: A win against a weaker opponent is less impressive than a win against a strong opponent. Metrics like AERO (Aerial Elo Rating Optimisation) try to take this into account.
– Ambiguous situations: In situations with three or more players, or when two players touch the ball at the same time, the credit may be given incorrectly.
– Pre-contact positioning: The outcome of a duel is often decided by a player’s positioning or how they use their body before the ball arrives, not just the jump itself.

Use cases & applications

Player evaluation & scouting

Aerial duel data is crucial for assessing players. You can compare players to see who is stronger in the air, especially centre-backs and strikers. This helps identify “aerial specialists” who are better than their peers in the air. You can also spot weaknesses, such as defenders who lose too many aerial duels in their own penalty box.

Team tactics & strategy

The data can help a coach decide whether their team should play a long-ball style of football, as they can check if they have the players to win aerial duels. It is also useful for planning set-pieces, as it can help a coach decide which players should attack the near post or the back post. You can also use the data to exploit an opponent’s weaknesses by targeting their aerially weak defenders with more aerial passes and crosses.

Match analysis & in-game adjustments

During a match, a coach can use aerial duel data to see where and when their team is losing aerial contests. They can then make adjustments to marking and positioning or make substitutions to shore up their team’s aerial performance. Aerial duel trends can also be used to explain why a team is losing possession or losing second balls.

Predictive & analytical modelling

Aerial duel metrics, such as win rate and adjusted scores, can be included in possession value and transition models. You can also use Elo-style models to rank aerial ability by taking into account the strength of the opponent. This gives you a more accurate measure of a player’s performance.

Advanced research & longitudinal measures

You can track a player’s aerial performance over time to see if they are improving. You can also combine aerial duel data with positional tracking data to analyse pre-duel positioning, such as how a player’s starting position or run timing helps them win an aerial duel.

Cross-references & related terms

Here are some key terms and concepts that are closely related to aerial duels won. These are useful for understanding football analysis.

– Ground duels / ground challenges: These are the counterpart of aerial duels. They are contests for the ball that happen on or near the ground. They are often tracked separately and help to show a player’s success on the ground versus in the air.
– Loose ball duel: A duel for a loose or bouncing ball where neither team has clear possession. This often happens at or just after the first contact, sometimes following an aerial duel.
– Set-piece dominance / contest rate: This metric shows how well a team or player competes for aerial balls during set-pieces like corners or free-kicks. This is useful for filtering a player’s performance into specific situations.
– Duel supremacy / duel dominance (team level): This shows a team’s overall dominance in duels (both aerial and on the ground) over their opponent. It indicates the team’s overall physical and competitive control during a match.
– Contested aerial opportunity: This is a broader definition that can include situations where players are close enough to compete, even if they don’t jump for the ball. Some analysts prefer this over strict “aerial duel” definitions because it accounts for more subtle situations.
– First contact vs. possession: This is an important distinction, as “winning” an aerial duel often means winning the first touch, not necessarily keeping possession of the ball. This is a key nuance to keep in mind when analysing data.
– Cross / long ball / aerial pass: These are types of passes that often lead to aerial duels. Understanding them helps to put into context why and when aerial duels happen.
– Duel definition (Opta, Wyscout, etc.): The definitions of “duel” used by major data providers can be slightly different. Comparing them helps you understand any discrepancies in data and ensures that you’re using data that is compatible.

Getting duels data with Sportmonks

At Sportmonks, we aim to give you clean, consistent duel data so you can build better insights. Here’s how we structure and provide our duel metrics, including AERIALS_WON and DUELS_WON, in our API.

What we support & where

In our statistics listing, we define:

– 107 – aerials-won: The number of aerial duels won by a player.
– 106 – duels-won: The total number of all duels, both in the air and on the ground, won by a player.

These metrics are part of our fixture and player statistics model. You can get them by using the statistics include in a fixture or player endpoint. As with all our stats, each one has a type_id. You should always check the statistic types endpoint to confirm which ID belongs to which metric.

How to use them in your applications

– Requesting the values: Just include statistics in your fixture or player query. The response will include statistics entries tagged with a type_id.
– Type mapping: Get the types endpoint to match the type_id to its code or developer name (e.g., 107 to aerials-won).
– Combining & comparing: You can use these metrics to work out win percentages or per-90 metrics, or you can compare AERIALS_WON and DUELS_WON to see if a player is better in the air or on the ground.

Why these metrics matter

– Clarity & comparability: Because we separate aerial and ground duel wins, you can easily see where a player’s strength lies.
– Uniform definitions: Our metrics follow our own standard definitions, so the results are consistent across all leagues.
– Scalable integration: You don’t need multiple data sources. The aerial and duel stats are available alongside the rest of your player data, making it easy to integrate.

Analyse aerial duels with Sportmonks

Measure dominance in the air with precision using Sportmonks’ Football API. Get reliable metrics to assess players’ aerial performance across matches and seasons. Compare success rates, build per-90 stats, and integrate duel data seamlessly into your football analytics platforms. Start your free trial with the Sportmonks Football API and elevate your aerial duel analysis today.