FedEx Performance Zone: How it works
Monday, August 28, 2023
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The FedEx Performance Zone is tracking players' displays throughout the UEFA Champions League. Find out how.
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FedEx Performance Zone: how it works
Who are the stand-out players in this season's UEFA Champions League? Using a specially devised algorithm, the FedEx Performance Zone reveals all.
What is it?
The FedEx Performance Zone is tracking players' displays throughout the competition. Data from the UEFA Champions League is fed into a specially designed algorithm to create rankings based on performances, with updates every matchday.
The FedEx Performance Zone purely charts the displays of players and does not suggest that one player is better than another.
How it works
Every player is assigned a primary on-field position, where they are expected to play the majority of the time. The categories are goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards.
Points for some actions, such as goals, assists and ball recoveries, are the same for all players, but other data is considered depending on each player's specific position. For example, clean sheets, successful tackles and attempts blocked are considered key statistics for defensive players, while shots and completed passes are important metrics for midfielders and forwards.
The algorithm uses player stats to deliver updates after games are played, with the rankings updating live as the fixtures unfold.
Points are awarded in every match a player takes part and are added to their scores from previous games in the competition, meaning whoever has the most points across the whole season heads the rankings.
Weighting
It is all about the UEFA Champions League. No consideration is given to players' showings for their national teams or in domestic competitions.
Performances in the group stage are weighted equally, although matches in subsequent rounds of the competition are weighted incrementally higher. So in the round of 16 the points are multiplied by 1.5, and in the quarter-finals they are doubled. In the semi-finals the multiplier rises to 2.5 with the final seeing all points tripled.
How do players score points?
| ACTION | POINTS |
| ALL PLAYERS | |
| 60 minutes on pitch | 5 |
| Long-range goal | 3 |
| Scoring a goal | 15 |
| Assist | 9 |
| Balls recovered | 1 |
| Winning penalty | 6 |
| Conceding penalty | -3 |
| Missing penalty | -6 |
| Yellow card | -2 |
| Red card | -5 |
| Own goal | -6 |
| GOALKEEPERS | |
| Saving a penalty | 15 |
| Clean sheet * | 12 |
| Saves | 3 |
| Per goal let in | -1 |
| Catches | 1 |
| DEFENDERS | |
| Per goal let in | -1 |
| Clean sheet * | 9 |
| Per clearance | 1 |
| Per attempt blocked | 1 |
| Per successful tackle | 2 |
| MIDFIELDERS | |
| 70 to 79% pass completion ** | 3 |
| 80 to 89% pass completion ** | 6 |
| 90%+ pass completion ** | 9 |
| Attempts on target | 2 |
| Attempts off target | 1 |
| FORWARDS | |
| Attempts on target | 5 |
| Attempts off target | 2 |
| Missing big chance | -2 |
| Offside | -1 |
| 70 to 79% pass completion ** | 3 |
| 80 to 89% pass completion ** | 6 |
| 90%+ pass completion ** | 9 |
*Points awarded only when the player plays at least 60 minutes, excluding added time
** Points awarded only when the player has more than 20 passes completed per match
Note: The points system is subject to alterations to reflect ongoing trends.