Movements behind the defensive line. Why they matter when scouting attacking players

Our latest Kognia analysis focuses on player movements behind the defensive line. 

Kognia tactical data goes beyond on-the-ball events to provide detailed insight on player and team behaviours in the wider context of a game. This analysis provides further information on this particular metric - captured through our computer vision technology - and showcases how it can help clubs to better understand particular styles and characteristics of attacking players.

Within the extensive library of Kognia tactics, players’ movements behind the defensive line is one of the 8,000 metrics that is offered within our vast dataset.

This behaviour is recorded through Kognia’s computer vision technology and captures the movements of offensive players without the ball who make vertical runs at a specific speed starting in front of the defensive line and ending behind the defensive line. 

These movements behind the defensive line signal intent in the game. Teams with players who stretch the field, threaten to exploit defensive gaps and break behind defenders can have a clear competitive advantage against their opponent. 

How can understanding and applying these tactical concepts support a team with scouting processes?

From the sporting director level through to the wider recruitment team, it is imperative that when a club is assessing a potential new signing, they’re familiar with all the player’s behaviours on the pitch, not only when they are in possession of the ball. With much-discussed limitations around assessing an attacking player solely through their on-the-ball output (shots, goals, xG, passes in the final third, etc), we are able to dive deeper and assess what they’re doing when their team is in possession, but the specific player is without the ball - and whether perhaps those statistics mentioned earlier are a consequence of poor service, rather than the player’s movements in this area of the pitch and being able to provide their team mates with options.

To help showcase this tactical behaviour and further bring it to life, we focus on MLS, where the regular season reaches its conclusion next month. 

Despite a return of two goals, Columbus Crew’s Ibrahim Aliyu ranks highest in this metric, making a movement behind the defensive line almost nine times per 90. What makes Aliyu’s rank particularly interesting is that his team, Columbus Crew, sit 29th out of 30 for passes played behind the defensive line, so why run behind the defensive line if the team is unlikely to pass there? Further investigation reveals that Columbus Crew rank high in a wide range of creating passing metrics. We surmise that Aliyu’s movement is stretching the opponents, increasing their vertical spread and creating spaces for his teammates to play into. This highlights the importance of considering off the ball metrics when evaluating a player, which is a fundamental component of the Kognia dataset.

Following Aliyu is Hugo Cuypers, who has combined these frequent movements (8.3 per 90) with 16 goals so far this season. Also appearing on this list is Tani Oluwaseyi (6.6), who earned a move to Villarreal earlier this summer.

In today’s recruitment landscape with such significant amounts being invested in talent, understanding a forward’s off-ball movement is a necessity. These behaviours can reveal intent, spatial awareness and tactical fit that traditional goal-based stats often fail to do. 

Whether assessing a player’s suitability for your game model or identifying undervalued talent, this data can help bridge the gap between raw output and underlying behaviours.