Defensive Activity Maps (Zone Above/Below Average)

A defensive activity map is a pitch heatmap showing where a team's defensive actions (tackles, interceptions, pressures, blocks) occur relative to the league average. Zones colored above-average reveal where the team actively defends; zones below-average reveal where they concede space intentionally or by failure. The attacker moves left-to-right; zones in the team's own half that are hot show deep-block behavior; zones in the opposition half show high-press behavior.

Correct construction: normalize defensive action counts by zone to the league-average count in each zone; display as percentage above/below average (not raw counts). Stoke City example: heavily above-average in own half and penalty area — classic deep block. Man City: heavily above-average in the opposition half — high press keeping teams pinned in. These maps are style fingerprints, not quality judgments. They're the starting point for comparing team defensive structures.

1. Using absolute counts instead of league-relative rates: Makes high-possession teams look passively defensive.
2. Treating the map as a quality signal: A deep-block team isn't worse than a high-press team — they're differently designed. The map shows style, not success.