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Pressure Duration & Direction Vectoring

Event Data ModelsLevel 2 — Intermediate

What It Is

When a pressing player continuously tracks a ball-carrier, multiple sequential pressure event records are generated — one for each moment of re-engagement. These records can be chained into a direction vector showing the path and velocity of the press approach. Duration is the period during which the presser is actively tracking or blocking; chaining multiple records reveals how a defender closed down, not just that they pressed.

Correct Execution

Correct use: collect all pressure event records for a presser-pressured pair within a continuous engagement window, order by timestamp, compute position deltas to derive approach angle and closure speed, and visualize as an arrow showing direction of press origin. This allows teasing out not just that pressure came, but from which flank, at what speed, and whether it was a closing-down press or a passive lane-blocking press.

Progression Levels

Diagnostic Tree

Coaching Cues

  • "If you keep chasing the player, you'll generate multiple pressure records — chain them into a vector." — Thom Lawrence, 2018
  • "The arrow isn't just 'pressure happened here' — it shows where the threat came from and how fast."

Common Errors

  1. Treating each pressure record as an independent event: Consecutive records from the same presser on the same carrier represent one continuous engagement — chain them.
  2. Ignoring direction in favor of just distance: A press from behind vs. a press cutting off the forward lane are analytically different despite equal distance.

Sources

  • Thom Lawrence, StatsBomb Data Launch presentation, YouTube, 2018-05-23 — described multi-record pressure vectoring and directional visualization