A metric counting how many opponents a pass or dribble takes out of the game by playing the ball past them — popularised at Euro 2016.
Packing counts the number of defenders "bypassed" each time a player passes or carries the ball beyond them. A line-breaking pass through midfield that eliminates four opponents scores a packing value of four.
A related figure, "impect" (defensive impact), counts specifically the defenders taken out — the most valuable ones to bypass because they were the last line of resistance.
Packing put a number on the eye-test value of a progressive passer: two players can have identical pass-completion rates while one constantly breaks lines and the other recycles sideways.
It sits alongside progressive passes and xT as ways to value ball progression rather than raw volume.
xT (Expected Threat)
A model that values every pass and carry by how much it increases the chance of scoring in the next few actions — crediting build-up play, not just shots.
Progressive Passes
Passes that move the ball significantly closer to the opponent's goal — a key indicator of a team's attacking play style.
PPDA (Passes Per Defensive Action)
A measure of pressing intensity — how many opposition passes are allowed before a defensive action is made in the opponent's half.
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