Gradient Overall Grade: Explained

Summarising player performance into one actionable rating will always be one of the more difficult challenges in football analytics. Most traditional providers focus on outcomes such as goals scored, assists and clean sheets. Whilst these are unquestionably important to winning football matches, they do not necessarily reflect actual individual player performance.

‍

For example, in most player rating systems, a player who is part of a team that keeps a clean sheet is often given a boost to their weekly and seasonal rating, even if the opposition misses a clear chance they should have scored. The same goes for players who score a tap-in or make an easy assist. Expected Goals (xG), Expected Assists (xA) and Expected Threat (xT) help to make these ratings more stable, but there is arguably too much emphasis on these metrics, and the most important actions in a game are often lost as a result. These models can also miss critical details. For example, imagine a player under-hitting a pass over the top that should be easily cleared by the centre-back, who misses the ball completely, leading to a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper. An Expected Threat model will award the pass a high value, even though the execution was poor.

‍

At Gradient Sports, we have developed our own Overall Grade, which works at both the weekly and seasonal level, evaluating the execution of the most important facets for each position group. These are then aggregated and normalised for context. If you want to find out more about this process, please read this article.

‍

It is important to note that just because we do not use goals or assists in our model directly, it does not mean that impact on the pitch is ignored - it is simply measured differently. If a central midfielder makes a line-breaking pass into a dangerous position, they will likely receive a positively graded Passing Grade regardless of whether the striker converts the chance. A centre-forward receives a 0, or 'expected', Shooting Grade for converting a tap-in, but will potentially receive a positive Movement Grade for getting themselves into position to score.

‍

Gradient Player Grades surface context and execution using a nine-point scale ranging from -2 to +2 in 0.5 increments. A grade of 0 represents an expected performance, while positive and negative grades reflect actions performed better or worse than expected. Grades are assigned whenever a player performs an action, both on the ball (e.g. passing, shooting, crossing, ball control, carrying, duels and challenges) and off the ball (e.g. movement and positioning). Every player is graded across 2,000+ events per game and 25 different grading categories, creating one of the most detailed datasets in sport.

‍

For the Overall Grade, positional weights reflect how important each facet is for a specific position. For example, shooting carries more weight for centre-forwards than for centre-backs. These weights are determined by analysing which facets are performed most frequently by each position relative to the others. Below, we take a deeper look at what makes up the Overall Grade for each position group.

‍

Centre-Backs

For centre-backs, the four most heavily weighted facets within the Overall Grade are Clearances, Aerial Duels, Passing and Positioning.

‍

Clearances

Clearances measure how effectively a centre-back removes the ball from a dangerous area. While there will be moments of exceptional execution such as a goal-line clearance, what matters most at this position is consistency, as poor execution can return the ball to the opposition in a threatening area.

‍

Aerial Duels

Centre-backs are regularly tested in the air when dealing with crosses, competing for long passes, and at set pieces. The capacity to win the ball in the air is one of the most consistent demands placed on a centre-back throughout a match.

‍

Passing

Centre-backs play an important role in build-up play, typically responsible for breaking the first line of opposition pressure. Giving the ball away from deep positions tends to leave the team exposed, so passing reliably carries significant weight in the grade.

‍

Positioning

Positioning is one of the most important facets for a centre-back and one that traditional metrics largely overlook. The Positioning Grade captures every instance of a player being out of position, but also rewards positive decisions such as intercepting a pass or timing a step up to set an offside trap. How a centre-back positions themselves throughout a match reflects a significant part of their overall contribution.

Other facets such as dribble defending, tackling and shot or pass blocking also contribute to the Overall Grade, sitting just below the top four in terms of weighting.

‍

‍

Looking at Ligue 1 in the 2025/26 season through Gameweek 29, Malang Sarr leads all centre-backs with the highest Overall Grade, with Jérémy Jacquet, Moussa Niakhaté and Charlie Cresswell close behind. Sarr does not lead in every individual facet, but his consistency across the board, combined with elite performance in secondary facets including dribble defending, tackling and 50/50 duels, puts him ahead of the rest.

‍

Full-Backs

For full-backs, the weighting across facets is more evenly distributed than other position groups, reflecting the demands placed on modern full-backs to contribute effectively in both attacking and defensive phases.

‍

‍

Central Midfielders

Of all position groups, central midfielders have the most evenly distributed facet weightings. They are consistently involved in most phases of play, both in and out of possession, meaning the Overall Grade reflects the need to perform across a broad range of actions rather than excel in a smaller number of key areas.

‍

Tackling

Central midfielders attempt tackles at a higher rate than most other positions, operating as the first line of defensive resistance before the ball reaches the back line. The ability to win the ball back consistently through tackling carries significant weight in the grade.

‍

Blocking

As with full-backs, Blocking is an important facet for central midfielders, though the focus shifts more towards passes and shots. Central midfielders look to close space and prevent passes from breaking the lines or shots from getting through, making this one of the more frequently occurring defensive actions at this position.

‍

Passing

Passing is the primary attacking facet for central midfielders. They are heavily involved in build-up play and in creating opportunities for teammates, and face pressure at a higher rate than deeper positions. The ability to pass effectively under pressure is one of the most valuable qualities a central midfielder can bring to the team.

‍

Tackle Resistance

Central midfielders not only tackle frequently, they are also on the receiving end of them. Tackle Resistance measures how effectively a player protects the ball when under pressure. Retaining possession in central areas is important both for maintaining attacking moves and for preventing the opposition from launching dangerous counter-attacks.

‍

Other facets such as Ball Control and Through-Ball Passing also contribute to the Overall Grade, with the relatively even distribution of weightings reflecting the all-round demands of the position.

‍

‍

Declan Rice is the standout performer in the Premier League this season through Gameweek 31, ranking first among all players with an Overall Grade of 89.4. He records a grade of 75.0 or above in all four of the top facets, underlining the consistency across the board that the Overall Grade is designed to reward, whilst also performing above his positional average in every other secondary grading category.

‍

Wingers & Attacking Midfielders

Wingers and attacking midfielders are grouped together as a position group as they share a similar profile. Both tend to operate in wide or half-spaces, receive the ball on the half-turn, and look to actively beat defenders in one-on-one situations. Combining both positions also creates a larger sample size, producing a more stable and reliable grade. It is worth noting that the defensive responsibilities of an attacking midfielder differ significantly from those of a central midfielder, which is why the two are treated separately.

For this position group, the majority of the weighting sits with attacking facets, reflecting the primary contribution expected from this profile of player.

‍

Centre-Forwards

For centre-forwards, the weighting shifts even further towards attacking facets than for wingers and attacking midfielders. Defensive actions such as carry defending, blocking and tackling still contribute to the Overall Grade, particularly for forwards who operate in high press systems, but the primary weight sits with attacking output.

‍

Shooting

Shooting is the most heavily weighted facet for centre-forwards, reflecting their primary function on the pitch. Better execution in front of goal leads to more goals, and the Shooting Grade captures not just whether a player scores, but how well they execute the attempt relative to what was expected of them.

‍

Aerial Duels and Fifty-Fifty Duels

Both facets are measured individually but together form the Composite Grade 1v1 Duels. Centre-forwards are constantly competing for the ball, both in the air and on the ground, in the most contested areas of the pitch. Winning those battles makes life more difficult for defenders and creates opportunities for the team. Aerial Duels carry a greater weight within the composite, but Fifty-Fifty Duels remain among the top five most important facets for this position group.

‍

Tackle Resistance

Centre-forwards receive the ball in the most heavily defended areas of the pitch, meaning they face tackles more frequently than players in almost any other position. The ability to deal with those challenges effectively and retain possession is a crucial part of their overall contribution.

‍

Ball Control

Controlling the ball under pressure is particularly important for centre-forwards, who regularly receive passes in tight spaces, often at pace or at difficult heights. Good first touch in those moments is what allows the actions above to follow.

Defensive contributions including carry defending, blocking and tackling are still factored into the Overall Grade, but carry significantly less weight than the attacking facets outlined above.

‍

‍

The highest Overall Grade recorded among any position group so far this season through Gameweek 31 belongs to Harry Kane, who sits at 97.2. Kane leads all centre-forwards in the Bundesliga in both Ball Control and Tackle Resistance Grades, while ranking 3rd in Aerial Duels and 5th in Fifty-Fifty Duels. His Passing Grade of 90.0 ranks first among all centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues, but it is his Shooting Grade of 98.4, also the highest recorded across all leagues, that is the primary driver of his position at the top. Elite all-round performance combined with the highest grade in the most heavily weighted facet across all positions makes Kane the standout player in the Overall Grade rankings this season.

‍

The Overall Grade is designed to paint a comprehensive picture of a player's contribution across all facets of the game, evaluated on the quality of their execution rather than the outcomes those actions produce.

‍

No single number will ever tell the complete story of a player's performance, and we are transparent about that. There is a valid argument that players in certain competitions may find it easier to earn positive grades more frequently than those in others, and this is something we continue to work on in collaboration with clubs and our data science team to refine over time.

‍

What the Overall Grade does offer is a framework that is more closely aligned with how performance is actually evaluated at the elite level. Focusing on execution is not about dismissing impact on the pitch - goals, assists and clean sheets still matter. It is about recording performance in a way that reflects genuine individual contribution, independent of outcomes that a player cannot always control. That is the foundation the Overall Grade is built on, and it is a standard we will continue to hold ourselves to as the model evolves.

‍

It is also important to note that we have a separate Goalkeeper Overall Grade to handle the uniqueness of this position. This is calculated as a Composite Grade of this Overall Grade and the Shot Stopping Grade.

‍

Our next article will dive into Goalkeeper Grades in much more detail, so stay tuned for that!

‍