Deep Completion
A deep completion is a pass received within a set distance of the opponent's goal, typically inside the penalty area or within twenty metres of the byline.
What it means
It does not require a shot to follow; it records that the ball reached the most dangerous region of the pitch, which is where possession most often becomes threat.
Why it matters
It records the cause when the expected-goals figure records the consequence, which makes it useful for diagnosing why a side circulates without scoring.
Where it is used
Attacking analysis and the description of how a side delivers the ball into the danger zone.
Where it misleads
It is heavily style-dependent, so a direct side accumulates them on few possessions while a possession side struggles against a compact block. The zone boundary is a convention.
Key points
- The zone must be defined for the count to be comparable.
- It measures delivery, not the quality of the delivery.
- Direct and possession sides produce very different counts.
- It records the cause behind a poor expected-goals figure.
- Never mix counts from two providers in one table.
- Report it with the switch count to describe lateral and vertical reach.
Report the definition, the sample and the date beside the figure, and the figure will survive being quoted by somebody else.