Save Percentage
Save percentage divides the saves a goalkeeper made by the shots on target he faced, a ratio that needs no model and is available for every match with a recorded shot count.
What it means
The ratio is a bare count of outcomes that says nothing about the difficulty of the shots, so it measures the defence's shot profile as much as the keeper's ability.
Why it matters
Its availability is the reason it has outlived almost every statistic of its era, and within one team and one season it is a useful trend measure.
Where it is used
Legacy comparison, and any historical period predating tracking data where no better keeper statistic exists.
Where it misleads
It rewards keepers behind strong defences, is highly sensitive to the provider's definition of a shot on target, and its confidence band over a single season is wide enough that small differences between keepers are noise.
Key points
- It measures the defence's shot profile as much as the keeper.
- Definitions of a shot on target differ between providers.
- Use it inside one system, never across a league table.
- Prefer post-shot expected goals and goals prevented where available.
- Report shots faced and inside-box share beside it.
- Differences of two or three points are inside the noise.
Report the definition, the sample and the date beside the figure, and the figure will survive being quoted by somebody else.