The new Flashscore Rating distills over 70 statistics into one grade. The player needs to be on the pitch for at least 10 minutes to get a grade, which naturally scales as the match goes on.
Our new rating is fully automated, benchmarked against past performances and powered by deep Opta data - objective, without any human bias. We created our own algorithm for it and tested the rating extensively with experts from our team as well as multiple experts, including Premier League legend Petr Čech.
Flashscore Rating takes into account way more than “just” goals and assists - each player will be judged based on their role on the pitch and the stats relevant to it. It doesn't matter where a player is listed in the lineup - their actual responsibilities can vary greatly. That is why we find out if they have a Defending, Progression, Playmaking or Attacking role, or any combination of these, and rate them accordingly.
This extensive and dynamic player profiling makes sure everyone is judged based on their actual role on the team. A ball winning midfielder who excels in breaking up the play will not be judged against attacking metrics. No over-rewarding goalscorers!
At Flashscore, we love the game changing moments and abilities - and that’s exactly what shapes the final rating too, for better or worse. Moments like big chances created or errors leading to goals will play a big role on top of the regular stats, and so will the exceptional abilities, like dominance in duels or outstanding dribbling.
That all comes together in the new Player Card, where each user will find all the information needed to find the context behind the player’s rating - from deep contextual data to key moments and standout attributes that helped shape the final grade.
ROLES
So what are these roles we use for player profiling, and what do they actually measure?
The Goalkeeping role is reserved exclusively for goalkeepers, measuring their shot-stopping ability through volume (saves) and quality (goals prevented), but also considering their passing contribution, sweeping presence and claiming.
The Defending role captures how much defensive work a player contributed through either ball winning actions such as tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries, or box defending with successful aerial duels, clearances and blocked shots.
The Progression role rewards players who advance the ball toward the opponent's goal, measured through progressive passes and carries over the whole pitch and then specifically final third entries, which together give a complete picture of how effectively a player moves the game forward.
The Playmaking role identifies players active in the most dangerous areas, using expected assists and key passes to capture chance creation, and penalty-area entries with successful final-third passes to measure an attacking presence where it matters most.
The Attacking role mostly focuses on direct goal threat through expected goals, shots and touches in the box, while won dribbles and offensive aerials add context for a slightly different kind of attacking contribution as well.
When the highest-ranking roles are combined, they generate a specific player profile. A midfielder dominant in Defender and Progressor becomes a ball winning number 6, while one who tops Playmaker and Progressor resolves to a playmaking number eight. This way the rating always reflects what a player was genuinely asked to do, and how well they delivered it.
GAME CHANGING MOMENTS AND ABILITIES
These ‘bonuses’ help shape the player’s final rating. Some of them are strictly positive (like Winning Goals or Last man tackles), some strictly negative (Errors leading to goal or Big chances missed). A few of them based on abilities can swing either way - outstandingly good Dueling helps improve the grade, but if the player’s success rate in duels is outstandingly bad, it can drag his rating down.
There are two abilities that can swing to positive or negative. Here, we explain what they specifically mean:
Finishing
Measures how well players execute their attempts compared to the quality of chances they are in. It's calculated as the difference between post-shot scoring probability (xGOT) and shooting position probability (xG). A positive difference means players are hitting better shots than their position suggested, while a negative one implies the opposite.
Shot stopping
Measures how effectively goalkeepers save attempts compared to the quality of shots they face. It's calculated as the difference between post-shot scoring probability (xGOT) and goals actually conceded. With a positive difference, goalkeepers outperformed expectations and prevented goals they weren't supposed to, while a negative one means they conceded more than the shot quality suggested.