Role Fit Score: how well a player fits a role
The Role Fit Score is a number from 0 to 100. It shows how strongly a footballer does the things a role is built from, compared with players in the same position over the last 365 days.
Scores are refreshed regularly as new matches come in.
- one score per role
- 0 to 100
- roles in 9 position groups
- 21
- of competitive matches
- 365 days
- minutes before a role gets a score
- 1,200
A score, not an Elo rating
An Elo rating measures how strong a club is and moves with results. The Role Fit Score describes how a player plays. It comes from per-90 stats. Wins and losses never go in.
| Aspect | Role Fit Score | Elo rating |
|---|---|---|
| What it describes | How strongly a player does what a role needs | How strong a club is |
| What goes in | Per-90 stats from the last 365 days | Match results |
| Scale | 0 to 100 | Open scale in rating points |
| Compared with | Players in the same position group | Every club on one world scale |
| What moves it | A change in how the player plays | Wins, draws and losses |
How the Role Fit Score is calculated
In four steps. You can follow each of them on any player page.
Find the position group
Every player belongs to one of 9 position groups, like centre-backs or strikers. A striker is only ever compared with strikers.
Count per 90 minutes
Every stat counts per 90 minutes over the last 365 days. Competitive matches count, friendlies do not. This keeps a regular starter and a player off the bench comparable.
Turn each stat into a percentile
For each stat we look at where the player stands in the group, among everyone with at least 450 minutes. A percentile of 88 means 88 percent of the group sit at or below the player.
Average with the role's weights
A role is built from a few stats. Each stat carries a weight. The Role Fit Score is the weighted average of those percentiles.
When a stat is not recorded in a player's competitions it drops out and the other stats share its weight. If less than half of a role's weight can be measured, the role gets no score.
An example: the Poacher
A Poacher lives for chances inside the box. The role is built from two stats: goals with weight 3 and shots on target with weight 1.
Example player with invented numbers
| Stat | Percentile | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 90 | × 3 |
| Shots on target | 70 | × 1 |
Role Fit Score
85
Strong fitCalculation
(90 × 3 + 70 × 1) ÷ 4 = 85
Goals count three times as much as shots on target. That is why the score lands closer to the goals percentile.
How to read the score
The higher the score, the more clearly a player plays like the role. On the player page the colour shows which range a score falls in.
- Strong fit80 and above
The player does what the role needs more often than most of the position group.
- Moderate fit60 to 79
Clear signs of the role, but not the full picture yet.
- Lower fitbelow 60
The role is not what this player stands out for. Another role in the group often fits better.
Globally or in the league
There are two versions of every score. The main number is the global one: the player against the position group worldwide. The role detail on the player page also shows the league value, compared only with that league's players, as long as at least 8 of them qualify.
Score and rank
The score itself is not a percentile. Where a player stands among everyone with a score in the role is what the rank tells you, for example #3 of 36 in the league.
Several roles per player
A player gets a score for every role in the position group. The best one is shown first. 80 as a Poacher and 70 as a Target Man is no contradiction.
What the score does not know
The Role Fit Score only knows what the stats know. These things stay outside.
League strength
A 90 in a second division is not a 90 in the Premier League. The score compares within its pool and does not weigh how strong a league is.
Recent form
All 365 days count the same. A player can reach the minutes with matches from many months ago.
Overall quality
A high score says a player plays like the role. It says nothing about market value or about who would start for a top club.
Tactics and context
Only recorded match events go in. The coach's instructions, runs without the ball and the team around a player stay invisible.
All 21 roles
Every role belongs to one position group. Open a role to see the players with the highest Role Fit Score.
Goalkeepers
Shot-Stopper
Top players Shot-StopperReflex-based keeper who racks up saves.
Sweeper-Keeper
Top players Sweeper-KeeperComfortable outside the box, distributes with the ball at feet.
Centre-backs
Ball-Playing Defender
Top players Ball-Playing DefenderComfortable in possession, plays progressive passes out from the back.
No-Nonsense Stopper
Top players No-Nonsense StopperPrioritizes clearing danger over playing out from the back.
Aerial Dominator
Top players Aerial DominatorWins the vast majority of aerial duels.
Full-backs
Attacking Wing-Back
Top players Attacking Wing-BackBombs forward to create and cross from wide areas.
Defensive Full-Back
Top players Defensive Full-BackStays disciplined, wins the ball back before pushing forward.
Defensive midfield
Deep-Lying Playmaker
Top players Deep-Lying PlaymakerDictates tempo from deep with accurate, progressive passing.
Ball-Winning Midfielder
Top players Ball-Winning MidfielderScreens the defense, breaks up opposition attacks.
Central midfield
Box-to-Box Midfielder
Top players Box-to-Box MidfielderContributes at both ends, covers the full length of the pitch.
Creative Central Midfielder
Top players Creative Central MidfielderThe team's primary chance creator from central areas.
Attacking midfield
Advanced Playmaker
Top players Advanced PlaymakerOperates between the lines, unlocks defenses with the final pass.
Shadow Striker
Top players Shadow StrikerAttacking midfielder who prioritizes goalscoring over creation.
Wingers
Traditional Winger
Top players Traditional WingerHugs the touchline, beats defenders and delivers crosses.
Inverted Winger
Top players Inverted WingerCuts inside onto the stronger foot to shoot rather than cross.
Wide Creator
Top players Wide CreatorCreates chances for others from a wide starting position.
Wide midfield
Wide Playmaker
Top players Wide PlaymakerCreative outlet from a wide midfield role.
Two-Way Wide Midfielder
Top players Two-Way Wide MidfielderBalances defensive work-rate with wide attacking output.
Strikers
Poacher
Top players PoacherLives for chances inside the box, clinical in front of goal.
Target Man
Top players Target ManHolds the ball up, wins aerial duels to bring others into play.
Complete Forward
Top players Complete ForwardScores, creates and dribbles, a well-rounded attacking threat.
Common questions
What is the Role Fit Score?
A number from 0 to 100 that shows how strongly a footballer does the things a role is built from. It compares per-90 stats from the last 365 days with players in the same position group.
Is the Role Fit Score an Elo rating?
No. An Elo rating measures club strength from match results. The Role Fit Score describes how a player plays, based on per-90 stats. Results do not go in.
How is the Role Fit Score calculated?
Each stat of a role becomes a percentile within the position group. The score is the weighted average of those percentiles, using the weights of the role.
What is a good Role Fit Score?
80 and above is a strong fit, 60 to 79 a moderate fit and below 60 a lower fit. Whether a player is good overall is a different question, because league strength is not part of the score.
Why does a player have no Role Fit Score?
A role needs at least 1,200 minutes in the last 365 days and a known position. With fewer minutes a score would say more about chance than about the player.
How often is the Role Fit Score updated?
The Comparables tab on the player page calculates the score on every visit, so new matches count there the same day. The role badges at the top of the player page and the ranking in the player list come from a nightly run that goes through the players in turns and can be a few weeks behind.
Find the best players for a role
Pick a role in the player list and it turns into a ranking by Role Fit Score.