Soccer

Goals per 90, expected goals, pass completion, league points, and tournament scenarios, built for World Cup Seattle 2026.

11 formulas

Stats

Goals Per 90 Minutes

G/90 = \frac{G \times 90}{\text{Min}}

Normalize scoring to a full 90-minute match so a Premier League super-sub is not unfairly compared to a 90-minute MLS starter.

Stats

Expected Goals (xG), Simplified

xG \approx 0.32 \cdot SoT + 0.06 \cdot (S - SoT)

A teaching xG model for match broadcasts: shots on target carry more threat than off-target attempts (not a full GPS tracking model).

Stats

Pass Completion Percentage

\text{Pass \%} = \frac{C}{A} \times 100

Share of pass attempts that reached a teammate, shown on every World Cup and Premier League broadcast.

Stats

League Points Per Game (3-1-0)

PPG = \frac{3W + D}{G}

MLS, Premier League, and World Cup group tables all use 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss; PPG averages that total.

Stats

Goal Difference

GD = GF - GA

Goals scored minus goals conceded, the first tiebreaker in most World Cup groups and league tables after points.

Stats

Shots On Target Percentage

SoT\% = \frac{SoT}{S} \times 100

Share of all shots that tested the keeper or would have gone in without a block.

Stats

Penalty Kick Success Rate

PK\% = \frac{M}{A} \times 100

Share of penalty kicks converted, in regulation and in World Cup knockout shootouts.

Stats

Clean Sheet Rate

CS\% = \frac{CS}{G} \times 100

Share of matches where the team (and keeper) allowed zero goals.

Stats

Group Stage Points Target

\text{Need} = \max(0, T - P),\quad \text{PPG req.} = \frac{\text{Need}}{R}

How many points a team still needs to hit a World Cup group-stage target and the per-game pace required.

Stats

Possession-Adjusted Rate

Adj = R \times \frac{50}{\text{Poss\%}}

Scale a per-90 rate to a 50% possession baseline so a counterattacking World Cup side compares fairly to a possession team.

Angles & distance

Pitch Diagonal

d = \sqrt{L^2 + W^2}

Longest straight-line sprint across a rectangular pitch; World Cup venues often use up to 105 m × 68 m.

About sports math

Sports math applies real formulas to the games students follow—batting average and ERA in baseball, shooting percentages in basketball, passer rating in football, xG and group-stage points for World Cup Seattle 2026 soccer, plus golf and volleyball stats and the physics of speed, distance, and projectile motion.

Each sport pairs a plain-language formula with a calculator and links to the Formula Library, turning stats and game situations into approachable practice for ratios, percentages, and algebra.