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Sports & Betting terms
Sports analytics by sport, player tracking, front offices, fantasy, betting markets and the business of sports.
Batting average on balls in play (BABIP) The batting average on balls put in play, excluding home runs and strikeouts, used to gauge how much luck shaped a batting line. Exit velocity The speed of a baseball as it leaves the bat immediately after contact, measured in miles per hour by tracking systems. Fielding independent pitching (FIP) A pitching metric on the ERA scale built only from strikeouts, walks, hit-by-pitches and home runs, a pitcher's most direct outcomes. Launch angle The vertical angle, in degrees, at which a batted baseball leaves the bat relative to the ground. On-base plus slugging (OPS) A baseball hitting stat adding on-base percentage and slugging percentage into a single number summarizing overall production. Pythagorean expectation A formula estimating a team's expected win percentage from the points or runs it scores and allows, rather than its actual record. Sabermetrics The empirical, statistics-driven study of baseball performance, valuing measurable production over traditional scouting judgment. Wins above replacement (WAR) A single number estimating how many more wins a player adds over a season than a readily available replacement-level substitute. Box plus-minus (BPM) A basketball model estimating a player's point contribution per 100 possessions relative to league average, using only box-score stats. Effective field goal percentage (eFG%) A basketball shooting percentage that counts a made three-pointer as worth 1.5 field goals, reflecting its true point value. Player efficiency rating (PER) A per-minute basketball rating that condenses a player's box-score production into one pace-adjusted number. Plus-minus (+/-) The net difference in points or goals scored by a team versus its opponent while one specific player is on the field, court or ice. True shooting percentage (TS%) A basketball scoring-efficiency rate combining two-point, three-point and free-throw shooting into one number weighted by real point value. Usage rate (USG%) The estimated share of a basketball team's possessions a player ends via a shot, turnover or free-throw trip while on the court. Completion percentage over expected (CPOE) An American football stat comparing a quarterback's actual completion rate to the rate a model expects given each throw's difficulty. Expected points added (EPA) An American football stat measuring how much a single play changes a team's expected point value on the scoreboard. Success rate (football) The share of American football plays that gain enough yardage, relative to down and distance, to count as a positive outcome. Win probability model A statistical model estimating a team's real-time chance of winning a game given the current score, time remaining and situation. Expected assists (xA) A soccer metric estimating the probability that a completed pass will directly lead to a goal, based on similar historic passes. Expected goals (xG) A shot-quality metric estimating the probability that a given attempt results in a goal, based on similar historic shots. Passes allowed per defensive action (PPDA) A soccer pressing-intensity stat measuring how many passes the opposition completes before a team makes a tackle or interception. Possession value model A framework that assigns a value to every on-ball action in a possession based on how much it changes scoring probability. Progressive passes Completed soccer passes that advance the ball a meaningful distance toward the opponent's goal, used to gauge ball progression. Shot quality A general term for models that grade how likely a given scoring attempt is to succeed, based on location, type and pressure. Corsi A hockey puck-possession proxy counting all shot attempts, on goal, missed or blocked, for and against while a player is on the ice. Fenwick A hockey shot-attempt metric like Corsi that excludes blocked shots, counting only shots on goal and missed shots. PDO A hockey stat adding on-ice shooting percentage and save percentage, read as a rough indicator of how much puck luck a team is riding. Driving accuracy The percentage of tee shots on par-4 and par-5 holes that land in the fairway, a measure of off-the-tee control. Greens in regulation (GIR) The percentage of holes where a golfer reaches the green in par minus two strokes, leaving a putt for par or better. Strokes gained A golf metric comparing a player's strokes from a given position to how many strokes a benchmark player needs from there. Break point conversion (rate) The share of break point chances a tennis player turns into a won game on the opponent's serve. Serve points won The share of points a tennis player wins when serving, the primary measure of how dominant their serve is. Tennis Elo rating An Elo rating system adapted to tennis that estimates win probability between any two players from match results. Batting strike rate A cricket batter's scoring speed, runs scored per 100 balls faced, used to judge tempo rather than overall output. Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method (DLS) The formula used to set revised targets in limited-overs cricket matches shortened by rain or other interruptions. Economy rate A cricket bowler's runs conceded per over, the standard measure of how tight or expensive their bowling is. Motorsport telemetry Real-time sensor data streamed from a race car to the pit wall, covering speed, tyres, brakes, and engine performance. Race pace analysis Comparing drivers' lap times across a stint, adjusted for fuel load and tyre age, to estimate true race pace. Tyre degradation The loss of grip and lap-time performance a motorsport tyre suffers over a stint as it wears and overheats. Elo rating A rating system that updates a competitor's skill estimate after each result, weighted by the strength of the opponent faced. Load management The practice of proactively resting or limiting an athlete's workload, guided by data, to reduce the risk of injury. Player tracking data High-frequency positional data recording where players and the ball move throughout play, not just discrete events. Regression to the mean (in sports) The statistical tendency for unusually good or bad performances to move back toward a player's or team's underlying average. Draft analytics The use of statistical models to evaluate amateur prospects and to value draft picks themselves. Player valuation model A quantitative model estimating a player's on-field or market value by combining performance data with context. Salary cap analytics Using data and modeling to build a competitive roster within a league's fixed limit on total player salaries. Value over replacement player (VORP) How much more value a player provides than a readily available, replacement-level player at the same position. Average draft position (ADP) The average pick number at which a player is selected across many fantasy sports drafts, a consensus measure of value. Daily fantasy sports (DFS) Paid fantasy contests lasting a single day or slate, where entrants build a roster under a salary cap for cash prizes. Fantasy projection A statistical forecast of the fantasy points a player is expected to score in an upcoming game or season. Closing line value (CLV) How favorable a bettor's odds were when they placed a bet compared with the market's final odds before the event started. Expected value (EV) The probability-weighted average outcome of a bet or decision, used to judge whether it is favorable over the long run. Implied probability The probability of an outcome derived by converting betting odds, decimal, fractional or American, into a percentage. Line movement How a betting line or odds change over time between when a market opens and when the event begins. Overround The built-in margin a bookmaker adds so a market's implied probabilities add up to more than 100%. Sharp money Wagers from historically accurate, well-informed bettors, which sportsbooks weight more heavily than casual public bets. Media rights valuation Estimating what a sports league or event's broadcast and streaming rights are worth to networks and platforms. Secondary ticket market The resale marketplace where tickets already sold by a team or venue trade again, priced by supply and demand. Sponsorship valuation Estimating the fair market worth of a sports sponsorship deal, based on exposure, reach, and comparable agreements. Ticket yield The average revenue a team or venue earns per ticket sold, after accounting for discounts and dynamic pricing.