Smarter Scouting - Profiling Players Beyond the Position Group: Strikers

Modern football has evolved from defined positions to functions and principles players perform within different tactical systems. Smarter Scouting is a new video series that explores how clubs can use advanced data to easily identify player profiles that go beyond traditional position labels.

In each episode, we highlight a position group and uncover the key archetypes that exist within it — combining physical, technical, tactical, and contextual insights to show how data brings clarity to complex roles.

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This article is also available in Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

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This episode dives into the modern striker, from the clever Link-Up Striker who orchestrates play to the explosive Direct Striker who constantly threatens goals — highlighting their distinct strengths and how SkillCorner data helps identify players who excel in each role.

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The Direct Striker

A player who thrives on attacking depth and exploiting open spaces. Constantly on the move, the Direct Striker times his attacks to meet crosses and takes advantage of transitions with forward movements.

His speed and sustained sprint intensity make him a constant threat to stretch defensive lines. 

To quantify and evaluate the various functions and behaviours, we used the following metrics belonging to our Physical and Game Intelligence data:

(Information on the normalization method for each metric is provided at the end of the blog) 

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• Runs in Behind (P30 TIP): number of runs into the space behind the opponent's last defensive line.
  
  
• Cross Receiver Runs (P30 TIP): number of runs to receive the ball from a cross.
  
  
• Off-Ball Runs in Transition (P30 TIP): general off-the-ball movements without possession during the Transition phase — typically occurring in counterattacks that start from your own half
  
  
• PSV-99 (99th percentile Peak Velocity): maximum sustainable and repeatable speed of the player.
  
  
• Sprinting Distance (P90): average distance covered per match at speeds exceeding 25 km/h.
  
  

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The Link-Up Striker

A technically skilled forward who connects play between midfield and attack, often showing for the ball, offering passing options through the lines. Quick in combination play, the Link-Up Striker looks to find runners in depth or teammates moving into crossing areas.

Relevant metrics: 

• Passing Options Through Second Last Line (P30 TIP): occurrences of the player moving to receive a pass, creating a passing lane that breaks the opponent’s second-to-last line of pressure, usually the midfielders line, from an inside position.
  
  
• Coming Short Runs (P30 TIP): number of runs towards the ball-carrier to receive a pass.
  
  
• Quick Passes (P30 TIP): number of passes made by a player immediately after receiving the ball, executed quickly within the possession and involving more than one touch.
  
  
• Pass Attempts to Runs in Behind (P30 TIP): number of times a player attempts a pass to a teammate making a run into the space behind the opponent's last defensive line.
  
  
• Pass Attempts to Cross Receiver Runs (P30 TIP): number of times a player attempts a pass to a teammate making a run to receive a cross.

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Normalization methods:

• P90: average per 90 minutes — highlights what a player would achieve if they played a full match, allowing fair comparison across players with different playing times.
  
  
• P30 TIP: per 30 Minutes Time in Possession — shows performance as if every player had the same 30 minutes of team possession within games.
  It levels the playing field, so you can compare players fairly even if some teams are more or less dominant.
  
  
• P30 OTIP: per 30 Minutes Time out of Possession — reveals performance as if every player experienced the same 30 minutes without the ball during matches.
  It makes comparisons fair, so you can evaluate players even if some spend more or less time defending.

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