Hapoel Tel Aviv Ranks Seventh Globally in Line-Breaking Passes

Hapoel Tel Aviv has been recognized for its passing prowess, securing seventh place globally in the success rate of line-breaking passes. The ranking, published by the Swiss research institute CIES in collaboration with performance analysis company SkillCorner, analyzed teams from 63 leagues worldwide. Hapoel Tel Aviv achieved an 83.54% success rate in passes that bypass or penetrate opponent defensive lines.

The study places Ajax at the top with an 86.25% success rate, followed by Paris Saint-Germain (85.41%), Qatar's Al Sadd (85.07%), Real Madrid (84.62%), Celtic (84.51%), and Club Brugge (83.82%).

A line-breaking pass is defined as a pass that successfully bypasses or penetrates a line of opposing players, overcoming part of the defensive structure. This could involve a defender passing to a midfielder beyond the first pressing line or a midfielder threading a pass through the midfield to a player positioned behind it. Essentially, these are passes that advance the team up the field and create dangerous situations, rather than just sideways ball circulation.

The measurement methodology, as explained by SkillCorner, is based on analyzing player positions and the opponent's defensive structure. The system identifies which defensive line was broken, how many opposing players were bypassed, the pressure conditions under which the pass was made, and whether it reached its target successfully. This allows for an assessment of not only the technical accuracy of the pass but also its contribution to overcoming the defensive setup.

CIES emphasized that the current ranking specifically measures the success rate of these passes, not their total number. This means Hapoel Tel Aviv may not necessarily execute more line-breaking passes than other teams or create more scoring chances from them, but when they do attempt them, their success rate is exceptionally high.