Ground Duels in Football: What They Mean and How They're Measured

What counts as a ground duel

A ground duel is recorded when two players from opposing sides both genuinely contest a ball on or near the ground. The categories:

• Tackles: one player attempts to win the ball directly from another through a sliding or standing tackle. If contested, it is a ground duel with a clear winner.
• Shoulder challenges: two players arrive at the ball together and use physical strength and balance to establish possession. No tackle — just body contact.
• 50-50 balls: a ball that arrives between two opposing players simultaneously, with neither having a clear advantage. Who comes away with it determines the winner.

What does not count: an unopposed touch, a player receiving a clean pass with no pressure, or a tackle attempt where the opposing player was not genuinely competing for the same ball.

How ground duel success rate is calculated

Ground duel success rate = ground duels won ÷ ground duels contested × 100

A player who contests 18 ground duels and wins 10 posts a 55.6% success rate. This is tracked at the individual player level by providers including Opta, StatsBomb and Wyscout, and aggregated to team level in broadcast statistics.

Ground duel benchmarks

Unlike aerial duels, ground duel rates are more tightly clustered. Players are not separated by 20cm of height the way aerial duels can be, so the physical contest is more even — which is why the top end is lower than in aerial duels.

Ground duels by position

• Defensive midfielders: highest volume. A DM in a high-press system can contest 15-20 ground duels per match. Success rate above 55% is the standard for top-level players in this role.
• Centre-backs: moderate volume. A CB mostly contests aerial duels from long balls and set pieces; ground duels happen in pressing situations and wide channel contests.
• Full-backs: high volume against direct opponents. A fullback facing a mobile winger will contest ground duels on almost every defensive phase.
• Forwards in high-press systems: increasingly tracked. A pressing forward who wins ground duels in the opponent's defensive third generates turnovers in dangerous positions.

How ground duels differ from aerial duels in practice

Ground duels are primarily about anticipation, balance and tackling technique. Aerial duels are primarily about timing, jump mechanics and heading technique. A player can excel in one and struggle in the other — a towering target forward may win 70% of aerial duels and 45% of ground duels; a defensive midfielder built low and quick may post the reverse.

Managers recruit differently for each. A press-heavy system prioritises ground duel volume and success rate. A team that defends set pieces primarily needs aerial duel dominance. The best squads have depth in both categories.

What "ground duels won %" means in a match report

When a stat screen shows a team's "duels won %" without specifying aerial or ground, it typically means the combined figure. A 60% combined rate means the team won 60% of all one-on-one physical contests — both aerial and ground — across the match.

For the aerial half of the duel picture, including what specific stat strings like "88.9% aerial duels won" mean in a match context, see the duels in football guide. For every other number on the stat screen, see match stats explained.