Match ratings can often be skewed in favor of attackers and midfielders, leaving defenders at a disadvantage when it comes to being fairly rated. Defenders usually do not receive the same level of recognition as their attacking counterparts despite their crucial role in the team’s success. Here’s a closer look at why match ratings might be less favorable to defenders and how this issue could be addressed:

1. The Nature of Defenders’ Roles

• Defensive Contributions Are Less Visible: Defenders typically don’t have the same opportunity to shine with flashy plays like attackers, who score goals or make assists. A great tackle, interception, or clearance might go unnoticed unless it leads directly to a goal or prevents one. As a result, their vital contributions might be overlooked in match ratings, which often focus more on eye-catching moments like goals or assists.
• Lack of Metrics for Defensive Actions: Ratings systems tend to prioritize goals, assists, and sometimes key passes or dribbles. Defenders are often judged on more subjective metrics like “how many clearances,” “tackles,” or “blocks” they make, but these contributions don’t always factor into the rating as heavily as a forward’s goal-scoring prowess. Defensive stats also often fail to measure the quality of a tackle or clearance, which means a defender can perform a key intervention but still receive an average rating.

2. Attackers Get More Opportunities to Impact the Game

• Goals as Key Metrics: Match ratings are often influenced by goal-scoring actions. Attackers and midfielders have more direct chances to score or assist, so their impact on the game is easier to quantify. In contrast, defenders are judged on their ability to prevent attacks, which can be a less tangible impact to measure.
• Visibility of Positive and Negative Events: A forward’s mistake, such as missing a chance, is highly visible and often weighed heavily in the ratings. On the flip side, if a defender misjudges a clearance or makes a costly error leading to a goal, it can drastically lower their rating. However, when defenders make important tackles or blocks, those actions might not stand out as much, even though they can be just as impactful.

3. Systemic Bias in Rating

• Ratings Bias Toward Attackers: Many rating systems, both in the media and by fans, are often biased toward the more glamorous roles in football: attackers. Players who score goals and provide assists often get higher ratings than defenders who prevent goals or disrupt attacking plays. This is partly because offensive actions are more immediately recognizable and often contribute directly to the final score.
• Midfielders in the Spotlight: Midfielders tend to be the “engine” of a team, constantly involved in both attack and defense. Their work is often acknowledged because they link both ends of the pitch. Defenders, however, sometimes remain in the background unless they make a crucial mistake or a standout play.

4. How Ratings Are Often Calculated

• Weighted for Offense: Many ratings systems, whether they are done by analysts, journalists, or websites, tend to weight offensive statistics much more heavily. While defensive actions like tackles, interceptions, and clearances are important, they don’t always receive the same recognition in rating algorithms. For example, a defender’s perfect positioning, which leads to them cutting off an attacking move before it starts, might go unnoticed.
• Clean Sheets: A defender’s rating can sometimes be overly tied to whether the team kept a clean sheet, but this metric doesn’t always reflect an individual’s performance. A defender might have been exceptional even if their team conceded, but the lack of a clean sheet can often lead to lower ratings across the board.

5. Changing Perspectives on Defenders’ Importance

• More Sophisticated Metrics: The growing influence of advanced analytics in football is helping to change the way defenders are evaluated. Metrics like expected goals against (xGA), defensive duels won, and successful tackles are beginning to provide a more holistic view of a defender’s contribution. However, these metrics are not always fully integrated into the rating systems used by journalists or fans.
• The Rise of Center-Backs and Full-Backs: In modern football, full-backs and center-backs are becoming more involved in attacking play, providing assists or even scoring goals. As defenders start to contribute more offensively, they may receive better ratings. However, purely defensive-minded players, like traditional center-backs, might still struggle to be rated fairly in comparison to forwards or attacking midfielders.

6. Some Solutions for More Fair Ratings

• Recognize Defensive Impact More Effectively: Defenders could be rated more fairly by recognizing the quality of their defensive actions beyond mere statistics. For example, an exceptional interception that prevents a goal-scoring opportunity might not always show up in the numbers, but should still be valued highly in ratings.
• Incorporate Advanced Metrics: More use of advanced defensive statistics, such as expected goals prevented (xGP) and pressing efficiency, could provide a better overall picture of a defender’s contribution. This would ensure that defenders are rated on the overall effectiveness of their play, rather than just the number of tackles or clearances they complete.
• Consider Context: Defenders should be rated in the context of the quality of the opposition they face. A great performance against a top-tier attacker should be rated higher than one against a less dangerous opponent. Similarly, making crucial interventions under pressure or in high-stakes moments (like in a final or a crucial league game) should carry more weight.