The number of through balls in the UEFA Champions League dropped 50 per cent between the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons.
In Europe’s top five leagues, the number of through balls dropped on average 30 per cent over the same period. In the Europa League, it dropped 24 per cent.
The through ball is not extinct, but it is endangered.
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Before examining why, we need to define the term. FBref data define a through ball as a:
“Completed pass sent between the back defenders into open space.”
It is a complex pass to complete, hence the number of through balls is never particularly high and is in fact lower than the goals-per-game total in Europe’s top divisions.
Through balls were used to assist just 8.3 per cent of all open-play goals in the 2020-21 Champions League. Of the 10 different open-play assist methods, through balls were fifth, although this included Kai Havertz’s final-winning goal.
Assessing the line graphs, the subtle downward trend can be seen across major European leagues. The most significant drop-off was between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 Champions League seasons.
While through balls are difficult to complete, they create quality chances, particularly when compared to other assist types. A report by American Soccer Analysis quantified conversion rates from through balls as 32 per cent, the highest of any assist type (followed by 25 per cent from cutbacks).
What’s the explanation for through balls becoming endangered?
One reason is the rise of sweeper-keepers. Having goalkeepers who exit their box to stop through balls by clearing them prevents through-ball completion and discourages the opposition from trying them.
VAR has likely had an impact, too. Anyone wanting to play a through ball or get on the end of one now needs perfect timing, which may discourage players from attempting them as frequently or risk repeated offsides.
Defensive improvements are likely the other big reason. Teams are better than ever at vertically and horizontally compacting their out-of-possession shapes. It is now significantly harder to attack through a defence than it is to attack around — this may partially explain the rise of underlaps in recent seasons.
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Specifically, within the Premier League, clubs appear to predominantly attack through wide areas and many teams favour wing-back systems, rather than splitting the heart of a defence with a through ball.
An Opta article in March found that of Premier League sides, Arsenal (46.3 per cent) created the highest proportion of chances from the middle third; their chance-creation map shows a high tendency to pass into the half-spaces or create through neat, short diagonal passes from central areas. These do not look like through-ball passes — football is simply evolving.
So who still plays through balls?
Paris Saint-Germain and Lionel Messi — what a shock. PSG (84) led Europe’s top five leagues last season in the metric and the Argentinian (24) was the top individual.
In this example, Messi, from his typical off-right position, splits Saint-Etienne’s defence with a pinpoint diagonal pass to Kylian Mbappe, who equalises. Note the position of Saint-Etienne’s defensive line — 30 yards from goal.
Another example was away at Clermont, where Messi expertly receives Neymar’s aerial pass…
… and finds Mbappe. This through ball is a more delicate dink behind the defence.
The through ball has also become synonymous with Harry Kane and the Tottenham counter-attack. The striker had the second-highest number of through balls completed in the Premier League with 19.
We saw it against Brentford when Spurs recovered possession deep and the ball made its way to Son Heung-min.
He sets it to Kane…
… which triggers Sergio Reguilon to start his run beyond. Kane’s through ball finds him…
… with Reguilon in position to cross low for Son to score.
Kane has also directly assisted with through balls, notably for Steven Bergwijn’s stoppage-time winner at Leicester.
But the pick of the through-ball bunch for Kane came at the Etihad. Manchester City are high-pressing Spurs (every player bar Ederson is in the Tottenham half). To break the press, Ben Davies punches a diagonal pass into Kane’s feet.
An impressive element of Kane’s through-ball game is his ability to use either foot and play it on the move — he runs towards and meets the ball, wrapping the pass in behind without breaking stride.
Son is set clear and selflessly squares it for Dejan Kulusevski — 1-0 Spurs.
Most of Kane’s through balls came from open play, where he has the opportunity to drop deep. In comparison, Brentford’s Ivan Toney (13), who was the Premier League’s fifth-ranked player for completed through balls, did most of that work from set pieces.
Let’s look at the opening night of the 2021-22 season — Brentford versus Arsenal. Arteta’s side launch a goal kick and, after some aerial pinball, Frank Onyeka heads the ball to Toney. Note the positioning of Toney and Bryan Mbeumo close to the Arsenal back line. This sets them up to make an early run in behind if the opportunity presents itself…
… which it does. Toney splits the defence by hooking the ball over the top.
Mbeumo races onto it but fires just wide.
There was also a through ball against West Ham at home. Brentford have a throw-in in the final third, on the right. Again, Mbeumo is positioned on the defensive line, looking to make the run…
… and Toney smartly makes his movement late, dropping to his right to receive the throw in space. The through ball is again a hook pass…
… but this time Mbeumo scores.
Against Chelsea, Brentford launch their goal kick. Toney wins the flick-on and heads on to Mbeumo…
… Mbeumo holds it up well. This is essential to facilitate Vitaly Janelt’s third-man run, which Toney picks out with the through ball…
And Brentford score their third.
But this is not exclusively a striker’s pass. Trent Alexander-Arnold (20) topped the 2021-22 Premier League charts for through balls. Labelled a right-back, he rarely plays on the right or at the back.
At Watford, Alexander-Arnold is positioned in the right half-space — this space is normally associated with his crossing threat. But from deeper, he splits the defence between wing-back and outside centre-back, sliding Mohamed Salah into the box — the Egyptian is smothered by Ben Foster one-v-one.
Alexander-Arnold also assisted Diogo Jota for Liverpool’s second in their Carabao Cup win at Arsenal. This pass is very different from the Watford one — it’s aerial and a more awkward technique for a right-footer. He has to avoid striking across himself and pulling it too far left…
… but Alexander-Arnold gets it spot-on. The backspin drops it over the high Arsenal defensive line and baits Aaron Ramsdale out of his goal. Jota gets there first and lifts it over him.
How will the through ball look in the future?
The pan-European decline is perhaps surprising in a generation surely made for through balls: a study led by the University of Southern Denmark used men’s World Cup data to reveal that, between 1966 and 2010, the average number of passes per minute increased by 35 per cent. By 2025, they predict the average number of passes per minute to have risen to over 16, up from 10.7 in 1966 and 14.7 in 2010.
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Added to that, last season saw a five-year high in the Premier League for final-third regains. High pressing is now more common and teams are playing high lines more than before. Analysis from The Athletic found a rise from eight per cent to 18 per cent for the share of Premier League games (2012 to 2021) in which a high line was used.
European football, more than ever, should facilitate through balls to take advantage of the space vacated by teams in their own halves. But football works in cycles. As teams and players adapt, we may well see the through ball rise again.
(Photo: Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)