Shooting

Top bins is football slang for goals that are scored where the ball hits the very top corner of the net - near the stanchion or the ‘postage stamp’ where the crossbar meets the posts. It takes high precision and power to place the ball in such a hard-to-reach area of the goal. It’s the peak of shooting, often a worldie.

A way of rating overhead kicks by comparing them to Trevor Sinclair's famous effort for QPR against Barnsley in the 1997 FA Cup. Sinclair's volley was hit from outside the box, and flew into the back of the net. It's the gold standard. So when someone pulls off a bicycle kick, you place it on the Sinclair Spectrum to judge how good it actually was. Popularised by Max Rushden on the Guardian's Football Weekly podcast.

How good the shooting opportunities a team creates are, usually measured by average xG per shot. A team taking loads of shots from bad positions has low chance quality. A team taking fewer shots but from good positions has high chance quality. Guardiola teams typically have excellent chance quality because they work the ball into good areas rather than shooting from distance.

A visual showing where shots were taken from, usually with size or color indicating xG. You can see at a glance whether a team is shooting from good or bad positions. Shot maps reveal patterns - a striker who only shoots from inside the six-yard box, or a midfielder who tries their luck from everywhere. Post-match analysis uses them constantly to show what chances were created.

The foot that stays planted while you kick with the other. Where you place your standing foot affects the direction and power of your shot or pass. Too far from the ball and you lean back, skying it. Too close and you can't get a clean swing. Coaches drill standing foot placement into youth players because it's the foundation of good technique.