To differentiate themselves from competitors by betting on tackles, bookmakers are constantly searching for new markets to present to their customers.
Since many bettors might be unfamiliar with wagering on tackles, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to explain how it works and whether it’s worth exploring.
What is a Tackle?
Before delving into the mechanics of tackling bets, it’s essential to clarify what a tackle means in this context. Bookmakers that offer betting on tackles don’t rely on their own interpretations for every challenge.
Instead, they typically refer to statistics provided by Opta, an independent sports analytics company renowned for its accuracy and comprehensive data collection in football-related stats over recent years.
According to Opta’s definition, a tackle occurs when “a player connects with the ball in a ground challenge and successfully takes it away from an opponent who has possession.”
From this, we can extract two important points: first, tackles must happen on the ground. For instance, if a defender outmaneuvers a forward in an aerial duel during a corner kick, it’s not considered a tackle. Second is that the offensive player must have control of the ball.
If they are just about to receive or collect it and then lose opportunity as the defender steps in to divert it away—that action would be classified as an interception rather than as tackling play.
For a tackle to be counted, the player must “clearly be in possession” of the ball. If they do not have it under control—or seem not to—Opta will exclude it from their stats.
The outcome of the tackle, such as where the ball ends up afterward, does not affect whether it’s recorded as successful.
Therefore, even if a defender makes a tackle and the ball immediately goes to an opposing player, they still receive credit for making that challenge.
What is the total number of tackles in a match?
You might be surprised to learn that most players make only a few successful challenges per game, if any. A common number is just one or two, indicating that tackling constitutes only a minor aspect of a player’s overall performance.
While figures can vary across leagues and competitions, they generally remain relatively consistent.
During the 2021/22 Premier League season, teams averaged 620 tackles each. Leeds led in this statistic, while champions Manchester City recorded the fewest.
This translates to an average of 16.3 tackles per match and roughly 1.35 tackles per player for every 90 minutes played.
There are players who excel at making tackles, often surpassing the average. According to published statistics for the 2021/22 season, Wilfred Ndidi led with an average of 3.2 tackles per 90 minutes.
He was followed by Christian Norgaard with 3.1, John McGinn with 3.0, and both Yves Bissouma and Tyrick Mitchell each averaging 2.9 tackles per game.
We suggest focusing on the number of tackles per 90 minutes rather than just total tackles. This approach acknowledges top tacklers who may have missed part of a season due to injury, suspension, or rotation.
It also prevents overvaluing players who play every minute or in every match.
What Factors Affect Tackling Statistics?
You might assume that the top defenders would make the most tackles, but this is frequently not true.
In the 2021/22 Premier League season, for example, center-back Virgil Van Dijk played in 34 matches yet recorded only 16 tackles according to official statistics from the Premier League website.
Similarly, Ruben Dias—also regarded as one of the league’s finest defenders—completed just 26 tackles across his 29 appearances. Consequently, both players averaged less than one tackle per match despite their reputations as formidable defensive forces.
The reason some highly regarded defenders rarely make tackles stems from several factors. These include their team’s playing style, tactical instructions from the coaches, time spent in possession, and even the defender’s reputation.
During the 2021/22 season, Manchester City had the highest possession statistics (with Liverpool following closely behind), making it difficult to execute a successful tackle when controlling the ball for most of the match.
In a team that controls the game, being the last line of defense often means having fewer opportunities to make tackles because opponents seldom advance that far upfield.
Even if an opposing forward manages to approach the central defense, they’re less likely to challenge a strong defender and may choose to pass or attempt long-range shots instead.
While strikers might be keen on challenging an inexperienced center-back from a newly promoted team, facing someone like Virgil Van Dijk makes such attempts much less attractive.
A crucial aspect to consider is that more tackles occur in the midfield compared to any other area of the pitch. Consequently, players who lead in tackle statistics per season are often central midfielders or fullbacks with a tendency to advance frequently.
Betting on Tackles
As of now, betting on tackles isn’t a standard option provided by all major bookmakers in the football market.
Only a few select companies offer this type of bet, and even then it’s generally limited to relatively high-profile matches.
When these bets are available, they typically involve choosing from a list of players and predicting whether they will achieve a specified number of tackles.
The target is often expressed as either 0.5 increments (such as over 1.5 tackles) or simply “1+,” indicating one tackle or more.
The example above is not an exhaustive list of available players, but it demonstrates how you can place bets on specific individuals to achieve a certain number of tackles.
Betting on 1+ (or more than 0.5) tackles usually yields low returns, and even for 2+, odds are often slim unless the chosen player has lower tackling statistics.
Generally, betting options will be limited to x or more tackles; wagering on fewer than x isn’t typically offered.
Moreover, betting on tackles typically focuses on an individual player’s total. It is uncommon to find bets available for a team’s combined total, though you might be able to request such a wager since the statistics are usually tracked.
Regardless of whether you’re wagering on an individual’s or team’s tally, remember that tackling stats apply only to the 90 minutes of regular play unless otherwise specified.
If the match goes into extra time, any additional tackles will not count towards your bet.
Additional Factors to Consider When Betting on Tackling
In addition to considering statistics and opposition dribbling stats, there are several other factors worth taking into account before placing a bet.
To begin with, supporting a player who is frequently substituted may not be the wisest choice. If their manager consistently takes them off after 60 minutes, they miss out on valuable tackling time, which odds might not fully reflect.
In the same way, it’s important to avoid choosing a player who will begin on the bench. Additionally, it is crucial to check a player’s playing position when line-ups are announced.
When a center-back is shifted to fullback or moved into midfield, they are likely to have more opportunities to make tackles.
Concluion
For a while now, when it comes to betting on individual players, we’ve primarily concentrated on their offensive performance—specifically goals and assists.
You can bet on a yellow or red card, but when it comes to positive contributions, the focus is all about scoring goals or assisting in goal-scoring.
Thus, we are pleased that bettors now have the chance to wager on another aspect of the game (even though it’s currently limited to a few bookmakers), as it is something many fans greatly enjoy.
Opportunities might be limited at the moment, as many bookmakers haven’t included it in their offerings yet; however, we anticipate that this will improve over time.
When considering whether the market is an exceptional value or a risky gamble, the truth likely falls somewhere in between.
Placing bets on tackles can indeed be a worthwhile option, particularly if you’re willing to conduct some preliminary research; however, it’s not something we’d consider using consistently.
