Real example
Argentina 3–3 France (Argentina won 4–2 on penalties)
2022-12-18 · World Cup final · includes extra time, shootout excluded.
35:22 · Alexis Mac Allister
0.303 shot xG
Pass to Ángel Fabián Di María Hernández · Goal
80:59 · Marcus Thuram
0.102 shot xG
Pass to Kylian Mbappé Lottin · Goal
Mac Allister's pass starts in the right inside channel and finds Di María centrally. The coordinates are real; calling that channel a half-space is the coaching interpretation. One attack can't prove a channel always creates better chances.
Figures calculated from the public event dataset. StatsBomb attribution and usage terms.
Coaches call the channels between the wings and the centre the half-spaces. The example above shows one real pass from an inside channel in the 2022 World Cup final. This guide explains what half-spaces are, why they matter, and which players use them best.
The five vertical channels
Split the pitch lengthways into five strips: two wings, two half-spaces and the centre. The half-spaces (from the German Halbraum) sit roughly in line with the edges of the penalty box. Tap a channel to see how it works.
Schematic diagram. Team attacks right; the dashed line shows a typical passing option.
The half-spaces
Between the wing and the centre. A player here can see the goal, the box, the wing and the middle at once, and can pass diagonally behind the defence. Defenders struggle to decide who should step out to him.
Why half-spaces create chances
- Better view: the body is already half-turned to goal, so the player sees the box, the wing and the centre together.
- Diagonal passes: balls played from here run away from defenders and towards goal, the hardest pass for a back line to deal with.
- Confused marking: the space sits between full-back, centre-back and midfielder. Whoever steps out leaves a gap behind.
- Cut-backs: a run through an inside channel can open a cut-back into the centre. The value still depends on the resulting shot.
How teams set up to use them
Many top teams hold width with wingers or wing-backs on the touchline, which pulls full-backs wide and opens the half-spaces for two attacking midfielders. This is the idea behind the 3-2-4-1 shape: three at the back, two holding midfielders, and four attackers covering both wings and both half-spaces.
Inverted full-backs work the same channel from deeper, stepping inside to help build play and to support the team's rest defense.
How it shows up in the stats
- xA: cut-backs and through balls from half-spaces tend to carry high expected assists.
- Progressive passes: receiving an advancing pass and making one are different actions; coordinates are needed to locate either.
- Field tilt: teams that control these channels spend more time in the final third.
- xG: angle, distance and defenders affect shot quality; being in a half-space alone does not assign an xG value.
Limitations
- The channel lines are a coaching model, not painted lines; exact widths vary between analysts.
- Public match stats rarely split actions by channel, so it is judged mostly from video and event data.
- Overloading the half-spaces can leave the wings empty if no one holds width.
Frequently asked questions
What is a half-space in football?
A half-space is one of the two vertical channels between the wing and the central lane. If you split the pitch lengthways into five strips, the second and fourth strips are the half-spaces.
Where does the term half-space come from?
It translates the German word Halbraum, used by German coaches and analysts. Pep Guardiola's teams at Bayern Munich and Manchester City made it widely known.
Why are half-spaces so dangerous?
A player there faces the goal at an angle, can see more of the pitch than on the wing, and is hard to mark: the full-back, centre-back and midfielder each might be expected to step out, which creates gaps.
Which positions play in the half-spaces?
Number 8s, attacking midfielders, inside forwards and inverted full-backs. In a 3-2-4-1 shape, two of the four attackers often sit in the half-spaces.
How do teams defend the half-spaces?
By keeping a compact back line, using a midfielder to screen the channel, and passing on runners clearly between full-back and centre-back. Back-five shapes cover them more naturally.