What Is a Shot on Target in Soccer?

Shots and shots on target are two different things in soccer. Here's how you can know the difference.

Here is what a shot on target is in soccer / Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images

Throughout any soccer match, there are countless statistics that tell the story of the game beyond just the final score.

Possession percentages, for example, reveal which team controlled the pace of the game, while the number of fouls committed highlights which of the two teams was more aggressive.

Often, the most telling statistics, however, are the shots on and off target.

What is a shot on target in soccer?

Luis Suarez scoring for Inter Miami / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

In soccer, a shot on target is any deliberate attempt to score that is stopped by the goalkeeper or blocked by an outfield player who is the last line of defense.

Additionally, all goals count as shots on target.

Shots that get deflected or blocked before they make their way to the goalkeeper are not shots on target. Scoring chances that sail over the crossbar or go wide also do not count as shots on target. Instead, they are recorded as shots off target.

The total amount of shots in any soccer match is equal to the sum of the number of shots on target and the number of shots off target.

Generally speaking, the more shots on target a team has, the higher chance they have of scoring.

It is not uncommon, though, for teams to secure victories after only registering a few shots on target, especially if they have clinical forward players. Conversely, a good goalkeeper who makes lots of saves can result in a team having lots of shots on target but failing to score.

Does a penalty count as a shot on target?

A penalty kick counts as a shot on target. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

A penalty kick counts as a shot on target if it is scored or saved by the goalkeeper.

If the ball misses the goal, it is considered a shot off target.

In the case of penalty shootouts, which are sometimes used to settle matches if the two teams can't be separated after normal and extra-time, penalty kicks, whether scored or missed, do not count as shots at all.

The shootout is considered a separate event from the rest of the match.

Does a header count as a shot on target?

A header counts as a shot on target if it's saved or blocked. / Offside Sports-Imagn Images

A header aimed deliberately towards goal in soccer is considered a shot.

As such, if it is saved by the goalkeeper or blocked by an outfield player who is the last line of defense, it is considered a shot on target. If it misses the goal, it is registered as a shot off target.

It's not just their feet and heads soccer players can use to shoot. A player can, in fact, use any body part besides their hands and arms to try to score.

Attempts at goal, however, are only registered as shots on or off target if they are considered to be deliberate.

Is hitting the post, or bar, a shot on target?

Shots that hit the post are considered shots off target. / NurPhoto/IMAGO

Shots that hit the posts or crossbar (together known as the woodwork) and do not enter the net after are considered shots off target in soccer.

Only if shots deflect off the woodwork and into the goal are they recorded as shots on target.

This classification ensures clarity in statistics. A shot on target must involve either a goal or an action by the goalkeeper or other player to prevent the ball from entering the goal.

Shots that bounce back off the frame of the goal, while close, don't fulfil either of those criteria.

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