In a league built on speed, precision, and tactical evolution, the art of scoring from distance has become more than just a highlight‑reel moment - it’s a window into how the Premier League is changing. In this blog, Game Insights Analyst James Cook investigates past and current data on goalscoring from outside the box.

Take a look at the headline insights.

This season has seen a shift in the number of goals and shots being taken from outside the box. And it’s clear that the context of previous season’s data is key. Let’s look further into this.

20% of goals this season were scored from outside the box – the highest in a Premier League season, and higher than the average of the previous 10 seasons of 16.7%. Looking back at the past 5 seasons across the EFL, there is a consistent pattern of a spike in goals scored from outside the box this season.

Why might this be happening?

Are elite footballers taking more shots from outside the box? Are players becoming technically better at executing long-range shots? Are players making smarter decisions on when to shoot from outside the box?

Let’s look at more insights to find what may be causing this.

The proportion of shots taken outside the box is decreasing. This has dropped over 10% in the last 10 seasons. However, this is not due to teams taking less shots from outside the box. But, by taking more inside the box.

Now we can see that there has been a consistent number of open play shots taken from outside the box. But as the conversion rates are improving we can draw interesting conclusions from this.

• Players are becoming more effective at taking long-range shots.
• Players are making better decisions on when to shoot from outside the box.

So, which players need to be able to do this?

Centre midfielders and attacking midfielders account for almost 75% of goals from outside the box this season. When designing game-realistic practices, ensure central and attacking midfielders have enough repetition of long-range shooting to support technical development.

This will allow you to coach your players on the 6 capabilities of shooting from distance.

Coaching considerations:

• Encourage your players to practice shooting over different distances from the goal through effective practice design.
• Consider the age and stage of your players. When coaching younger players, they may not be able to generate as much power on the ball. Remember to consider the distances in your practices to add relevance for players.