Understanding the impact of pitch location on shot outcome in Gaelic football – where is the scoring zone?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Recent studies have identified shot efficiency as a key performance indicator (KPI) in Gaelic football; however, there has been little research into the impact of shot location on shot efficiency. The current study aims to establish a methodology to calculate shot distance and angle reliably and consistently in Gaelic football. Through application of this methodology to the 2019 inter-county championship the impact of distance and angle on shot success was assessed. There was evidence of reliability in the proposed methodology for calculating shot distance and angle. As a result, this study determined average shot distance at 30.9 m (±11.4 m) and average shot angle at 31.3° (±18.6°). While shot success peaked at 20 m, shots from closer to goal had a higher points per shot value given many from closer range were successful goal attempts, thus having greater scoreboard impact. This study can conclude that the scoring zone in Gaelic football lies within a 32 m arc of the goal, and within a 60° angle from the midline of the pitch. Moreover, this study presents the first validated methodology to calculate shot distance and angle in Gaelic football using commercially available software.