Guides
How the rankings are built, plus longer explainers on the game itself — handball and VAR, pressing, chance quality, and the Champions League format. For match previews and season features, see Previews and Articles.
How TackleZone rankings work (TAS, TMS, TDS, TGS & roles)
The full methodology behind TackleZone position scores and role boards — eligibility, weights, winsorisation, and how to read the numbers.
12 min read · Updated 4 September 2026
Handball law and VAR: how the rule evolved and what fans still get wrong
A clear guide to modern handball thinking — intent, unnatural position, VAR’s limits — without pretending every decision will feel fair.
10 min read · Updated 8 September 2026
Catenaccio’s history and idea — and what modern low blocks still borrow
From Italian locking systems to today’s compact mid-blocks: what travelled, what died, and why “parking the bus” is a lazy label.
10 min read · Updated 8 September 2026
Champions League league-phase format explained for fans
How the expanded UEFA Champions League league phase works in plain language — fixtures, ranking logic, and what actually matters week to week.
9 min read · Updated 8 September 2026
How to read an xG story without drowning in decimals
Expected goals explained for fans — including an honest note that TackleZone may not show xG on every screen, while Match insights still reward chance-quality thinking.
10 min read · Updated 8 September 2026
Pressing triggers explained: when a high press is a trap
What actually starts a press, why constant chasing fails, and how elite sides bait opponents into jumping at the wrong moment.
10 min read · Updated 8 September 2026
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