Quantifying defensive pressure on the ball carrier in soccer based on minimum arrival time
Defensive pressure on the ball carrier is a fundamental component of soccer tactics. Existing pressure measures often involve additional modeling assumptions, which may reduce interpretability. In this study, we quantify defensive pressure as the opponent minimum arrival time to the ball-carrier location, computed from a physics-based motion model. Using synchronized event and tracking data from all 306 matches in the top division of the Japan Professional Football League during the 2023 season, we analyze the statistical characteristics and temporal evolution of this quantity during ball-possession intervals. The results show that the opponent minimum arrival time tends to decrease during possession and to increase again at the start of the next possession after ball release. We also find that possessions starting under stronger defensive pressure tend to yield smaller ball progression, and that, for intentional open-play passes, possessions ending under stronger pressure are more likely to be lost. These findings indicate that minimum arrival time provides an interpretable and physically grounded measure of immediate defensive pressure on the ball carrier. The proposed framework provides a simple and interpretable baseline for quantifying pressing dynamics from tracking data.