Defensive contributions

DefCon is worth 2 points, awarded per match, for reaching a threshold of defensive actions. The thresholds are not the same for everyone:

A defender needing 10 and a midfielder needing 12 sounds like the defender has it easier. Recoveries even it out: they are the most common of the five actions, and only midfielders and forwards get them counted.

Why per-90 is the number to sort on

The threshold is per match, so a season total tells you almost nothing on its own. A player averaging 9 actions per 90 who occasionally spikes to 12 is a different asset from one who sits at 11 every week, and both can finish the season on the same total.

What matters is how often a player clears the bar in a single match, which is what the per-90 rate estimates. The projection scores it as a probability of clearing the threshold rather than as a flat bonus, so a player parked just under it is worth meaningfully less than one just over.

Where it lies

• Minutes dominate. A player who clears the bar comfortably but plays 60 minutes is a worse bet than a slightly weaker one who plays 90. The rate is per 90, so it does not carry that risk on its own.
• Role changes are invisible until they show up in the data. A midfielder moved into a deeper position starts recording far more actions, and the per-90 average takes weeks to catch up with it.
• It is a bonus, not a floor. Two points is one-third of a clean sheet. A defender picked purely for DefCon is a defender picked for their third-best source of points.