Possession (sports) opportunity to score. In bat-and-ball games including baseball and cricket, the ball is controlled by the fielding team, which are on defense. In several sports, possession is exchanged after the offensive team scores, or when the defensive team physically takes control of a "live" (in play) ball through a fumble, interception, or steal. In gridiron football, possession is additionally controlled through a series of allotted plays called downs, over which the offensive team must move the ball a certain distance down the field, or lose possession. Possession at the start of a game, or in a neutral restart, may be
Ball possession Ball possession Ball possession is the amount of time a team possesses the ball during a game of football. Possession is usually expressed as a percentage (for example, 60% for team A, 40% for team B). Historically, Dutch clubs (especially Ajax) were famous for dominating ball possession, but more recently Barcelona of La Liga became the best in maintaining ball possession; Germany's Bayern Munich came out second. However, after the arrival of Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, the team is considered to dominate possession more than Barcelona, which they did during the semi-final of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League. Xavi