Turnover (TO)

What counts as a turnover

A turnover is any play where the team with the ball loses possession without getting a shot off. A bad pass, a dropped catch, a ball stripped by a check, a ball carrier forced out of bounds, or a violation that hands the ball to the other team all count. The turnover goes to the player who had the ball, or who threw the pass, when it was lost.

Turnovers come in two kinds. A forced turnover is one a defender caused, and it pairs with that defender's caused turnover. An unforced turnover is a mistake with nobody to credit: a pass into the dirt, a drop with no pressure, a step out of bounds with nobody near. Coaches read the two differently, because one says something about the opponent and the other says something about the player.

How SquadProfile records it

Tap the player who lost the ball, then tap Turnover. If a defender forced it and you are tracking the opponent, record the caused turnover for their defender too; the two stats describe the same play from each side. Turnover and caused turnover are a pair in SquadProfile, so the counts should agree when both teams are tracked.

Common mistakes

• Skipping unforced turnovers because nothing dramatic happened. A quiet drop is still a lost possession, and skipping it hides the pattern a coach needs to see.
• Recording a missed shot as a turnover. A shot that misses and goes out of bounds is a missed shot; possession rules decide who gets the ball, not the turnover count.
• Crediting the turnover to the intended receiver on a bad pass. It belongs to the passer.
• Recording a turnover on a failed clear without picking the player. The clear is a team result; the turnover still needs a name.

Where it shows up

Turnovers do not have a column on the public leaderboards or box scores. They appear in the app, in each player's game and season stats and in the team's totals, next to caused turnovers so a coach can see both sides of the possession battle.

Related stats

• Caused turnover: the defender's side of a forced turnover.
• Ground ball: the scoop that often follows.
• Clear: a failed clear ends in a turnover.