Shots outside the box props explained
A shot outside the box is any attempt at goal struck from beyond the 18-yard line, judged by where the ball is at the point of contact, not where the player is standing. Whether it has to be on target depends on which market you are looking at.
Team FootyMetrics
Updated Jul 2026 ยท 5 min read
- Shot location is set by the ball, not the player. It is outside the box only if the ball was beyond the penalty area line when it was struck.
- A shot taken exactly on the box line counts as inside the box.
- Plain shots outside the box is a volume stat, including off-target attempts. Shots on target outside the box is a separate, narrower market.
- It suits long-range shooters and set-piece takers more than a striker who mostly scores from close range.
This is a narrower slice of the wider shots market, and it trips people up for a different reason than shots on target does. Here the argument is not really about what a shot is, it is about where it was taken from, and whether the market you have picked cares if it was on target at all. Both questions have a clean answer once you know where to look.
What counts as a shot outside the box
A shot outside the box is any attempt at goal where the ball was struck from beyond the edge of the penalty area. The test is the ball, not the player. Opta's own event definitions state that shot location is set by the position of the ball when the shot is taken, and that anything struck on a boundary line counts as inside the area on that line's inside edge, so a shot taken exactly on the 18-yard line counts as inside the box, not outside it.
That matters for the awkward cases people argue about. If a striker is running through and their momentum carries them into the box a stride after they shoot, the shot still counts as outside the box, because the ball had already left their foot beyond the line. The same works in reverse: a player drifting out of the box who strikes the ball while still inside the area has taken a shot from inside the box, even if their follow-through finishes outside it. It is always where the ball was, not where the player ends up.
For the definition of a shot itself, and what separates on target from off target, see what is a shot on target. Everything on that page (goals, saves, blocks on the line, the woodwork) still applies here. This page only covers the extra layer: location.
Does a shot outside the box need to be on target?
Two different markets, read the name carefully
Bookmakers themselves price these as two different bets. Sky Bet's own match stat markets page describes the location markets as a nominated player to have "a shot or shot on target from a given location, e.g. inside the box, outside the box." That single line confirms shot and shot on target are priced separately for the same location filter, so a plain shots outside the box line includes every attempt from range, whether it was heading for the corner or ballooned over the bar. A shots on target outside the box line only counts the ones that were actually going in.
- Any attempt from beyond the box line, on target or not.
- A speculative effort that sails over the bar still counts.
- The bigger number, easier to clear.
- Only attempts from beyond the box line that were going in.
- A wild effort over the bar does not count here.
- The smaller number, tighter to call.
Whichever version you are looking at, the on-target ones still settle by the standard rule: a goal, a save, or a block on the line by the last defender. A miss, the woodwork staying out, or a block with cover still behind it does not count as on target, wherever it was taken from. The full breakdown of that rule is on the shot on target page rather than repeated here.
Who this market suits
Because it strips out everything closer than 18 yards, this market rewards a specific type of player rather than raw goal threat. A poacher who scores from six yards can go a whole match without a single shot outside the box, while a deep-lying midfielder who tries one from range every game builds a record here even on a quiet day for shots overall.
Set-piece takers are the other group worth watching. A direct free kick struck from outside the area is a shot from outside the box like any other, so a nominated taker on a team that wins a lot of fouls near the D can clear a line purely on dead balls, even if their open play shooting is modest.
Where FootyMetrics tracks this
FootyMetrics tracks shots outside the box at team level across 115+ leagues, alongside the wider shots stats and shots on target leaders. For player research, start from a player's shooting record on the player stats hub and cross-reference their recent shot locations before backing a range-heavy line.
Shots stats across 115+ leagues
Total shots and shots on target leaders, free to browse, no account needed.
Shots outside the box FAQs
What counts as a shot outside the box?
Any attempt at goal where the ball was struck from beyond the edge of the penalty area. Opta judges this by the position of the ball at the moment of the shot, not by where the player is standing or where their run carries them afterwards. A shot taken exactly on the box line counts as inside the box.
Does a shot outside the box need to be on target to count?
It depends on the market. Plain shots outside the box is a volume stat that counts every attempt from that range, on target or not. Shots on target outside the box is a separate, narrower market that only counts attempts that would have gone in. Always check which one is on your bet slip.
Is shots outside the box the same as long shots?
Yes, they describe the same thing. Long shots and shots from range are the common names for any effort taken from outside the penalty area, whether that is open play or a free kick.
What if a player is running into the box when they shoot from outside it?
It is the ball's position at the point of contact that matters. If the ball is still beyond the penalty area line when the player strikes it, the shot is outside the box, even if the player's run carries them inside the area a moment later, before or after the strike.
Do free kicks count as shots outside the box?
Yes. A direct free kick struck from beyond the penalty area is a shot outside the box like any other attempt from that range, and it is one of the main reasons set-piece takers do well on this market.