Open Play
The continuous phase of the match between restarts.
Definition
Open play is the live ball. It includes build-up, progression, chance creation, pressing, and transitions that are not tied to a set-piece routine. Analysts isolate open-play metrics so a corner or penalty does not rewrite the process story.
On StarkPitch pages, open-play shots are not labelled Penalty or Free Kick. They also do not start from From Corner, From Free Kick, or From Throw In. Saying open-play xG is a scope statement. A team can trail on mixed xG and still lead on open-play xG. England versus France is the teaching case.
Caution
If a chart mixes open play and set pieces without a label, ask for the scope. Higher open-play xG does not mean the set-piece goal should not count.