Over the years, ball possession has started to become one of the key areas of focus for the best teams around the world. The same development has taken place in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) with multiple sides looking to break down their opponents by holding onto the ball and playing intricate passes.

Let's take a look at some of the best ball-dominant teams in the Hero ISL:

FC Goa (9586 passes completed)

Even after changing their head coach mid-season, FC Goa continued to be one of the best passing teams in the Hero ISL as they completed 9586 passes in 20 games, which is nearly 1000 more than the next best team. However, they failed to convert the chances from build-up play as they only scored 29 goals and finished at a disappointing ninth place in the league table, five places below where they finished in the preceding campaign.

Eduardo Bedia and Alberto Noguera Ripoll were the stand-out players for Derrick Pereira’s side as they both completed over 1000 passes! 

ATK Mohun Bagan (8862 passes completed)

The Mariners were one of the most entertaining teams this season and the passing metrics attest to it. Juan Ferrando’s focus on controlling possession has led to ATKMB becoming one of the best passing teams in the Hero ISL.

Jose Luis Espinosa Arroyo (Tiri), Pritam Kotal, and Carl McHugh stood out among the ATK Mohun Bagan squad as the key ball distributors as they each completed over 850 passes.  

Mumbai City FC (8362 passes completed)

The Islanders failed to qualify for the Hero ISL semi-finals but they showcased their ball-dominant playstyle, completing 8362 passes over their 20 league matches. The ever-reliable Ahmed Jahouh completed an insane 1071 passes in just 15 games.

Des Buckingham, in his first season, has created a blueprint for the side to watch out for in the future.

Kerala Blasters FC (8140 passes completed)

The Blasters were one of the most consistent teams throughout the 2021-22 Hero ISL campaign and Ivan Vukomanovic developed a tactical formula that was hard to conquer, even for the best teams in the league. They completed 8140 passes on their run to the Hero ISL final, for the first time in six years.

Two players in the Kerala Blasters FC squad completed over 800 passes and they were Adrian Luna and Marko Leskovic.

Hyderabad FC (8037 passes completed)

As expected, the Hero ISL Champions are on the list. The 8000+ passes completed in 23 games were the backbone of making Manuel Marquez’s side one of, if not, the most feared team in the league. Akash Mishra, Joao Victor, and Chinglensana Singh were the frontrunners in this metric in the HFC squad.

Judging the character of the team, after claiming the Hero ISL title, Hyderabad FC would aim for a higher rank on this list come the end of the next season.