Position Benchmarks

Center Back — D1 / D2 / D3

Name: NCAA Women's Soccer Center Back Benchmarks (D1 / D2 / D3)
Creator: Brava
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Per-90 benchmarks for center backs in NCAA women's soccer. This is the only outfield position where height genuinely matters — but duel success rate matters more.

Per-90 Performance Benchmarks

The four core center back metrics. Aerial duels and duel success are the most discriminating between divisions.

Center Back — per-90 statistical distributions, NCAA Women's Soccer
Metric	D1 mean	D1 σ	D2 mean	D3 mean
Aerial Duels Wonper 90 minutes played	4.80	1.20	3.50	2.50
Duel Success% of all duels won (ground + air)	62.5%	7.0	58.0%	54.0%
Interceptionsper 90 minutes played	5.50	1.80	4.80	4.00
Tackles Wonper 90 minutes played	3.20	1.10	2.80	2.40

Tier Alignment

Where a player slots in once you have her Z-score.

Tier 1

Elite D1 / Power-5

Z ≥ 1.5 · top 7%

SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12-equivalent starting potential.

Tier 2

Solid D1 / Elite D2

0.5 ≤ Z < 1.5 · 69–93rd %ile

Above-average starting potential at mid-major D1 or top D2 programs.

Tier 3

D3 / NAIA / Lower D2

−0.5 ≤ Z < 0.5 · 31–69th %ile

Average collegiate. Developmental programs.

Competition Multipliers

Multiply raw per-90 rates by M before computing the Z-score.

Competition multiplier (M) by league
League / Competition	Multiplier (M)
ECNL National / US Youth National Team	1.00
Girls Academy (GA)	0.95
ECRL / Development Player League (DPL)	0.80
NPL / Elite State Leagues	0.70
High School Varsity (competitive state)	0.65
High School JV / Recreational Club	0.40

Physical Gates

Center back is the position where height ranges are tightest — but elite aerial duel numbers still win out over an inch or two.

Center Back — height range by division (typical starter)
Division	Height range
D1	5'7" – 5'11"
D2	5'5" – 5'9"
D3	5'4" – 5'8"

Speed gates (all positions; lower is better)
Test	D1	D2	D3
10-meter split	1.75s	1.85s	1.95s
30-meter sprint	4.0s	4.2s	4.4s
40-yard dash	5.0s	5.2s	5.4s

Center Back — deep dives

Spoke articles unpacking specific dimensions of the center back profile.

Stat

Aerial Duels Per 90

D1 4.8/90 — volume vs win-rate and the override metrics.

Read →

Physical

Height by Division

D1 5'7"–5'11". The 5'8" working floor and what overrides it.

Read →

Film

Highlight Reel — Clip by Clip

Opens with interceptions, closes with an uncut defensive possession.

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Archetype

Ball-Playing vs Stopper

The two CB archetypes and the formation fits.

Read →

Want her stats benchmarked?

Brava profiles include a Z-score against these benchmarks for every coach-verified stat.

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