Formations and roles · Analysis
Winger: the wide attacker who beats the full-back
A winger attacks from the flank: beats the full-back, crosses or cuts inside to shoot. Classic and inverted wingers, the inside forward and famous examples.
Tagged
Roles
Formations and roles · Analysis
Attacking midfielder: the 10 who plays between the lines
An attacking midfielder (CAM, the 10) plays between the lines and creates chances. Trequartista, enganche, why the classic 10 declined and where it plays now.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Box-to-box midfielder: the 8 who defends one box and attacks the other
A box-to-box midfielder, the 8, tackles near his own box and arrives in the other. What the role asks for, in a two or a three, famous examples, mezzala.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Full-back: the wide defender who also has to attack
A full-back defends the flank and joins the attack: overlaps, underlaps, crosses and inverting into midfield. Types, famous examples, full-back vs wing-back.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Centre-back: the defender who guards the middle and starts the build-up
A centre-back defends the middle of the pitch in front of goal: duels, headers, covering and, more and more, passing. Pairs, back threes, types and history.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Defensive midfielder: the 6 who screens the defence and starts the play
A defensive midfielder (CDM, the 6) screens the back four, wins the ball back and keeps it moving. Its three types, famous examples and how to spot one.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Football positions: every role on the pitch, its number and what it does
Football has eleven positions in four groups. What each one does with and without the ball, what shirt numbers 1 to 11 mean, and why a 6 differs by country.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Libero: The Free Man Behind the Defence, and Where He Went
A libero or sweeper is a free defender behind the back line with no opponent to mark. From catenaccio to Beckenbauer and Sammer, and why the role disappeared.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Wing-Back: One Player, the Whole Flank — The Most Demanding Job in a Back Three
A wing-back is the wide player in a back-three system: a winger in attack, a full-back in defence. What the role demands and how it differs from a full-back.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Regista: The Playmaker Who Runs the Game From in Front of His Own Defence
A regista is a deep-lying playmaker who directs his team's passing from in front of the defence. How Pirlo defined the role and how opponents try to stop it.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Mezzala: Half Midfielder, Half Winger — The Italian Word for a Modern Number Eight
A mezzala is a central midfielder in a three who drifts wide and forward into the half-space. Where the Italian term comes from, what he does, who plays it.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Double Pivot: Two Players, One Job — Guarding the Space in Front of the Defence
A double pivot is a pair of holding midfielders in front of the defence, most often in a 4-2-3-1. How the two split the work, and how a single pivot differs.