Formations and roles · Analysis
Second striker: the forward who plays off the number 9
A second striker plays off and just behind the main striker, linking midfield to attack and scoring. Role table, diagram, examples and how to spot one.
Formations and roles
Formations and roles · Analysis
Inverted Winger: the wide forward who cuts inside onto his stronger foot
An inverted winger plays on the side opposite his stronger foot and cuts inside to shoot or combine. Role table, diagram, examples and how to spot one.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Poacher: the striker who lives in the penalty area
A poacher is a striker who stays in the box and scores from close range with few touches. Role table, diagram, examples and how to spot one.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Target Man: the striker the long ball is aimed at
A target man is a tall, strong striker who wins long balls, holds the ball up and brings team-mates in. Role table, diagram, examples and how to spot one.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Sweeper-Keeper: the goalkeeper who defends the space behind his back line
A sweeper-keeper plays far off his line to clear balls in behind a high defensive line and joins the build-up. Table, diagram, examples and history.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Goalkeeper: the last defender and the first passer
A goalkeeper stops shots, commands the box and starts attacks. The role at a glance in a table, a 4-3-3 diagram, the laws, examples and how to read one.
Formations and roles · Analysis
4-3-3 vs 4-2-3-1: One Midfield Triangle, Turned Upside Down
A 4-3-3 plays one pivot behind two 8s; a 4-2-3-1 plays two holding midfielders behind a 10. Side-by-side table, diagram and how to tell them apart.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Wing-Back vs Full-Back: Same Flank, Different Job
A wing-back covers the whole flank in front of a back three; a full-back shares it with a winger in a back four. Table, diagram and formations.
Formations and roles · Analysis
False Nine vs Striker: One Drops Off the Centre-Backs, One Stays on Them
A false nine drops into midfield; a classic striker stays high on the centre-backs. A side-by-side table, a diagram, who scores and what each needs.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Libero vs Centre-Back: The Free Man and the Flat Line
A libero is a free defender behind man-markers; a centre-back defends a zone in a flat line. Side-by-side table, diagram, history and examples.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Single Pivot vs Double Pivot: One Holding Midfielder or Two
A single pivot is one holding midfielder in front of the defence; a double pivot is two side by side. A side-by-side table, the trade-offs and the formations.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Mezzala vs Trequartista: The Wide Eight and the Classic Ten
A mezzala is a wide number 8 who runs into the half-space; a trequartista is a number 10 in the hole. Side-by-side table, formations and examples.
Formations and roles · Analysis
5-4-1 Formation: Nine Behind the Ball and One Man Up Front
The 5-4-1 plays five defenders, four midfielders and a lone striker. How the back five defends deep, where it counters, and how to break it down.
Formations and roles · Analysis
5-3-2 Formation: Five at the Back, Two Up Front, and a Plan for Winning the Ball Deep
The 5-3-2 plays three centre-backs, two deep wing-backs, three central midfielders and two strikers. How it defends, counters, and how to break it down.
Formations and roles · Analysis
3-4-2-1 Formation: One Striker, Two Tens and a Back Three That Becomes Five
The 3-4-2-1 uses three centre-backs, two wing-backs, a double pivot and two tens behind one striker. How it attacks, defends and differs from a 3-4-3.
Formations and roles · Analysis
3-4-3 Formation: Five Across the Front, Three at the Back, and Two Who Hold It Together
The 3-4-3 plays three centre-backs, two wing-backs, a double pivot and a front three. How it attacks, how it presses, who made it famous and how to beat it.
Formations and roles · Analysis
4-1-4-1 Formation: One Holding Midfielder, Two Banks of Four, and a Striker on His Own
The 4-1-4-1 plays a back four, one holding midfielder, a line of four and a lone striker. How it attacks, defends, and turns into a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Striker: the number 9 whose first job is to score
A striker, the number 9, is the most advanced player and main goalscorer. Target man, poacher, complete forward, false nine, second striker, and what xG says.
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.
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
4-4-2 vs 4-3-3: The Battle for the Spare Man
What really happens when three central midfielders meet two? Move through four tactical scenes, then test the idea against Liverpool, City, Atlético and Barcelona.
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.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Inverted Full-Back: The Defender Who Walks Into Midfield When His Team Has the Ball
An inverted full-back moves into central midfield in possession instead of overlapping. Why Guardiola's teams use the role, what it protects and what it costs.
Formations and roles · Analysis
False Nine: The Striker Who Leaves the Centre-Backs With Nobody to Mark
A false nine is a centre-forward who drops into midfield instead of staying on the last line. How it works, from Hidegkuti in 1953 to Messi, and what it needs.
Formations and roles · Analysis
Back Three: Why So Many Teams Now Defend With Three and Attack With Three
A back three uses three centre-backs instead of two. How 3-4-3 and 3-4-2-1 systems work, why back fours turn into back threes in possession, and what it costs.
Formations and roles · Analysis
3-5-2 Formation: Three at the Back, Two Up Front, and Everything Depends on the Flanks
The 3-5-2 plays three centre-backs, two wing-backs, three central midfielders and two strikers. How it attacks and defends, and why the wing-backs decide it.
Formations and roles · Analysis
4-4-2 Formation: Two Banks of Four — The Formation Everyone Learns First
The 4-4-2 sets up four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers in three flat lines. Why it defends so well, where it is outnumbered, and who uses it.
Formations and roles · Analysis
4-2-3-1 Formation: The Shape That Put a Bodyguard Behind Every Number Ten
The 4-2-3-1 uses four defenders, two holding midfielders, three attacking midfielders and one striker. How the double pivot and the number ten make it work.
Formations and roles · Analysis
4-3-3 Formation: Three in Midfield, Three Up Front, and Why It Took Over
The 4-3-3 lines up four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards. How the single pivot, the two number eights and the wingers work, and where it breaks.