SOCCER TEAM NUMBERS AND POSITIONS FULL

When a team has the ball with their goalkeeper or defense, which happens frequently, they have two very general options: The white arrows show possible dribbling and passing paths for the forwards, and the orange lines show the responsibilities of the centerbacks to cut off the possible paths.ĭepending on the team’s strategy, the center-backs might also be commonly involved in a practice called ‘playing out of the back’. Below is a picture showing some of a centerback’s duties in defending the opposing forwards (shown as black circles), not letting them receive the ball close to the goal, and not letting them find space for a shot. They are constantly dealing with the forwards of the opposing team and must ensure that these opponents are always under pressure and never have enough space to receive the ball and play a dangerous pass or shoot.

SOCCER TEAM NUMBERS AND POSITIONS FULL

They are one of the positions more involved in organizing the rest of the team, as being central and behind they have a view of the full team at almost all times. Often the captain of the team is one of the center-backs. The two center-backs are in the middle of the defense, generally being tall and strong (although not always). Here is what the defending soccer positions look like in the 4-4-2 formation: The left and right back are known as the fullbacks. From left to right, they are referred to as the left back (LB), center back (CB), center back (CB), and right back (RB).

There are different types of defenders, but here we’ll examine the two most general: Center-Backs and Fullbacks. Sometimes it will be 3, and sometimes 5, but we’ll focus on the most common scenario of 4 for this explanation. The defenders also called the back line, will usually be 4 players. This is common because it allows them to be a passing option for teammates if they need to pass back, as well as allowing the goalkeeper to intercept any long passes the opposing team might play. When the goalie’s team has the ball far on the other side of the field, you might see the goalie standing outside this 18-yard box by a considerable distance. This line called the goal line, is shown in the picture above as a bright red line behind the goalkeeper. A goal is counted when the whole ball crosses the line between the posts. The goalkeeper’s objective is to stop the ball from entering the goal behind them. They will primarily use their hands to stop shots, intercept passes by the opponents, and collect a loose balls. Furthermore, if a teammate passes them the ball they cannot receive it with their hands even if they are inside the 18-yard box. Outside of that box they cannot use their hands and are held to the same rules as the field players. The goalie can use any part of their body within this 18-yard box and is allowed to hold the ball in their hands for up to 6 seconds within this area. They can use their hands within the 18-yard box, which is shown here in highlighted in red: The goalkeeper is in some ways the most straightforward position, as it is always 1 player who generally remains around the team’s goal for the whole match. Now that you’ve seen what a 4-4-2 looks like, let’s examine each of the positions that create this formation. The formation a team will play is always announced before the match begins, however, it will change throughout the game. Here is what a 4-4-2 looks like for a team: The first number refers to defenders, the second to midfielders, and the third to forwards. This means 4 defenders, 4 midfielders, and 2 forwards. One of the more common and straightforward formations is called a ‘4-4-2’. These 3 numbers always add to 10 as they do not count the goalkeeper. The formation is described as a few consecutive numbers (often 3) which generally refer to the number of defenders, midfielders, and forwards a team has on the field.

A soccer formation refers to how a team’s 10 field players are structured for a match (and it can change at any point during the match). Soccer teams always have 11 players on the field: 1 goalkeeper + 10 field players. This article will first cover the basics of how these positions are structured in a team (which is called a ‘formation’), and then the specifics of each position. On a basic level, soccer positions can be broken down into four categories: Whether you want to improve as a player, or a coach, or simply better enjoy watching soccer matches (and impress your friends with your soccer knowledge), understanding the positions behind the beautiful game is essential.

Soccer team numbers and positions