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With so many soccer formations, picking the right one can win or lose the game. The right formation will depend on the type of players you’ve in your team.
Put the players in their natural positions and make your team the most effective. A poor formation can leave you at the mercy of the opponents, but a good one will make you kings.
This 11 v 11 soccer formation guide will take you through all the key decisions you’ll need to make before and during the game.
- Which 11 vs 11 soccer formation is the best?
- How to Coach 11 v 11 Soccer: Positions - Players - Tactics
- 11 v 11 Soccer Formations
- 4-4-2 Soccer Formation - Positions: Diagrams
- 4-3-3 Soccer Formation - Positions: Diagrams
- 4-1-4-1 Formation - Positions: Diagrams
- 4-2-3-1 Soccer Formation - Positions: Diagrams
- 3-5-2 Soccer Formation - Positions: Diagrams
- 11 V 11 Soccer Formations PDF
Which 11 vs 11 soccer formation is the best?
The best formation will vary from team to team. Some other questions need to be answered first, like who is your main threat or star player?
Organizing a team around your best players will put you in good stead. Utilizing the energy and pace of wide players is very effective. Play to your strengths.
The main aspect when playing soccer is that you need to be compact in defense and open in the attack. When you defend with a tight unit of players, you leave less space for the opponents to create problems for you.
The opposite is applied when attacking. If you can stretch the opponents out, you’ll create gaps leading to attacks.
Before we look at formations, for those newer to the game, here is a soccer field diagram to show what is what.
How to Coach 11 v 11 Soccer: Positions – Players – Tactics
Choosing your formation to play will depend on the following key points. When picking your system, getting the best out of your players is the intention.
Where to Put The Best Players
Players often have a favorite player to play with – a trust factor may be because of a knowledge of what they can do and where they will be.
A common saying in soccer is to build a team around your best player. Wherever that player is playing, who do they work with the best?
If your best player is a midfielder who can play a ball 60 yards into the corner, have a winger willing to run into space.
Where to put Weak Players
An opponent will look for weaknesses in your team, and any good coach will change the game to utilize your weak point.
Be sure to minimize the risk by pairing players up who combine well.
You might have a central defender who’s good at heading the ball but is slow. Players who play next to each other ideally complement one another with their attributes.
How to Use Pace & The Fastest Players
Having pace is always a good trait for a team. Whether it’s the full-back in recovery or a winger taking on a player, it can be influential.
You don’t necessarily need the speed if you’ve players like Iniesta and Xavi, who can accurately control the ball and pass.
A player with pace is best placed in a position that will be dangerous. Have them in a position where they will more often face a 1-on-1 situation.
Player Combinations – Defense & Attack
Tiki Taka is widely known for its combination play. That’s short, quick passing with one or two touches, played at a speed that is hard to close down and intercept.
When players are in their positions, they will not only be combining with those directly next to them but those on a diagonal. So a full-back will be linking with a central midfielder.
Forming combinations can be highly effective. You ideally need to play in triangles.
A player ideally will have two options when to pass the ball – this is the triangle. Players waiting for a pass will constantly move to create an opportunity to pass.
When the ball is passed, there will be a new triangle of players that should be on the move away from their markers.
Isolated Players – Work as a Team
In a 5-3-2 formation, the full-backs are expected to work the full field length. They can become isolated. When picking players to play there, it’s important that they have the right attributes.
They need a good ‘engine’ to get up and down. The same applies to the lone strikers. They need support from other players or with a quality pass.
The striker will often be playing against two defenders, so they either need to have the pace to get behind or be able to hold up the ball.
11 v 11 Soccer Formations
4-4-2 Soccer Formation – Positions: Diagrams
Pros
- Widely known
- Rigid
- Width
- Defensive
- Coverage
Cons
- Gaps
- Space
- Predictable
- Straight lines
- Simple
4-4-2 is a formation that’s been widely used over the decades. It’s used less now, or there are variations like the diamond.
This formation can be exposed if the formation is too flat with straight lines, which leaves gaps between the defense and midfield.
It can be effective as all the players are confident of where their teammates are on the field.
It’s a good base formation, but it must be adapted, so it’s not too predictable.
4-4-2 Player Zones
The fullback on each side will cover up to the opponent’s penalty box and sometimes beyond if they’re attacking. Likewise, the winger will go back to their box and are sometimes required to drop deeper.
The zones are the simplest forms and are easy for the players to operate. The system allows wingers to attack the goal and the fullbacks to overlap.
Normally one of the two center midfielders will be more attacking than the other.
4-4-2 Defensive Positions
The defensive shape covers a good area that’ll be attacked and is good for all-around protection. The full-backs will work with the wingers and the center near them to close the gaps.
If the strikers stay in the position shown, there will be a danger, and when a team breaks, there will be nobody further forward.
In many cases, the strikers will go centrally, one further forward as an outlet and the other blocking penetration through the center of the midfield.
4-4-2 Attacking Positions
Having attacking fullbacks is an advantage in this position. The great pace can cross or beat a player if they have one of the following attributes.
Ideally, they will have all three, but it’s very rare. If they don’t carry out one of these, it’ll limit the attack and become predictable.
The midfielders have an important role to play; in this scenario, one sits back while the other is advanced.
It’s possible to play side by side, but they will have to be good communicators to switch roles of making runs into the box.
Having two strikers in the box will always cause problems, and they must make short and unpredictable runs.
4-4-2 Problem Areas
The problem with a standard 4-4-2 is the flat rows of defenders and midfielders. Good opponents will find the space between the lines.
To avoid this, the team can play very compactly, with the defender and midfielder closer together, allowing no space for a player to play between the lines.
Another way around the problem of the gaps is to change the positions when on the defense.
One of the strikers can drop into the center of the field, which stops the ball from being played through the middle – this also gives security to the midfield.
4-3-3 Soccer Formation – Positions: Diagrams
Pros
- Attacking
- Forward 3
- 3 center midfielders
Cons
- Lone striker
- Midfield can be stretched
- Wingers to cover the distance
4-3-3 is the second or first most popular formation, depending on the league. It’s famously used by Barcelona very effectively – it helps to have world-class players.
If you’ve got the right players, is can be very attacking and cause the opposition problems with three attacking in unison.
The midfield will be required to cover the attacking more often than not when a counter-attack is against you.
For the system to work best, you need hardworking midfielders, wingers that can beat players, and a strong striker.
4-3-3 Player Zones
The back four is the same as any four, although because the wingers are further forward, they’re expected to cover more ground to support the midfield and attack.
The center midfielder is the defensive player, stopping any attack from getting to the defense.
The two other midfielders will cover from box to box, so they must be athletic. They also need to cover the space behind the winger, so it’ll pull the midfield out of shape.
The wingers have a license to go inside to find the space – this is where it’s effective.
The striker will be playing against two defenders most of the time, so he/she needs to be strong, hold up the ball and bring the wingers into play.
4-3-3 Defensive Positions
The positions will apply when the team is under pressure. Sometimes, the wingers will not be back on the counter-attack, exposing the defense more.
The back four will cover the penalty box, with the midfielder shielding them. The 4-3-3 is better when compared to a 4-4-2 in this situation, with the central midfielder blocking the vital central area.
The striker will disrupt the defenders from playing the ball, and even though it’s a defensive shape, the striker needs to continuously provide an outlet for when the ball is retained.
This can be done by moving out wide, dropping a little deeper, or waiting for a ball over the top.
4-3-3 Attacking Positions
Vitally the striker will be in the center of the goal – where it’s easiest to score and where he/she can cause the most problems.
The best thing about this formation is that the players are attacking different areas, making finding the gaps in the defense easier.
If the fullbacks can make runs around the back of the winger along the line, they can pull players out of position and be in a space where the ball can be crossed effectively.
As always with any formation, runs from the midfield need to be made for a chance to be created. The center midfielder will be there to ‘recycle’ the ball back to the attackers,
4-3-3 Problem Areas
As mentioned earlier, if the wingers are out of position, they can expose the fullback, causing a one-on-one.
This problem can also pull the wide midfielder out of position to cover – which should be temporary until the shape is regained.
The area in front of the midfield, which does not seem too dangerous, but could be against players who can pick a pass, is the space behind the striker and in front of the midfield.
The striker will have to get closer to the midfield to reduce the space allowed.
4-1-4-1 Formation – Positions: Diagrams
The 4-1-4-1 formation is a variation on the traditional 4-4-2, with a player placed behind the midfield instead of having two strikers.
This formation gives the team more security but can restrict the attacking play.
4-1-4-1 Player Zones
In the zones for the formation, we can see that the central midfielder here is key to protecting the middle of the goal.
They’re also responsible for starting the attacks – sometimes referred to as the quarterback of soccer.
4-1-4-1 Defensive Positions
This formation gives a solid defense for the team.
All the key areas are covered in the center, and the wings have extra protection because the midfielders can go wide with the security of the central midfielder.
4-1-4-1 Attacking Positions
The players’ positions now are similar to what was shown in the 4-4-2 attack. Again the central midfielder is key to switching the ball and recycling the play.
4-1-4-1 Problem Areas
As the formation is tight and defensive, there are a few problem areas. Being in a defensive shape like this can invite problems if your team cannot break.
To break it requires running wingers and a strong striker who can hold up the ball and bring others into play.
4-2-3-1 Soccer Formation – Positions: Diagrams
3-5-2 Soccer Formation – Positions: Diagrams
The role of the fullbacks/wingers is crucial in a 3-5-2 formation. They need to be defenders and attackers with a ‘good engine’, able to cover the whole of the flank.
Few famous wingbacks have played the role successfully, but players like Roberto Carlos and Daniel Alves have shown how to.
3-5-2 Player Zones
The fullbacks give the team width, and the opposition doesn’t know whether their fullback should be the marker or the winger.
The formation stretches the opponents across the field, making it difficult.
3-5-2 Defensive Positions
In defense, the team is transformed into a 5-3-2 – this makes it hard to break down, giving the team two strikers to play the ball out to.
Similar problems to the 4-4-2 can occur as the players are lined up in front of each other – it’s best to have the line in front covering the gaps behind.
3-5-2 Attacking Positions
Attacking with two strikers is always dangerous, and if the fullbacks are good at crossing the ball, it can lead to chances.
The three center-backs can be wasted if left in this position, so it’s ideal for the middle player to step forward as a temporary midfielder.
3-5-2 Problem Areas
Problems can be created against it if the fullbacks do not get back in the corners. If this happens, it pulls the center back out of position, creating gaps.
Two or three runs by players can pull players out of position, which creates gaps.
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The best way to pick a formation is to focus on your best players. How can I get the most out of the star? Where would they be most effective? As always in soccer, hard work and movement are essential for any formation to work.
11 V 11 Soccer Formations PDF
Free PDF Download: Over 12’s 11 v 11 – Soccer Formations – Infographic – Tactics Field
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Related Questions
What soccer formation is best for attacking?
The most common attacking formation is 4-3-3 which allows three attacking players, as used by Barcelona and Liverpool.
What is the most effective soccer formation?
The most effective formation is one that plays to the strength of your players and the weakness of your opponents. The Champions League winners over recent years have used a 4-3-3.
How do you choose a soccer formation?
Put your best players in their favorite position and cover any weak areas. Begin a match cautiously and after the first ten minutes advance with runs and dribbling.
What soccer formation is best for attacking? The most common attacking formation is 4-3-3, which allows three attacking players, as used by Barcelona and Liverpool.
What is the most effective soccer formation? The most effective formation plays to the strength of your players and your opponents’ weaknesses. The Champions League winners over recent years have used a 4-3-3.
How do you choose a soccer formation? Put your best players in their favorite position and cover any weak areas. Begin a match cautiously and advance with runs and dribbling after the first ten minutes.
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Joel is a seasoned soccer journalist and analyst with many years of experience in the field. Joel specializes in game analysis, player profiles, transfer news, and has a keen eye for the tactical nuances of the game. He played at various levels in the game and coached teams - he is happy to share his insight with you.
