Soccer: The Basic Formations That Every Rookie Should Know

Soccer is a sport where both teams have 11 players. One of these 11 players is the goalkeeper, or goalie. The other 10 start in different “formations” or strategical plans depending on the coach’s choice. These formations can be varied to suit a more attacking or defensive mindset, and are altered depending on the opposition that the team is facing. Here are some basic formations that every novice should know about:

4-4-2:

This is the most famous soccer formation, given that it is the one that is used for most games in the world.Never heard of this before? Get up to speed here. The 4-4-2 allows for four defenders, four midfielders, and 2 strikers. This is a formation that has everything. There is width from the wingers and wing backs, as well as plenty of central strength. Having two strikers allows them to combine well to cause the opposition problems.

4-3-3/4-5-1:

These formations can interchange depending on if you want to attack or defend more. Both of these formations involves 3 central midfielders, as opposed to the two in a 4-4-2. This allows the team to control the ball more, especially if they are playing a stronger side. When attacking you can push the wingers up to create a 3 up front, but while defending the wingers drop into midfield to create a 5, leaving a lone striker up front.