| To the uninitiated, soccer formations might sound | | | | they will in turn feed the 'wingers' ahead of them, |
| complicated. But with the help of a few practical | | | | while the central midfielders will play the simple |
| examples, you can learn about the 4-4-2 formation | | | | passes and also tackle the opposition. Up front are |
| right up to the more obscure ones at the other end | | | | two strikers whose job it is to hold the ball up and |
| of the scale. | | | | wait for support, or simply to put it in the back of |
| A soccer formation is the way that the coach | | | | the net! |
| arranges his eleven players on the field. Generally | | | | 4-4-2 Diamond: This 4-4-2 variant places more |
| these rotate around the four cardinal soccer positions | | | | emphasis on central play, with a "playmaker" in the |
| for football formations: goalkeeper, defense, midfield, | | | | middle of the midfield four supporting the forwards. |
| and attack. The formations given in numbers are | | | | This must be a player of vision and with a great |
| simply the number of defenders, midfielders, and | | | | pass. The full-backs have to support the forwards, |
| attackers in the line-up. (There's no need to provide | | | | too, with bursting runs, while the remaining three |
| the 1 at the start for a goalkeeper as it's pretty | | | | midfielders have a lot of defensive work to do. |
| much a given that every team needs one goalie!) | | | | 3-5-2: The 3-5-2 works similarly up front to the other |
| Formations make a difference as they can cancel out | | | | two, but other than that it varies due to a change on |
| what the opposition coach has planned, as well as | | | | the wings - the wide part of the field. The five-man |
| serve the strengths of your own soccer team. For | | | | midfield generally contains two "wing-backs", who |
| example, if you have three great forwards, you | | | | combine the role of the full back with that of an |
| might try a 4-3-3, or if you have some very fast, fit, | | | | attacker. These players must be very fit as they'll be |
| small players, you can attack up the wings in a 4-4-2. | | | | running up and down those lines for a full 90 minutes! |
| With that in mind, we'll take a look at some of the | | | | As soccer lineups go the 3-5-2 is becoming |
| popular soccer formations below. | | | | unfashionable, but with the right wide players |
| 4-4-2: Every aspiring soccer coach has the 442 as his | | | | available, not to mention a tough-tackling defensive |
| trusty standby. This classic formation grew popular in | | | | midfielder in the middle of the five, it can work very |
| the mid-to-late 20th century and features four | | | | well. |
| defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards. Within | | | | 4-5-1: A very 'negative', defensive formation, the |
| this there is variance, but generally the players who | | | | 4-5-1 ironically gives a great deal of work to the lone |
| are in the middle are more defensive while the | | | | attacker up front. This striker may have to do a lot |
| creativity comes from out wide. Tall, commanding | | | | of dribbling, holding up the ball, and passing backwards |
| centre-backs can pass the ball to swift full-backs, | | | | to gain the support of his midfield. |
| who play at either side of the defensive 'four', and | | | | |