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For example, if you decide on three midfielders instead of two, the responsibilities of the center midfielder may differ from the responsibilities for the outside midfielders. Before you use them, you need to tailor them to your particular coaching approach, philosophy, and formation. These descriptions track the concept of a 2-2-2 formation in a 7 v 7 game. To help you, we have prepared a basic summary of the general responsibilities of defenders, midfielders, and forwards. Others learn well from reading and re-reading a textual description of their responsibilities. Whatever formation you decide upon, as a coach you will then need to communicate the concepts behind the positions to your players. The 2-2-2, 1-2-2-1, and 1-2-1-2 formations will all present challenges for the coach seeking to have his or her players use the full width of the field. The 1-2-2-1 and 1-2-1-2 create the triangle relationships from the get-go, but can leave gaps in the field or can result in a single player covering the entire width of the field at his or her position. The players can form triangles in the 2-2-2 by staggering the lines as play occurs, but the formation can still lead to the players remaining in two straight lines. Triangles tend to be an important shape in soccer. They will either stay close to each other and cover the entire width of the field, or stay just in front of the defenders, or stay just behind the forwards, often getting involved in the offensive third of the field.
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With a 2-2-2 the midfielders have to run a great deal. This makes it difficult for the defenders to get the ball to the forwards, and leads to a situation in which three of your players are playing and the other three are watching and waiting.įor example, either the forwards are working together in your offensive end to try and score while the defenders are standing and watching at midfield or, the defenders are fighting an attack while the three forwards stand near midfield, waiting for the defenders to get the ball out to them.
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A 3-3 may give you a solid defense and a solid offense, but there is the risk of large gaps between the forwards and the defenders. There are advantages and disadvantages to all of these formations. A 1-2-2-1 generally means a sweeper back defender, two wide defenders in front of the sweeper, two midfielders in front of the defenders, and a center forward. A 1-2-1-2 generally means a sweeper back defender, two wide defenders in front of the sweeper, a center midfielder, and two forwards. A 2-2-2 involves two defenders, two midfielders, and two forwards. You may play 7 v 7 or 8 v 8 (including a goalkeeper) and it is often difficult to decide on a proper formation.įor example, in 7 v 7 you may play a 3-3 or a 2-2-2 or a 1-2-1-2 or a 1-2-2-1. Now, there is a need to assign positions to the players and to be certain that there are players who defend and players who advance in an effort to score. The small-sided game maximizes the number of touches each player gets, and also gives them an opportunity to understand the basic concepts of the sport.Īt these beginning levels, the players are just starting to learn how and when to pass the ball, and you may have begun to introduce the concept of positions (for example, in 5 v 5 you may designate one or two players at a time to be “defenders,” or to be certain that they get back on defense every time).Īt some point, the number of players on the field expands, and the size of the field expands. They will eventually move to a 5 v 5 with a goalkeeper when they get to U-7 or U-8. At these ages, teams should use a 3 v 3 or 4 v 4 without goalkeepers. When children start playing soccer at younger ages (Under-6 and Under-8), the emphasis should be on small-sided soccer.