Soccer Team Formations Explained


There are many diverse team formations used in soccer, and each formation has its own inherent strengths and weaknesses. As a player it is important to understand the structure of these formations, in particular movement and positioning of an individual within the greater team construct. It is equally important for a coach or manager to understand how formations work, so they know which formation to choose reflecting the strengths and weaknesses of players in the team. I will name some of the more widely-used formations in soccer and provide my advice for each, from knowledge I have playing and coaching for 20 years and interactions with experts in the game.
4-4-2 Classic
The classic 4-4-2 formation in soccer is the bread and butter of formations, as the name suggests, it consists of 4 defenders, 4 midfielders and 2 strikers/forwards. It is the most popular formation as it has the most perfect balance of attack and defense, it is especially popular in English and Dutch leagues. The 4-4-2 can be both attacking and defensive, depending on the type of players you have in your team. A more defensive 4-4-2 would encourage man-marking, have two holding defensive center midfielders, and a target man striker who gets back and helps defend corners and free-kicks.
 A more attacking 4-4-2 would rely on skilled and fast wing backs and wingers who would overlap down the wings, with zonal marking utilized. The key to having a good 4-4-2 is having a well organized back four defenders, with wing backs who ideally have the fitness and pace to defend and overlap and attack. The next requirement is having midfielders with high work rate, good tackling, good passing and close control first touch. The striker combination is ideal with a tall and strong target man who brings others into play and a short and fast goal poacher to combine.
The key with the 4-4-2 is for everyone to understand their position in attack and defense. Arsenal football club in England is arguably the masters of the attacking 4-4-2, using players with strong passing skills, first touch and very fit and quick wing backs that overlap. For Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas is the play maker with wing backs Eboue, Clichy and Sagna renowned for the athleticism and pace. The wing backs are further supported by creative and attack minded wingers such as Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott making for deadly wide play. The short passing, in particular the triangle passing and effective use of the "one two' perfectly compliments the 4-4-2 structure, and is arguably the perfect formation for teams looking to hold possession for long periods of time.
Advantages- most popular formation in football to date and therefore the easiest to play, is balanced for attack and defense, well suited for counter attacking teams, well suited for teams with overlapping full backs
Disadvantages - being the most popular formation means people will know how to exploit it tactically, requires midfielders that are strong in defense and attack - to help start attacks and run back and help out defenders, requires good positioning skill from all players, ideally you need to have players with strong passing skills - in particular close range triangle passing
4-3-3
The 4-3-3 is an attack-minded formation made famous by Ajax Amsterdam in the 70s, it involves a back 4, 3 midfielders who are typically grouped close together and 3 forwards who are typically split into one center forward and two wing forwards. This formation suits a team with a large amount of strikers or flair players in the team, however it also demands a very organized midfield who can defend as a unit. The three strikers must be spread apart with the center forward looking to hold up and bring the wing forwards into play. A 4-3-3 is perfectly suited for teams that like to play counter attacking football, as the midfielders can distribute the ball quickly to the wing forwards bringing extra players into every attack, particularly good for overloading up front.
Advantages - good for teams who have strength in attack, encourages the use of the full-width of the pitch which can stretch other teams defenses, is a good option for counter-attacking teams, four defenders back gives the team piece of mind if midfielders or strikers do not track back
Disadvantages - less midfielders means there is added pressure on the back four, you need to have enough midfielders in the team with high work rate and defensive skills, ideally you need a striker who can hold up the ball effectively, this formation can be exploited tactically by teams that play directly through the middle of the park.
5-3-2
The 5-3-2 is a defense-minded formation, utilizing a back 5 with three midfielders and two strikers. Typically the 5-3-2, has the three center backs, one of which drops deeper and acts as a sweeper, the remaining two defenders usually occupy the wing back role. For the back 5 to operate effectively there must be good positioning, communication and understanding between the defenders. The three midfielders are usually spread across the park with one in the middle and two on either wing, or made more compact with three central midfielders. This depends on the attacking quality of the wing backs in your team, if they do not have skill going forward it would be wiser to play with two wingers. The strikers are typically expected to be clinical finishers if the midfield players are not attack minded or have a good shot. The 5-3-2 formation was famously used by Rangers FC in the Scottish Football League.
Advantages - this is a good formation to use if the team you are playing is a better attacking side then your team, causes a congested back area for opposing teams strikers looking to link short passes, suits a team with attacking wing backs, good for teams who specialize in defense
Disadvantages - requires attacking wing backs, makes holding possession harder with less midfielder presence, requires a strong defensive leader to organize the back 5, encourages a more long passing game due to lack of numbers in midfield
4-2-3-1 Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree formation, made famous by Ancelotti when he managed AC Milan, involves a back four, two defensive midfielders, three attacking midfielders and a lone striker up front. The AC Milan team famously had Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo playing in as the defensive midfielders, with the beauty and the beast combination. The beast Gattuso was known for his ball-winning defensive abilities, while Pirlo was renowned for the beauty of his passing and vision to link the balls to forwards like Ronaldinho, Inzaghi and Seedorf.
Advantages - the Christmas tree formation has a good balance between attack and defense - by having two defensive midfielders you have added cover for your defense during counter-attacks. The christmas tree formation suits teams that have more defenders than attackers on the roster and teams that like to counter attack with pace. The Christmas tree formation is good to use as an alternative to the 4-4-2 at junior levels as it teaches the team to defend and attack as a unit.
Disadvantages - for the Christmas tree formation to be successful you need four talented attacking midfielders/forwards, who ideally have some chemistry going up front, without this, you will be low on ideas going up front. The two defensive midfielders must also understand positioning well, so as not to over-congest the defense and increase the chance of a misunderstanding.
Final Comment
There are various formations that are used in football currently and it is up to the manager to decide which formation suits the players at hand. As a coach it is a good idea to test all your players in the preseason to gauge their footballing philosophy (culture, attack or defense?, experience), physical attributes (fitness, pace, strength, jumping, etc), technical attributes (passing, long shots, tackling, technique, etc) and their mental attributes (teamwork, work rate, positioning, anticipation etc). Collecting this information will help you map out what sort of formation would best suit the best qualities inherent in your overall squad.
I would recommend the 4-4-2 formation to be the best formation in most circumstances, it is the most widely used formation as it has the best balance between attach and defense. It is also uncomplicated meaning there is less chances for confusion when the team transitions from defense to attack and vice-versa. The key for transition is having a midfield that is able to pass the ball effectively, using triangle passing, one-two's, and overlaps. The midfield must also be able to run back and defend if the attack is broken down, for example, if a central midfielder loses the ball in attack and does not run back, this means a central defender will have to move out of position to cover the gap, this causes a gap to open up in the defense line. Ideally your two central midfielders should have the following skills fitness, stamina, passing, vision, creativity, work rate, tackling, teamwork and composure.
It is equally pivotal that players understand how formations work, every player in the team should know where they have to be when the team is in defense, in attack and transitioning. I would recommend that players hold their position rigidly, unless they have good chemistry and know how to cover positional gaps, Barcelona is an example of team where players frequently go out of position but are always backed up by team mates covering gaps they leave.
Uros is a consultant for Perth's own uniform and clothing specialists The William Apparel Co, he enjoys writing informative articles on many topics.


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