Similar to the CB, the full-back is primarily a defensive player. In modern football, CB’s are more inclined to help the team recycle possession and aid attacks as well. While they are required to remove the ball from dangerous situations, experience and skill will often determine how efficiently they do their duty.Ĭlearing the ball, heading the ball out of the box, chasing down opposing attackers, and communicating with each other are all requirements for center-backs. Like the GK, center-backs are highly valuable to every team, and that’s because they primarily hold down the fort with the keeper. The center-back, also called a central defender, usually plays as one of two or three central defenders. With goalkeepers evolving their roles to include sweeping, coaches haven’t found much use for sweeper defenders. Their duty is key against teams with fast strikers: sweep up any balls that get past the defense before the opposing players can get to it. The sweeper sits just behind the defensive line, right in front of the GK. While it’s uncommon to see a sweeper in modern football, the position remains quite handy in three-defender formations.
In fact, a team is entirely useless if they don’t have someone between the sticks. This is one of the most important positions in the field. While other players in the team can do their best to prevent the opponent from scoring, the real work lies with the goalie. The goalkeeper’s essential duty is to protect the team’s net by ensuring that the ball doesn’t get in. Let’s go into detail with each position, how they can be used in tactics, and the benefits of each position for any team. In the midfield, we have the center midfielder (CM), wide midfielder (WM), and attacking midfielder (AM).Ībove the midfield are the wing-forwards (WF) and the center-forwards(CF). In front of the goalie, there’s the sweeper (SW), the center-back (CB), the full-back(FB), and the wing-back(WB).Ībove the defense positions, the defensive midfielder (DM) connects the defence with the midfield. Starting at the very back, we have the goalkeeper (GK) whose main duty is to keep the ball from entering the net. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at soccer positions in this ultimate 2021 guide. Without a proper understanding – and implementation – of these positions, winning an entertaining and attractive soccer game can be difficult. Soccer positions, the roles within each position, and the tactical instructions for each position define soccer today. Yes, the goalkeeper position is a norm, but what sort of roles can a goalkeeper play? We all know what the defenders do, but how can a central defender like Ronald Koeman score 21 goals in 32 games? In many ways, soccer positions have also evolved too. How soccer players play, how tactics are formed, how coaches train players: everything in soccer has continued growing. With rules constantly changing alongside technological advancements, soccer has evolved. Popularized dramatically over the last two centuries, soccer has blossomed into the most popular sport in the world. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them. In the aftermath, the idea was cast aside by English football’s governing body, but after various reported instances of sides wearing them for the next decade or so, it was decided that all players should wear numbered shirts in 1939.Authority Soccer () is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to. The man that much of this is ultimately down to is legendary Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman, who pioneered the idea of numbered strips in a match with Sheffield Wednesday back in 1928. Naturally, to fully understand it, we need to take a few steps back. 10 for Arsenal.Īs supporters, we know these numbers are a bit peculiar, but why does something so trivial irritate us? Where does this seemingly inherent instinct emerge from? And why is it such a big deal anyway? 5 for Everton, or the uncomfortable feeling that festered when William Gallas wore No. It’s the reflex that niggles at us when we see Samuel Eto’o donning No. There are some players that don’t look quite right in their shirt numbers.Įtched into our soccer consciousnesses are intangible, requisite criteria when it comes to the number a player should have emblazoned on the back of his jersey.