This has four defenders, three midfielders, two wingers, and one forward.įorwards, also known as strikers, have the main objective of scoring goals. This includes 10 outfielders and a goalkeeper. How Many Soccer Players Are There on a Team?Įach team has 11 players on a field. Forward (Centre forward, Second striker, Winger).Midfielder (Centre midfield, Defensive midfield, Attacking midfield, Wide midfield).Defender (Centre-back, Sweeper, Full-back, Wing-back).The difference on how far forward or back each position covers is determined by the specific position, which we will cover next. Forwards, midfielders, and defenders are split into more specific positions based on their coverage of the left, center, or right sides of the field. This includes how far back or forward and how far left or right their territory spans. Each position has a specific area of the field that they cover. The general positions are forward, midfielder, defender, and goalkeeper. The players without the ball help the player with the ball.The positions in soccer are one of the basic fundamentals to know, whether you are a seasoned player or just starting out. Says Condone, the most important position is any player without the ball. The most important position on the soccer pitchĪsk the coach of any winning soccer team, “What’s the most important position?” The answer might surprise you. They do all sorts of slick soccer moves and clever passing plays in hopes of getting a good shot on the opponent’s goal. One thing they don’t do? Use their hands to protect the goal.įorwards: Forwards play nearest the opponent’s goal and are tasked with creating chances and scoring. When their team doesn’t have the ball, they defend. On the attack, they pass, shoot and “create” many of the plays. When their team has the ball, they help take it from the defensive half to the attacking half. Midfielders: Midfielders show up everywhere to do a little bit of everything. And along with the goalkeeper, they start attacks when you win the ball, says Condone.

Defenders need to stay one step ahead of the other team, so they can prevent the dribble, pass or shot from happening. They stay close to their goal and try to tackle the ball away from the opponents’ forwards, intercept passes and clean up any rebounds in front of the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the player with the gloves and different-colored jersey who gets to catch, block and throw the ball – whatever it takes to keep the ball out of his or her own net.ĭefenders: Defenders want their goalkeeper to get bored. No matter how advanced soccer tactics get, the basic positions remain the same: goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders and forwards. If your players are at a stage where positions are appropriate, keep them very simple. And that’s when positions can start to make their way into the game. Those are the basics of understanding soccer tactics, according to Condone. They have a sense of the ball’s pace and movement, and how players work together to make things happen. If they’ve played for a few years, they can start anticipating the play. Introducing basic soccer positionsĪs players develop, they start picking up on the game in new ways. Specialization happens naturally as they get older. Then, if they stay with the sport, players can drift toward one position or another. “That will let the players develop an understanding of the game and all the positions.” “Start from the notion that all players can - and do - attack, and all players can - and do - defend, in an environment that is safe and fun,” says Condone. That means during practice, coaches should strive to keep players in motion and use games and activities that include everyone. (Plus, it’s just not as fun to do the same thing all the time.) At all levels of the sport, every player needs to know a little bit of everything - and the time to learn is when they’re young. They won’t learn as much about soccer if they only see the game from one or two positions on the field. Putting players into predetermined positions before age 10 short-changes players on the two goals of youth soccer: fun and development. And the best way for young players to develop that skill - and learn the game - is to do a little bit of everything. “Positioning is smart movement across the field during the match,” says Condone. For younger players, and in the rec leagues, players should learn positioning before positions, says Tom Condone, the director of sport and member development at US Youth Soccer. In fact, they don’t typically factor into a game until the players are about 10 years old - and even then, just on the more competitive teams. With the exception of goalkeeper, perhaps, positions play less of a role in youth soccer than you might expect.

Position numbers soccer