Do you remember the last time when you explained soccer formations to your team with the help of a soccer field diagram? If you said “never” or “long time back”, it’s clear that your team is not completely aware of what formations and positions are.
Almost all coaches falter when they consider that spoken instructions are sufficient and the kids will learn everything through these. Formations on the field are an important subject and you should always discuss it with the players in advance.
These are calculated choices normally made in the form of figures and these explain the soccer positions of different players in each one area from the defensive line. The formations should never be inflexible and so the coach must continue to exchange players in every game. One very important thing is that the formations must be chosen keeping in mind the strengths as well as weaknesses of all players.
Given below are certain formations that are frequently used in soccer:
4-4-2: This is the most commonly used. By 4-4-2 it means, four defenders, four midfielders, and two players in the attacking position without a goalkeeper.
It is the midfielders who play the most important part by way of supporting the forward players through defense. At the time of attack, they should move towards the goal line to support the defenders.
4-5-1: This is called a defensive formation with one forward and five mid-fielders. The greatest advantage with this formation is the inability of the opposition to attack simply because the midfielders are at the center.
Also, because there is only 1 forward, it requires the midfielders to push forward which in turn makes the opposition craving to get the possession of the ball.
3-5-2: This formation has three defenders, five midfielders, and two forwards. This formation has the attacking as well as defending advantage since 2 wingmen get to attack and the center midfielder disallows counter attacking.
3-4-3: This is the most dynamic and aggressive formation on the soccer field diagram that is used by the team when it expects its opponents to play safe or defensive. With the aid of three defenders, four midfielders and three forwards, the plan of action is to attack using the forwards and use the defenders in the event of the opposition tearing apart the defensive line.
There is no particular strategy that can be employed for the entire match. It must change with the dynamics and situations of the game. So a coach should employ the strategy of rotating the players as and when required. But any formation can be either offensive or defensive.
Great soccer tactics for formations play an important role in deciding whether the team wins or loses. As the game leads to more action and dynamism, it demands more from the soccer formation policies.
Now make the best use of soccer field diagram to teach the players. Our youth soccer coaching community is the best resource for information on formation with its articles, newsletters, and videos.
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer Drills.
