When was the last time you used a soccer field diagram to explain soccer formations to the team? 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 should always be talked about with the players beforehand because they play an important role on the field.
These illustrate the soccer positions of the players in each part from the defensive line and as such are the planned choices made usually in the form of numbers. 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.
Some commonly used formations in the game of soccer are given below:
4-4-2: This is one of the most commonly used formations. The series 4-4-2 is derived from the idea that it comprises of 4 defending players, 4 mid fielders, and two attacking players excluding a goalkeeper.
In this formation, midfielders play the most important role in form of supporting the forwarders through defense. In case of an attack, they must draw near the goal line and help out the defenders.
4-5-1: This is called a defensive formation with one forward and five mid-fielders. The advantage with this formation is that since the midfielders are stacked up in the center, the opponents have a hard time attacking.
And then, due to the fact that there is only 1 forward, the midfielders proceed forward leaving the opponents yearning for the ball.
3-5-2: This contains 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: The most forceful form of formation on the soccer field diagram that is brought into play when the opposition is 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 be in line with the changing situations in the game. So a coach should think proactively and rotate the players as required. Even though, any formation can be in an offensive or defensive form.
Good soccer tactics on formations are very important since a team's victory or defeat depends on it. 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.