Soccer positions and roles explained

What are the different positions in soccer and what do they do?

This article provides in-depth information about soccer positions, including the roles of each position, where each position is located on the soccer field and examples of the common formations used in the game.

Each soccer position has its own set of responsibilities and purpose for the team. There are however common areas on a soccer field where each position is broadly situated, generally falling under the following three areas:

1. Defense
   • Goalkeeper
   • Center back
   • Sweeper
   • Full back
2. Midfield
   • Central midfielder
   • Defensive midfielder
   • Attacking midfielder
   • Wide midfielder
3. Attack
   • Center forward / striker
   • Winger

1. Defense

The defense is situated in the defensive third of the field, closest to their own goal. Positions in this area of the field are tasked with defending the goal and preventing the opposition from scoring.

Playing in defense as a goalkeeper or defender requires the ability stop the attacking team by blocking shots, putting their bodies on the line and doing everything they can in the laws of the game to not concede a goal.

Defenders are generally good at tackling, marking their opponents and clearing the ball away from goal. They also contribute to the attacking side of the game, by passing or running the ball out of the backline to begin an attack.

“Attack wins you games, defense wins you titles”

Sir Alex Ferguson

You may have heard the above saying before. This was quoted by Sir Alex Ferguson, the English Premier League’s most successful manager. Here he is emphasizing how important the defense is to the success of a team.

Goalkeeper

The goalkeeper (also referred to as a goalie) has one of the most important roles in a team. The main job of a goalkeeper is to stop the ball going into the back of the net and preventing the other team from scoring a goal.

The goalkeeper can use any part of their body to save the ball and is the only player on the field who can use their hands.

Goalkeepers generally stay close to their goal, however, they are also allowed to venture out of their penalty box, as long as they don’t use their hands to touch the ball. If the ball is passed back to the goalkeeper by a teammate, the goalkeeper cannot pick up or touch the ball with their hands. This is why it is also important for goalkeepers to have just as good kicking and passing skills.

The goalkeeper also has a great advantage of having a full view of the field. This allows the goalkeeper to assist in organizing the defense, directing teammates and communicating instructions.

Goalkeepers wear different clothing in comparison to an on-field player. Here are some of the main items that goalkeepers wear:

• Gloves – for gripping the ball and protecting their hands
• Colored jersey – Goalkeepers wear a different colored jersey from teammates to help them stand out
• Protective clothing – padded shorts and sleeves are generally warn to prevent injuries when diving for the ball
• Cap – occasionally warn to prevent glare from the sun.

Center Back

The center back, also referred to as a central defender, center-half or stopper, is responsible for defending, marking the strikers or center forwards of the opposing team and stopping them from creating opportunities to score.

Center backs are generally located close to their own goal, positioned in the center of defense. Many teams field two center backs, with 2 full backs on either side of them.

A central defender needs to be able to keep track of their opponents, block shots and win back possession of the ball, clear the ball if in danger and keep a cool head, especially in the box to prevent giving away a penalty for a rash challenge.

The duties of central defenders are not limited to defending. They also build up the play from the back, playing the ball forward to teammates and starting the attack for the team. At times, you’ll see central defenders go up for a corner kick to try and score. This is because the majority of central defenders are tall and strong.

Sweeper

A sweeper is positioned in the center of defense, playing in a free role behind the center backs or stoppers. Their role is to provide additional security and ‘sweep’ up any loose balls in defense.

A sweeper is also responsible for intercepting passes through the defense from the attacking team, marking any opponents that are unmarked in the penalty area, and assisting the center backs in double-teaming the attackers to win the ball.

In addition to their defensive duties, it’s also common for sweepers to start the attacking play by bringing the ball out of the defense and occasionally running upfield with the ball, essentially becoming an additional attacking player in the team.

In the modern game today, sweepers are rarely used with managers generally opting to play with 2 center backs and 2 full-backs. Sometimes managers will introduce a sweeper towards the end of the game as a defensive move to provide more cover in defense, generally to hold onto a winning lead.

Full Back

A full-back, also known as a left-back or right-back (depending on what side of the field they play), is responsible for defending their side of the field, preventing the opposing team from creating goal-scoring opportunities and stopping wide attacking players from crossing the ball into the box.

As a full-back lines up on either side of the defense, they provide support to the center backs when out of position or when the ball is on the other side of the field, exposing a gap in the center of defense. In these instances, full-backs can tuck in and occupy the central defense position until the central defenders are back in position.

The full-back can also provide assistance in attack. This is done by advancing up their side of the field, supporting the wide midfielders or wingers and overlapping them to cross the ball into the penalty box. Also, the full-back is often responsible for taking throw-ins on their side of the field, in defense and further up the field.

What is a wing-back in soccer?

A wing-back is very similar to a full-back but has more of a focus on the attacking responsibilities of the position. A wing-back operates in the same area of the pitch in defense on the left or right, however, there is more of an expectation to assist in attack as well as defend.

This can be a difficult position to play, as wing-backs need to be very fit to be able to cover the distance required for both defending and attacking.

2. Midfield

Midfielders play most of the game in the middle third of the soccer field. They help support both in defense and attack and are generally involved in most of the gameplay.

There are a number of different positions in the midfield area, with each having an important role to play for the team.

A midfielder needs to have good ball control and tackling skills to win the ball back for their team. Also having good passing skills is needed to transition the play from defense to attack, essentially being the link in between. Fitness is also key for a midfielder, as they cover a lot of ground on the field, running up and back to provide support to the forwards and defenders. It’s common for midfielders to run more than 10km per game.

The midfield area is key during a soccer game, as midfielders from both teams battle it out on the field, in an attempt to take control of the game and direct the flow of the game in their teams’ favor.

Central midfielder

Commonly referred to as the engine room of a team, the central midfielder is responsible for supporting both the defense and attack, dropping back to help out the defense and running up to assist the attackers.

Central midfielders require exceptional fitness and stamina, but they also need to be able to read and control the game, as well as have good tackling skills as they usually are involved in most of the gameplay. Good passing skills are also important for this position, as a large part of the gameplay goes through the center of the field, with the central midfielder distributing the ball to teammates in all areas of the field.

Defensive midfielder

Some midfielders are given a more defensively minded role in the team. This position is known as a defensive midfielder. Defensive midfielders play in a deeper position in the midfield, closer to the defenders and provide defensive support for the team.

The defensive midfielder is responsible for assisting the defense by pressuring the forwards on the opposing team, dropping into defense when the center back is out of position and intercepting passes before they reach the forwards. The role of the defensive midfielder is to also stop the opposing team from advancing forward with their attacks and break up the play in the midfield by winning the ball back for the team.

Defensive midfielders also are there to receive the ball from the defense, providing an outlet for the team to transition from defense to attack. Similarly to central midfielders, defensive midfielders require good tackling and passing skills, as they will see a lot of the ball during gameplay and can dictate where to pass the ball.

Attacking midfielder

An attacking midfielder, also referred to as offensive midfielder or playmaker, operates in a more attacking role in the midfield, sitting in a more advanced position, just behind the striker or center forward.

The role of an attacking midfielder is to assist goals by creating scoring opportunities for the strikers and center forwards, whilst also scoring goals themselves.

Attacking midfielders are generally creative players that are comfortable on the ball, have the ability to dribble defenders and have great passing skills, particularly for passing through balls to the forwards to shoot at goal.

Playmakers generally have excellent technical skills, can create space for themselves by performing tricks to beat defenders and they’re often in charge of taking free kicks at goal due to having good free kick skills.

Wide midfielder

The wide midfielder also referred to as a left or right midfielder, provides width to the midfield and is responsible for supporting both the defense and attack on the side of the field they are operating on.

Wide midfielders work closely with the central, defensive or attacking midfielders, controlling the game, winning back possession and assisting the team by running up and down their side of the field. At times during a match, the wide midfielder is required to tuck into the center of the midfield to provide support to the team if the play is on the other side of the field or if the central midfielder is out of position.

Wide midfielders can find themselves in wider advanced positions, where they have the opportunity to cross the ball into the box for the forwards.

3. Attack

Attacking positions are situated in the front third of the field, closest to the opposition’s goal. Positions in this area of the field are generally tasked with attacking the opposition’s defense, scoring goals and setting up scoring opportunities.

The positions found in the attacking third of the field are mainly strikers/forwards and wingers. Wingers play in a similar position to wide midfielders, however, wingers play in a more advanced position on the field with less defensive duties.

Attacking players generally have good dribbling and shooting skills, they have an eye for goal and can create scoring chances out of nothing. A team needs players with these characteristics to create goals and win games.

Center forward / Striker

The center forward, also known as a striker, is the most attacking player on the team. Their primary job is to score goals, but they can also set up scoring chances for teammates and hold up the ball in an attack by keeping possession and waiting for teammates for support.

Center forwards are situated in front of the opponent’s goal in the most forward position of the team, most of the time playing with their backs towards the goal. They need to have an eye for goal, with good shooting skills to be able to get the ball past goalkeepers and score goals.

They should also be good at dribbling past defenders, have the pace to run onto passes from teammates and have great movement to get themselves into goal scoring positions.

Not all passes are to feet, so they also need to have the ability to header the ball at goal when it is crossed in from the wide players. Also controlling the ball is important and strikers need to have a good first touch to keep close control of the ball in tight situations, in order to get a quick shot off on goal.

Strikers also play a part in defending, by applying pressure to the opposing defenders and making it difficult for them to play the ball out of their backline. Just as defenders move the ball upfield to start the attack, a center forwards defends first.

Winger

A winger plays in a similar position to the wide midfielder, operating in a more attacking role and generally hug the touchline, receiving the ball in wide positions and attacking the opposing defenders in an attempt to cross the ball into the box or cut inside to score themselves.

A winger isn’t required to track back as far to defend as a wide midfielder would, but they still apply pressure to defenders and midfielders of the opposing team.

On most occasions, wingers are fast and it’s common for them to be the fastest players on the team. Wingers are also generally good at dribbling opponents, passing to the forwards, crossing the ball and performing tricks on the ball to beat players.

Can players move in other areas on the field?

On-field players can move around freely in other areas of a soccer field, as there are no rules or markers that block them from doing so. This allows the on-field players to move into other areas to help support teammates, without being locked down to the area in which their position usually operates in.

It is uncommon however to find left-sided players on the other side of the field where right-sided players operate and vice versa. It’s also uncommon to see defenders in attacking positions for extended periods of time in the game and also equally uncommon to see attackers in defensive positions for extended periods of play. If this does happen during a game, the player is generally considered as being out of position and they should move back into their area of the field.

Occasionally during the game defenders will be found up the field in the attacking third of the pitch, generally when there is an attacking corner. This is when defenders are instructed to go up for the corner in an attempt to score a goal, using their height, strength and heading abilities.

Similarly, forwards can be instructed to defend corner kicks from the opposing team by dropping back into the defensive third of the field, assigned with marking an opponent in the penalty box and attempting to clear the ball upfield and out of the danger area. However, not all forwards will drop back for defensive corner kicks, as the team still requires a player to remain upfield in order to receive the ball once it has been cleared out of the defensive third, preventing the opposition defense to easily regain possession.

Midfielders have the ability to roam around the field more freely, given they are tasked with the responsibility of supporting both the defense and attack. During the game, they will not only operate in the midfield area but also frequently travel into the defensive and attacking thirds of the field.

The goalkeeper position is the only position on the field that primarily remains in the defensive area of the field, without moving into other areas. They are tasked with defending the goal and cannot travel too far away from the goal or else they risk leaving the goal vacant for the opposition team to shoot at.

What about substitutes in soccer?

Although not a position on the field, substitutes are extra players on the sideline that can be substituted into the game by taking off an on-field player.

Substitutes play an important role for the team, as they are introduced to the game when the on-field players generally become tired and the team requires some fresh legs. Substitutes are also brought on when the manager decides to change the team game plan, formation or strategy, injecting something different into the team by using a substitute with a different skill-set.

There are generally 7 substitute players for each team, usually including a backup goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders and forwards. Although only 3 substitutes can be made during a soccer game.

What is a super sub?

A super sub is a reference to a substitute who does well when they are introduced to the game, generally scoring a goal for the team. Many coaches rely on substitutes to make a difference to the game when they come onto the field, either by scoring or setting up a goal for the team.

Common soccer formations

Soccer is a game that is made up of 11 players on each team. Soccer positions vary depending on how a coach sets up the formation of the team, with some formations using more defensive players and other formations having a more attacking focus and therefore using more attacking players.

Here are examples of some common soccer formations and the positions typically used:

4-4-2

This is considered a more defensive focused formation that uses 4 defensive positions, 4 midfielders and 2 attackers.

4-3-3

This is a balanced formation that uses 4 defensive positions, 3 midfielders and 3 attackers.

3-4-3

This is a more attacking formation that uses 3 defensive positions, 4 midfielders and 3 attackers.

3-5-2

This is another balanced formation that uses 3 defensive positions, 5 midfielders and 2 attackers.

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