One thing that stays the same at every position is the importance of on-ball skills. It’s why soccer is called the beautiful game. Almost unlimited ways of arranging and combining these positions in formations and tactics exist. This was a basic explanation of the soccer positions. It’s their job to pressure the defense by running in behind or being a crossing target in the box. That’s because the striker's primary role is to score goals. Striker is the position most kids want to play. From there, they may have a shot themselves, or they can find a pass to a striker or the winger crashing in from the other side. They play wide in the attack and work to beat the fullbacks with their speed or dribbling ability. Wingers are fast runners with quick dribbling skills.
They can score, but their leading role is to create chances for other players through passes or by beating their man 1v1 and opening space for wingers. Attacking Midfielder (10)Ī 10 is usually the most creative player with excellent technical abilities. As the team's backbone, they are vital for maintaining shape and bridging the gap between defense and attack. They are all-around players who excel at dribbling, passing, shooting, and defending. Sometimes called box-to-box midfielders, these players cover the entire field and participate in defense and attack. They roam the area in front of the defense and make tackles or force the ball to the wings while protecting the middle. Defensive Midfielder (6)Ī defensive midfielder plays like a centerfielder in baseball or a free safety in American Football. In contrast, the stopper is more aggressive and forces the action by stepping up to defend a player with the ball-stopping forward momentum. Two main variations of a center back are the sweeper and the stopper.Ī sweeper will tend to play as a more conservative defender and use positioning to prevent any dangerous passes from reaching the box or an attacking player. Their primary role is to disrupt the strikers and forwards from the other team and prevent them from taking shots at the keeper. Center Back (4,5)Ī team can play with up to 3 center backs. As a wingback, they push forward and support the attack by providing crosses to the forwards. As a traditional fullback, they track the wingers from the other team in the wide spaces outside the box. Sometimes they are called wingbacks depending on the tactics.
Full Back (2,3)įullbacks are the right (2) and left (3) outside defenders. Their job is to keep the ball out of the net by whatever means necessary and then distribute it to start a counterattack. They are the only player able to use their hands and wear an alternative colored kit (aka uniform), so they stand out from the other players. Goalkeeper (1)Ī goalkeeper, or just keeper or keep, is the last line of defense and patrols the penalty area of the pitch. Positions in soccer definedĬoaches use a numbered shorthand to identify positions they are included in ( ). The numbers represent the number of players in each section of the field, from defense to attack. One of the most basic formations is the 4-4-2, which means four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards. Soccer positions break into four categories: Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder, and Forward. This lets them grow into a versatile and well-rounded athlete who can see the whole field and understand the team dynamics.Īs a parent, having a solid understanding of these positions will help you better appreciate what is happening on the field so you can support your athlete’s performance.įirst, let’s take a high-level overview. In fact, most experts recommend kids play all the positions in soccer as they develop. As kids advance through the levels, the game grows with them, and coaches start training specific positions individually. But there is more ball chasing than playing positions. A 4 and 5-year-old soccer game might be the cutest thing in the world.