Soccer Strategy - Formations

Formations

Formations in football are a method of positioning players on the pitch to allow a team to play according to their pre-set tactics. Different formations can be used depending on whether a team wishes to play more attacking or defensive football. Usually if the team has the ball more in a game and they have already scored more than once they just keep the ball and not risk taking passes that will give the ball away. Formations can be altered during a game, but this requires adaptation by the players to fit into the new system.

Formations count the number of players in each area, beginning with the defensive line (not including the goalkeeper). It is by convention counted when the team is defending and being properly organised. The most common formations are variations of 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2 and 4-2-2-2.

Association football used to have formations with more attackers, but gradually formations have been shifted towards increased defensive security. Old formations included the 2-3-5, the 2-2-6 and the 4-2-4.

Some radical footballing philosophies, notably total football and tiki-taka, have to some extent challenged the idea of a formation. In these systems players have so much freedom of movement that it is often difficult to assign them certain positions. They may also be considered unusual formations: some commentators described the tiki-taka used by Spain at Euro 2012 as a 4-6-0 formation.