Football or Soccer Players Positions

In the sport of Football (soccer), each of the eleven players on a team is assigned to a particular position on the field of play. A team is made up of one goalkeeper and ten outfield players who fill various defensive, midfield and attacking positions depending on the formation deployed. These positions describe both the player's main role and their area of operation on the pitch. As the game has evolved, tactics and team formations have changed, and the names of the positions and the duties involved have evolved as well.

The fluid nature of the modern game means that positions in football are not as formally defined as in sports such as rugby or American football. Even so, most players will play in a limited range of positions throughout their career, as each position requires a particular set of skills. Footballers who are able to play comfortably in numerous positions are referred to as "utility players".

However, the players are only loosely defined into a position under total football tactics. This tactic required players who were extremely versatile, such as Johan Cruijff, who could play every position on the pitch apart from goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper

The goalkeeper is the most specialized position in football. A goalkeeper's job is mainly defensive: to guard the team's goal from being breached (to not let the other team score). Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to handle the ball with their hands, however they are restricted to doing so only within their penalty area; for this reason, they wear jerseys that distinguish them from other outfielder players and the referee. If a goalkeeper is sent off or injured, and there is no substitute goalkeeper available, an outfield player has to take the goalkeeper's place.

The discipline of goalkeeping is so specialized that it is virtually unheard of in the professional game for a goalkeeper to play in any other position. One notable exception is Jorge Campos of Mexico, who played effectively as a striker when called upon. A goalkeeper with good technical skill may opt to take his team's penalties and free kicks, though this is rare as the goalkeeper would be caught out of position if possession is conceded immediately after the kick. José Luis Chilavert of Paraguay and Rogério Ceni of São Paulo FC (Brazil) are well-known free-kick and penalty specialists with over 60 goals to their names.

Physical strength, height, jumping ability and judgement are valued qualities for goalkeepers to have in order to deal with aerial balls and agility, quick reactions and a good positional sense are all needed for shot stopping. The standard football skills of ball control, tackling, passing and dribbling are not usually required in a goalkeeper, although the introduction of the back-pass rule in the early 1990s has necessitated improvement on such skills.

Examples of goalkeepers: Petr Čech, Edwin Van der Sar, Pat Jennings, Lev Yashin, Jens Lehmann, Oliver Kahn, Gianluigi Buffon, Dida, Íker Casillas, Victor Valdes and Santiago Cañizares.

Defensive Positions

Defenders or backs play behind the midfielders and their primary responsibility is to provide support to the goalkeeper, and to prevent the opposition from scoring a goal. They usually remain in the half of the field that contains the goal they are defending. Taller defenders will move forward to the opposing team's penalty box when their team takes corner kicks or free kicks, where scoring with one's head is a possibility. The term defender is now commonly used to describe any player on the team that does not currently have possession of the ball - so backs, midfielders and forwards can all be classed as defenders when trying to regain possession of the ball.

Centre-Back (CB)/Stopper

The job of the centre-back — also called centre-halves or central defenders — is to stop opposing players, particularly the strikers, from scoring, and to bring the ball out from their penalty area. As their name suggests, they play in a central position. Most teams employ two centre backs, stationed in front of the goalkeeper. There are two main defensive strategies used by centre backs: the zonal defence, where each centre back covers a specific area of the pitch, and man-to-man marking, where each centre back has the job of covering a particular opposition player.

Centre-backs are often tall, very strong and have a good heading and tackling ability. An ability to read the game well is also a distinct advantage. Sometimes, particularly in lower leagues, centre-backs concentrate less on ball control and passing, preferring simply to clear the ball in a "safety-first" fashion. However, there is a long tradition of centre-backs having more than just rudimentary footballing skill, enabling a more possession-oriented playing style.

The position was formerly referred to as "centre-half." In the early part of the 20th century, when most teams employed the 2-3-5 formation, the row of three players were called halfbacks. As formations evolved, the central player in this trio (the centre-half), moved into a more defensive position on the field, taking the name of the position with them.

Good examples of centre-backs in the modern game include Alessandro Nesta, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram, William Gallas, Lúcio, Carles Puyol, Kolo Toure, Roberto Ayala and Ledley King.

Sweeper/Libero

The sweeper is a more versatile type of centre back that "sweeps up" the ball if the opponent manages to breach the defensive line. Their position is rather more fluid than other defenders who mark their designated opponents. Because of this, the position is often referred to as libero (Italian: free). The sweeper's ability to read the game is even more vital than for a centre-back. A sweeper is sometimes expected to build counter-attacking moves, and as such requires better ball control and passing ability than a typical centre back. However, sweepers are often merely defensive players. For example, the catenaccio system of play, used in Italian football in the 1960s, employed a purely defensive sweeper.

Many centre-backs and sweepers have the ability to bring the ball out of defence and begin counter-attacks for their own teams, thanks to tactical (game reading, anticipation, positioning, tackling) and technical (passing, vision on the pitch) capabilities; former German captain Franz Beckenbauer is widely accepted as the inventor and one of the best players of the role, together with Ronald Koeman, Gaetano Scirea, Matthias Sammer and Franco Baresi. More recently, Hong Myung-Bo led Republic of Korea to the semifinals during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, earning himself the Bronze Ball along the way.

Full Back (FB/RB/LB)

Full-backs take up the wide defensive positions, one on each side of the field. Their main task is to prevent opposition players crossing or cutting the ball back into the penalty area. In some defensive systems, full-backs mark opponents. Most full backs are also expected to provide an attacking dimension by getting upfield along the wings and providing crosses. The term 'overlap' is often applied to full-backs as they are often seen running ahead of the wingers/midfielders and breaking into opposition spaces.

Traditionally, full-backs played a role today occupied by the central defenders. As the game evolved, with the old centre half taking over the central defensive role, full-backs have migrated out to the flanks and the position now requires a slightly different set of skills. The modern full back is usually pacy, strong in the tackle and with good stamina to get up and down the field. Because of the experience gleaned from the use of their chosen foot, full backs often make good free kick or penalty takers, John Arne Riise and Stuart Pearce being among many examples. The role of the modern full-back was essentially created by Giacinto Facchetti under the guidance of Helenio Herrera. Originally an attacker, Facchetti had the skills and pace of a typical winger, but due to his build, Herrera switched him to a left-back. This move proved to a be masterstroke, as Facchetti quickly mastered the art of defending, but at the same time retained his attacking instincts. He was subsequently nicknamed 'the spider', due to his long legs and ability to cover the flank with lightning speed.

Todays modern full backs include Gianluca Zambrotta, Ashley Cole, Gary Neville, Michel Salgado and Philipp Lahm.

Wingback (WB/RWB/LWB)

The wingback is a modern variation on the fullback with heavier emphasis on attack. The name is a portmanteau of "winger" (see below) and "full-back". They are usually employed in a 3-5-2 formation, and could therefore be considered part of the midfield. As the role combines that of the winger and the fullback, wingbacks need to be blessed with good stamina. As they have the support of three centre-backs, they are expected to concentrate more on providing support for strikers and less on their defensive duties. Darijo Srna, Fabio Aurelio, Roberto Carlos and Cicinho are examples of a wingback.

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