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In the sport of football (soccer), each of the eleven players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. These positions describe both the player's main role and by implication their location 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 been required to evolve too. Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ...
Tactics is the collective name for methods of winning a small-scale conflict, performing an optimization, etc. ...
Formation in association football (soccer) describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. ...
The fluid nature of the modern game means the 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. Rugby football, as a catch-all term, may refer to two related but separate team sports: rugby league and rugby union. ...
United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ...
The Dutch side of the 1970s pioneered a style of play dubbed Total Football by pundits, where the each member of the team was a skilful ball player and able to switch positions with ease. Total football is difficult to defend against and often exciting to watch, but it is unusual for a team to be able to field eleven players with the required talent and discipline. On the rare occasions when it can be employed, the players are still largely constrained by the position they occupy. This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ...
In football (soccer), Total Football is a system where a player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus retaining their intended organisational structure. ...
Goalkeeper
The goalkeeper is the most specialised position in football. His job is purely defensive: to guard his team's goal from being breached, and as such he is allowed to use his hands when playing the ball. The discipline of goalkeeping is so specialised that it is virtually unheard of in the professional game for a goalkeeper to play in any other position. Occasionally, a goalkeeper will temporarily become an extra striker if his team is a goal behind in a game they must win, and the team has a corner or free-kick in an attacking position. In such a situation, the goalkeeper's defensive duties can safely be ignored as a defeat by two goals is no worse than a defeat by one. Goalkeepers in recent times who were famous for playing in an outfield position, even in situations where their team was not trailing, are José Luis Chilavert of Paraguay, Rogério Ceni of São Paulo FC (Brazil) (who would often take their sides' free kicks) and Jorge Campos of Mexico (who often played as a striker). If a goalkeeper is sent off or injured, and there is no substitute goalkeeper available, then an outfield player will take his place. A goalkeeper leaves his feet to parry a shot on goal In many team sports, a goalkeeper (termed goaltender in some sports) is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal. ...
A professional works to receive payment for an activity (as a profession), which usually requires expertise and carries with it socially significant mores and folkways. ...
José Luis Félix Chilavert (born July 27, 1965 in Luque) is a former football (soccer) goalkeeper from Paraguay. ...
Rogerio Ceni lifts the Libertadores Cup Rogério Ceni (born January 22, 1973 in Pato Branco, Paraná, Brazil) is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. ...
São Paulos Mascot São Paulo is a very traditional Brazilian football team from São Paulo, founded on January 25, 1930, and Re-founded on December 16, 1935. ...
Jorge Campos (born October 15, 1966 in Acapulco, Mexico) is one of the most notable Mexican soccer players in the 1990s. ...
Goalkeepers are almost invariably tall and physically strong in order to claim the ball more easily (Campos is a remarkable exception). They must be agile and have excellent reactions to stop shots, and have good positional sense and decision-making in order to be in the right place to gather the ball. The standard football skills of ball control, tackling, passing and pace are not usually required in a goalkeeper, although the rule change that now means a goalkeeper may not handle the ball when it is passed back to him has led to goalkeepers practising their control and dribbling to a greater extent than before.
Goalkeepers of renown Gordon Banks, OBE (born Sheffield, England, 30th December, 1937) was a footballer considered by many to be the best goalkeeper to have played the game. ...
Dino Zoff (born February 28, 1942 in Mariano del Friuli, Italy) is an Italian legendary football goalkeeper and the oldest ever winner of the World Cup as a captain of the Italian national team in Spain in the 1982 World Cup. ...
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Josef Sepp Maier (born February 28, 1944, Metten, Germany) was a soccer goalkeeper. ...
Peter Boleslaw Schmeichel (born November 18, 1963 in Gladsaxe, Denmark) was a Danish footballer, playing as a goalkeeper. ...
Defensive positions
Centre back The job of the centre backs or central defenders is to stop opposing players, particularly the strikers, from getting the opportunity to score, and to clear the ball from their own penalty area. As their name suggests, they play in a central position. Most teams employ two or three centre backs, in order to double-up coverage against an opposing attacker. 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 usually tall, with good heading ability, strong and brave in the challenge and able to tackle well. An ability to read the game well is a distinct advantage. Traditionally, centre backs have concentrated less on ball control and passing, preferring to punt the ball off the pitch or upfield, in a "safety-first" fashion. Recently, however, it has become more common for centre backs to have more than just rudimentary footballing skill, as this enables a calmer, more possession-orientated style of play. The stereotypical centre back is slow and lumbering, although in recent years this has changed as the pace of the game has increased.
The position is sometimes 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 half backs. 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 him. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...
Centre backs of renown Alessandro Nesta (born 19 March 1976 in Rome) is an Italian football player. ...
Bobby Moore Robert Frederick Chelsea Bobby Moore, OBE (April 12, 1941 - February 24, 1993) was an English footballer whose place in footballing history is secure as the captain of West Ham and the English 1966 World Cup-winning team. ...
Daniel Alberto Passarella (born May 25, 1953 in Buenos Aires) is a former Argentine football defender and manager of the national side. ...
Jaap Stam Jaap Stam (born July 17, 1972 in Kampen, Netherlands) is a Dutch football player. ...
Marius Trésor (born January 15, 1950) was a French football player. ...
Paul McGrath (born December 4, 1959 in Ealing, England) is a former international football (soccer) defender, a long-time member of the Republic of Ireland national team. ...
Sweeper The sweeper is a more versatile type of centre back that "sweeps up" the ball if the opponents have managed to breach the defensive line. He is usually used in a three-man back formation together with two man-to-man marking centre backs. The sweeper is also expected to build attacking moves, and as such requires greater ball control and passing ability than a typical centre back. The sweeper's ability to read the game is even more vital than for a centre back. The libero is a defensive specialist in two different sports. ...
The position is often referred to as libero (from the Italian: free), as he is free to rove up and down the field, in contrast to the man-to-man markers, who must stick close to their designated attacker. The catenaccio system of play, used in Italian football in the 1960s, popularised use of the sweeper. Catenaccio describes a tactical system in football with an emphasis on defence and tactical fouls. ...
Italy is one of the worlds leading football nations. ...
The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ...
Sweepers of renown Franz Beckenbauer Franz Beckenbauer (born September 11, 1945) is a famous German football player, coach and manager, nicknamed der Kaiser (the emperor) because of his elegant style, his leadership qualities and his domination on the football pitch. ...
Franco Baresi (born May 8, 1960) was the outstanding central defender of the Italian national football team in four World Cups (1982, 1986 1990 and 1994). ...
Lothar Matthäus (born March 21, 1961 in Erlangen, Germany) is a former football (soccer) player and now manager. ...
Matthias Sammer (born September 5, 1967 in Dresden, East Germany) is a former German soccer player who is now a head coach in the German Bundesliga. ...
Full back The full backs take up the wide defensive positions, one on each side of the field. Their main task is to prevent opposition players crossing the ball into the penalty area. Most full backs are also expected to provide an attacking dimension by getting upfield along the wings and providing crosses of their own. Most football games include a position called fullback or full back. ...
Traditionally, the full backs (the "2" in the 2-3-5 formation) were strong, slow players, playing a role today occupied by the central defenders. As the game has evolved, with the old centre half taking over the central defensive role, the full backs have migrated out to the wings and the position now requires a completely different set of skills. The modern full back is usually short, agile and pacy, strong in the tackle and with good stamina to enable him to get up and down the field.
Full backs of renown Paul Breitner (born September 5, 1951, Kolbermoor, West Germany) was a German football player. ...
Cafu, real name Marcos Evangelista de Moraes, (born June 7, 1970 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian football player, who is currently a defender for Italian giants A.C. Milan. ...
Carlos Alberto Torres (born July 17, 1944) was a Brazilian football (soccer) player. ...
Paolo Maldini (born June 26, 1968 in Milan) is an Italian football player. ...
Wingback The wingback is a modern variation on the full back with a heavier emphasis on attack. 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 full back, wing backs are blessed with great stamina. As they have the support of three centre backs, they are expected to concentrate more on providing crosses for their strikers and less on their defensive duties. In association football (soccer), a wingback is an attacking player who occupies a wide position, either on the extreme right or extreme left. ...
Wingbacks of renown Roberto Carlos, full name Roberto Carlos da Silva (b. ...
Midfield positions
Centre midfield Central midfielders play a number of roles on the field of play, depending on their particular strengths and weaknesses and the tactics of the team. They are the link between defence and attack when their team is in possession of the ball, and must also defend when the opposition are in possession. Their central position enables them to have an all-round view of the match, and as most of the action takes place in their area of the pitch, it is the midfielders who can exert the greatest degree of control over how a match is played.
Central midfielders are often divided into defensive and attacking midfielders. A defensive midfielder, or "holding midfielder", will share many characteristics with a centre back. Their main priority is to keep possession of the ball and distribute it effectively. An attacking midfielder will be expected to make runs into the opposition penalty area and try to score goals. All midfielders need excellent fundamental footballing skills, i.e. good ball control and passing. In addition, they should be strong in the tackle and have good stamina, and perhaps most importantly, the vision and awareness to spot and pass to team-mates in a good position. Of all the positions, midfield is the one where raw speed is least important, as this can be compensated for by ability on the ball. In football (soccer) a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders. ...
In football (soccer), an attacking midfielder is a midfielder who comes forward, either to shoot and score goals, or to support the strikers in front of him. ...
A central midfielder who is particularly good at controlling the tempo of a match is often referred to as a midfield general.
Central midfielders of renown Sir Robert Bobby Charlton, KBE (born Ashington, Northumberland, 11 October 1937) is a former English football player, one of the most famous names in the game and a hero of the 1966 World Cup. ...
Michel Platini (born June 21, 1955 in Joeuf (Département Meurthe-et-Moselle) is a former French football player, widely regarded as one of the most elegant midfielders of his generation. ...
Roy Maurice Keane (born in Cork, August 10, 1971) is an Irish footballer. ...
Frank Rijkaard (born September 30, 1962 in Amsterdam) is a former Dutch football player. ...
Billy Bremner (born Stirling, Scotland, 9 December 1942; died Doncaster, England, 6 December 1997) was the inspirational captain of the legendary Leeds United football team of the 1960s and 1970s. ...
Zinedine Zidane playing for Real Madrid Zinédine Yazid Zidane (born June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France), nicknamed Zizou, is a French football player for Real Madrid and formerly France. ...
Patrick Vieira (born June 23, 1976 in Dakar, Senegal) is a French football midfielder, who currently plays for Juventus. ...
Winger The out-and-out winger is a position that has been less fashionable since Alf Ramsey's England side — the "Wingless Wonders" — won the World Cup in 1966. The role has been absorbed into right and left midfield, or taken over by full backs or wing backs. However, many outside midfielders can still legitimately be classed as wingers. In sports, the term winger is the name of a position, including football (soccer), rugby union, rugby league and hockey. ...
Sir Alfred Ernest Ramsey (born January 22, 1920 in Dagenham, Essex; died April 28, 1999) was a footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. ...
First International Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Largest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 18 February 1882) Worst defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 11 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First...
The Football World Cup (official name: FIFA World Cup) is the most important competition in international football (soccer). ...
1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...
The job of the winger is simply to provide crosses into the penalty area for the strikers to score from. Traditionally this was done using lightning pace and/or great dribbling ability in order to beat the opposing full back, get past him and deliver the ball into the danger area. Wingers were not expected to contribute to the defence.
Wingers of renown George Best (born May 22, 1946 in Belfast) is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. ...
Jair Ventura Filho, (born December 25, 1944), is a former Brazilian football player, he was voted by World Soccer magazine as the 27th greatest player of the 20th century. ...
Sir Tom Finney (born April 5, 1922) was an English association footballer famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End F.C., and for his performances in the English national side. ...
Garrincha in action Garrincha Manuel Francisco dos Santos (October 28, 1933 - January 20, 1983), known as Garrincha, was a Brazilian footballer who played in the World Cup winning teams of 1958 and 1962. ...
Ryan Joseph Giggs (born 29 November 1973 in Cardiff) is a football player for Manchester United. ...
Sir Stanley Matthews (February 1, 1915 - February 23, 2000) was a football player of genius and one of the greats of the English game. ...
Side Midfielders Side Midfielders is a modern development of the winger role. Side Midfielders have all the expectations that is, getting to the by-line and providing crosses.
They are also expected to help with defensive duties, espically in defusing wide attacks by the opposition. Other roles include holding the ball up in wide areas of the pitch to allow the fullback to overlap them, and offering wider passing options for the central midfielders in games where the midfield is heavily congested.
Side Midfielders of renown David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE (born May 2, 1975) is an English footballer born in Leytonstone, London. ...
Figo and his wife, the Swedish super-model Helen Svedin LuÃs Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, born November 4, 1972 in Lisbon Portugal, is a Portuguese international footballer, who plays as a midfielder and winger. ...
Attacking positions (strikers)
Centre forward The centre forward has one main task: to score goals. Despite the one-dimensional nature of the job description, there two main types of centre forward: the "target man" and the "link man". Most teams that play with two strikers will field an attacker of each type. This article is about football players. ...
Target men are usually of above average height, with good heading ability, a powerful shot and the ability to "tell where the goal is". The target man will tend to score goals from crosses, often with his head, and will use strength to muscle defenders off the ball or shield the ball with his back to goal while he waits for a team-mate to pass to.
Link men are often smaller in stature, with excellent dribbling skills and good pace. Although they are expected to contribute goals, their role is mainly to create chances for the target man.
Smaller strikers tend to prefer to use their pace to run onto a ball passed over or behind the opposition defence, rather than to collect the ball with their back to goal in the manner of a target man.
Centre forwards of renown Marco van Basten (born October 31, 1964) is a former Dutch football player. ...
Gary Winston Lineker OBE, (born 30 November 1960), was a notable English international footballer. ...
Ferenc Puskás (Hungarian: Puskás Ferenc, surname first; nicknamed Puskás Öcsi, born 2 April 1927 in Budapest) was a Hungarian football player. ...
Ronaldo LuÃz Nazário de Lima (b. ...
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (known by the playing name of Eusébio) (born January 25, 1942 in Lourenço Marques (now Maputo), Mozambique) nicknamed The Black Pearl and The Black Panther, is a Portuguese football icon. ...
Gerhard Gerd Müller (born November 3, 1945 in Nördlingen) is a former German football player. ...
Pelé, on scoring a goal in the 1970 World Cup final against Italy. ...
Hugo Sánchez Márquez (born July 11, 1958 in Mexico City) is a former football (soccer) striker, considered the best Mexican player ever. ...
The "hole" The "hole" is the name given to a loosely-defined position somewhere between the out-and-out striker and the midfield. The hole player is usually a skilful, attack-minded midfielder who can both score himself or create opportunities for a centre forward. As such it is quite a specialised position that relatively few players can successfully fill. A good hole player can cause problems for the opposition as his unorthodox position can leave them undecided as to whose job it is to cover him. This creates space and time that the "man in the hole" can exploit.
"Hole" players of renown |
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