An Overview of Defensive and Offensive Soccer Formations

Heidi Scott spent 16 years as a tax attorney with the Illinois Department of Revenue. She has owned Schuyler-Brown Land Title in Mt. Sterling since 2008. Beyond her professional activities, Heidi Scott is active in her local community. Her collaboration with the Illinois Coalition for Community Services resulted in the city’s first ever co-ed soccer team.

When leading a youth soccer team, coaches are responsible for teaching players about fundamentals of the sport, such as the strengths and weaknesses of various player formations. Certain formations are ideal for an attacking offensive style of play, while others cater to defense-minded teams.

One of the most offense-oriented soccer formations is the 4–3–3. Like all formations, the name outlines how many defenders, midfielders, and forwards are involved. Popularized by the Italian national team, the formation calls for four defenders to support the goalkeeper while three forwards pressure the opponent’s defense. With a trio of midfielders, especially on teams that love to run, the 4–3–3 formation can quickly transition to a more offensive style of play with six or more attackers.

That said, the formation can also transition well to defense. In fact, the 4–3–3 formation often morphs into the 4–5–1 formation, which can be used all game long by teams that prefer defensive schemes. While this formation places a considerable amount of scoring pressure on a single striker, a strong midfield makes it difficult for opposing teams to transition into offense.

Other versatile formations teams can consider include the 4–3–2–1 set, also known as the Christmas Tree formation, and the modified diamond formation, 4–1–2–1–2, a complex attacking set.