Edition 31

Welcome to the Soccer Newsletter. Today's topic of discussion is formations.

I have noticed that there is a tendency amongst coaches to look for the BEST formation. I think that two things they should be more interested in is what is the best formation FOR THEIR TEAM and what is the best  style of play FOR THEIR TEAM.

I have had years where I coached three different teams using three different styles of play and three different formations. Each formation and each style of play needs to be decided upon by the strength and weaknesses of the personnel on the team. A college coach might be able to pick a style of play for her team since she is able to recruit her players but at the youth level it's a totally different story (I am not going to discuss the recruiting at the youth level).

First of all, when discussing formations, the keeper is a given, so when I write 4-4-2, it means a keeper, 4 backs, 4 midfielders and 2 forwards. It's always from the back to the front.

I look at a 4-4-2 differently then a lot of other coaches. Many people look at is as a very defensive formation but I think of it as a very offensive one. If you play with the two forwards in the middle of the field, it allows you to get both outside midfielders
into the attack so that done properly, it will be as if you have 4 forwards instead of just 2. When the outside mids get forward, the 2 marking backs can step up and become midfielders in order to give some support.  All of a sudden the 4-4-2 quickly turns into a 2-4-4 and this is why I consider this to be such an offensive formation. In order for this to work properly, players have to understand proper balance and spacing.

A 4-3-3 is another popular formation although it's one that has lost some of it's popularity in recent years.  The reason for this is that it encourage a bit of a static style of play because in my opinion it discourage some creativity. I see a lot less switching of positions in a 4-3-3 then in almost any other formation.  The advantage of this formation is that it's simple to teach. I think of it as being somewhat like foosball (the table game where soccer figures are on a stick and spun around in order to "kick" the ball. Players in foosball can move laterally a little bit but not forward or backwards. I think of a 4-3-3 in the same way. Players have specific positions and while there are some possibilities for overlaps and switching runs, it's difficult to do this regularly. In case you haven't figured out, this is not one of my preferred formations.

A 3-4-3 is becoming a very popular formations, especially on the women's side. It allows for a high pressure style of play and is an effective way to lock the ball into the offensive third of the field. It allows for more players getting into the attack then some of the other formations and with good communication can allow for effective balance and shape in the back as well. I have not been able to use this formation effectively because of a tendency from my teams to be too static in the front offensively.  I am hoping that someone who does use it might be willing to post to the FineSoccer Forum how they can get creativity up front (this is a hint for Paul Harbin to contribute since his team use this formation effectively at UAB)

A variation of the 3-4-3 which I have found to be more successful for me is the 3-5-2. The only difference is that instead of there being a center forward, I would pull them back to more of an attacking center mid or a recessed center forward. By pulling this player back a bit, it opens up the options for diagonal runs but the two front runners. To use this formation, a team must spend a lot of time on spacing because there is a tendency for crowding in the midfielder if this isn't done properly. Long periods of shadow training can help offset this potential problem.

There are other formations and variations of formations out there and I don't believe that one particularly better then another. Rather, pick your formation and your style of play based on the personnel involved.

I would love to see what others think of the various formations and how to utilize them. Please visit the FineSoccer Forum and help others by letting them know what others are thinking. Just go to  http://finesoccer.com/forum.htm and let us know what you think.

The next Soccer Newsletter will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of indoor soccer. If you have an opinion about indoor soccer, let us know.

If you are a new subscriber, don't forget to check out the archives at http://finesoccer.com

Have a great day

Lawrence