Soccer Positions Explained
All eleven roles, the numbering system nobody explains to you, and what each player is actually responsible for.
An 11v11 soccer team is one goalkeeper and ten outfield players, split across defence, midfield and attack. The split changes with the formation — 4-4-2 means four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards — but it always adds up to ten, because the goalkeeper is assumed.
Soccer or football? The positions are identical. US coverage says outside back and forward where British coverage says full-back and striker; both are used on this page.
The positions on a field
This is a 4-3-3, the most common shape in the modern professional game. The numbers are the traditional role numbers explained in the next section.
Position numbers 1 to 11
When a coach calls someone "a number 6", they are describing a job, not reading a shirt. The numbering comes from the era when shirts were assigned by position, and it stuck as shorthand long after squad numbers stopped matching.
| No. | Position | What the role does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goalkeeper | Stops shots, commands the box, starts attacks with distribution. |
| 2 | Right-back / outside back | Defends the right flank, overlaps to support the winger. |
| 3 | Left-back / outside back | The same job on the left. |
| 4 | Centre-back | Central defender, often the organiser of the back line. |
| 5 | Centre-back | The other central defender; in older systems, a sweeper. |
| 6 | Defensive midfielder | Screens the defence, wins the ball back, recycles possession. |
| 7 | Right winger | Beats the full-back, delivers crosses or cuts inside to shoot. |
| 8 | Central midfielder | Box-to-box link between defence and attack. |
| 9 | Centre-forward / striker | Leads the line and finishes chances. |
| 10 | Attacking midfielder | Creates in the space between midfield and defence. |
| 11 | Left winger | The wide attacking role on the left. |
Two of these have become terms in their own right. The number 10 is shorthand for a creative playmaker anywhere on the field, and the number 6 for a disciplined holding midfielder.
Defensive positions
Four defenders is the standard, though three has become common. Whatever the number, the back line's first job is to stay connected — the gaps between defenders matter more than any individual duel.
Centre-back (4, 5)
The central defenders. They mark strikers, win aerial duels, and decide as a pair when to step up and when to drop. Most partnerships pair an aggressive defender who attacks the ball with a calmer one who covers behind.
Full-back / outside back (2, 3)
Wide defenders. The role has changed more than any other in the last twenty years — a modern full-back is expected to defend one-on-one and provide the width in attack, which is why they cover more ground than anyone on the field.
Wing-back
What a full-back becomes in a back three. With three centre-backs behind them, wing-backs push far higher and effectively play the whole flank on their own.
Goalkeeper (1)
The only player who can handle the ball, and only inside their own penalty area. Many now play as a sweeper-keeper, defending the space behind a high defensive line rather than staying on the goal line.
Midfield positions
Midfield is where games are controlled, and where the most specialised roles live. Most teams field three, split by how far forward each one operates.
Defensive midfielder (6)
Sits in front of the back four, breaks up attacks and restarts possession. A holding midfielder prioritises the screening job; a regista plays the same position but dictates tempo with passing instead.
Central midfielder (8)
The link. A box-to-box midfielder covers both penalty areas across ninety minutes; a mezzala drifts into the half-space between the centre and the flank.
Attacking midfielder (10)
Operates in the pocket between the opposition midfield and defence. The number 10 and the Italian trequartista both live here, freed from defensive duties to create.
Winger (7, 11)
Wide attackers. Traditional wingers hug the touchline and cross; inverted wingers start wide on their weaker side and cut inside onto their stronger foot to shoot.
Attacking positions
Modern teams field one, two or three forwards, and the striker role has splintered into several distinct jobs.
Target man
A physical centre-forward who receives long passes, holds the ball up under pressure and brings teammates into play. Read more on the target man role.
Poacher
A pure finisher who lives in the penalty area, contributes little to build-up, and is judged almost entirely on goals per chance.
False 9
A centre-forward who drops into midfield instead of holding the last line, dragging a centre-back out of position or being left unmarked. See what a false 9 does.
How formations arrange them
A formation is just how the ten outfield players are distributed. The digits run from defence forward and always total ten.
| Formation | Shape and character | |
|---|---|---|
| 4-4-2 | Four defenders, four midfielders, two strikers. Balanced and easy to learn — the default in youth and amateur soccer. | |
| 4-3-3 | Four defenders, three midfielders, three forwards. Attacking, with width from the wingers. | |
| 3-5-2 | Three centre-backs, five midfielders including two wing-backs, two strikers. Crowds the middle. |
Formations describe starting positions, not fixed ones. A 4-3-3 defending deep in a low block often looks like a 4-5-1, and the same team pressing high can look like a 4-2-4. The shape on the team sheet is where players begin, not where they stay.
The hardest position in soccer
There is no single answer, because "hardest" measures three different things.
By consequence, it is goalkeeper. It is the only position where one error is usually a goal. Outfield mistakes get covered by teammates; a goalkeeper's do not, and the psychological weight of that is the genuine difficulty of the job.
By workload, it is full-back or wing-back. They cover more distance than anyone, defend isolated one-on-ones against wingers picked for their dribbling, and are expected to contribute in attack having already done that.
By decision-making, it is the defensive midfielder. The 6 receives the ball with players around them on all sides, usually facing their own goal, and has the least time of anyone to choose. It is also the position where a mistake is most directly dangerous, because the defence is immediately exposed.
For a beginner the easiest starting points are full-back or a wide midfield role. The touchline removes half the field from your decision-making, responsibilities are more repeatable, and errors happen further from your own goal than they would centrally.
Common questions
What are the positions in 11v11 soccer?
One goalkeeper and ten outfield players across defence, midfield and attack. A 4-4-2 fields a goalkeeper, two centre-backs, two full-backs, two central midfielders, two wingers and two strikers. The formation changes the split; the total is always ten outfield players.
What are the soccer position numbers 1 to 11?
1 goalkeeper, 2 right-back, 3 left-back, 4 and 5 centre-backs, 6 defensive midfielder, 7 right winger, 8 central midfielder, 9 centre-forward, 10 attacking midfielder, 11 left winger. They describe roles, not shirt numbers.
What are the defensive positions in soccer?
Goalkeeper, two or three centre-backs, and full-backs or wing-backs on each flank. The number 6 screens in front of them and is usually counted as part of the defensive structure.
What is the hardest position in soccer?
Goalkeeper by consequence, since one mistake is usually a goal. Full-back by physical workload. Defensive midfielder by decision-making under pressure.
What position should a beginner play in soccer?
Full-back or a wide midfield role. Clearer responsibilities, half the field removed from your decisions by the touchline, and mistakes further from your own goal.
Are soccer positions and football positions the same?
Yes, the same sport and the same eleven positions. Only some names differ: US coverage says outside back and forward where British coverage says full-back and striker.
How many defenders should a soccer team have?
Three or four. A back four is the standard and easiest to organise; a back three suits teams with attacking wing-backs, or defending against a lone striker.
Pick your own eleven
Gaffa lets you set a formation, assign every position and manage the results across a full season — free, in your browser.
How many players on a soccer team? → · Full soccer glossary →