Positions & Tactics
What each position does and how teams organise themselves with and without the ball.
4 explainers, in reading order
Football positions, explained
Understand what each player on a football team is there to do, from the goalkeeper to the false nine, and why a role matters more than a position.
Formations, explained
Learn to read a formation such as 4-3-3 or 3-5-2, see how teams change shape with and without the ball, and compare the five most common systems.
Positional play, explained
Understand juego de posición, the attacking approach built on five vertical lanes, the half-spaces, three kinds of superiority, third-man runs and building from the back.
Pressing, explained
Understand how teams defend at different heights, what sets off a press, what counter-pressing and rest defence are, and how analysts measure pressing with PPDA.