Football formations by age
Young players start with smaller teams and pitches. This guide explains five-a-side, seven-a-side, nine-a-side and eleven-a-side football. The diagrams show where each player starts.
Every child touches the ball constantly. Nobody plays a position. Coaches who put a seven-year-old "in goal" for a season are doing it wrong, and academies know it.
1-2-1, the diamond
Almost universal. One at the back, two wide, one forward. Kids rotate every game.
The first format with a goalkeeper and the first where academies register players. Still no offside in most leagues, so "stay up front" is not a job yet. Coaches look for kids who move after passing.
2-3-1
The most common. Two defenders, three across the middle, one striker. Wide midfielders do both jobs.
3-2-1
Coaches who want a tidy back line. Less width, more control, fewer goals both ways.
Offside arrives. Positions become real. This is the age most academies decide who continues, so a child needs to understand one position well and two positions adequately.
3-2-3
Attacking, wide, popular in academies. Two centre-backs plus a spare, two central midfielders, two wingers and a striker.
2-3-2-1
The 4-3-3 of 9v9. Prepares kids for 11v11 roles: a six, two eights, wingers, a nine.
3-3-2
Grassroots favourite. Solid, simple, easy to coach from the touchline. Academies use it less.
The adult game. Formations now describe a team without the ball as much as with it. Scouts watch how early a player scans and whether they know the job of the player next to them.
4-3-3
The academy default in England and most of Europe. A six, two eights, two wingers, a nine. Full-backs provide width.
4-2-3-1
Two holding midfielders, a ten behind the striker. Common in older age groups and in the US.
3-4-3
Three centre-backs, wing-backs who run all day. Increasingly taught at U15 and up because the pros use it.
Help your child understand their position
Ask your child what their coach wants them to do in their position. Our guides explain common roles. The free game gives you football choices to talk about together.