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Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Formations & Tactics

Formation

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/fɔːrˈmeɪʃən/nounCore term

In football (soccer), formation means: The way a team arranges its outfield players on the pitch, written as numbers from defence to attack, such as 4-4-2 or 4-3-3.

In Turkish: diziliş, oyun sistemi

How it is used

Coaches play a formation, switch to another or line up in one. 4-3-3 is said "four-three-three". Analysts point out that a formation changes in and out of possession, for example a 4-3-3 that becomes a 3-2-5 in attack.

Example sentences

  1. We switched to a back-three formation at half-time.

  2. Their formation looked like a 4-4-2 without the ball.

Common collocations

  • switch formation
  • attacking formation
  • back-three formation
  • line up in a 4-3-3
  • line-upThe list of players a team starts a match with, usually including their positions, published about an hour before kick-off.
  • pressingA tactic in which players close down opponents quickly to win the ball back, often high up the pitch near the opponents' goal.
  • counter-attackA fast attack launched straight after winning the ball back, aiming to score before the opponents can reorganise their defence.
  • high lineA defensive set-up in which the back line stays far up the pitch, keeping the team compact and catching attackers offside, but leaving space behind.

More terms: Formations & Tactics

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