In association football, the formation of a team refers to the position players take in relation to each other on a pitch. As association football is a fluid and fast-moving game, a player's position
Program for an 1887 game between Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday. The players of both teams are arranged in 2–3–5 formation.
3–5–2 formation
3–6–1 formation
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Formation (association football)
…to denote how many players are in each row of the formation, from the most defensive to the most advanced. For example, the "4–5–1" formation has four defenders, five midfielders, and a single forward. The choice of formation is normally made by a team's manager or head coach. Different formations can be used…
Centre-back John Terry (right) closely marks centre-forward Didier Drogba.
Edwin van der Sar, pictured playing for Manchester United during the 2010–11 season, is considered to be one of the pioneers of the sweeper-keeper role.
Paolo Maldini marking a player during a friendly match