by James Tennant

Created on: December 02, 2009

When a coach sends his or her team out to compete in a game of soccer, there are several important factors he must think about to maximise his or her team's potential for success. The coach must think about who should play, where they should play and with what mentality the team should play with. The coach must also think about the formation his team will play in. The formation is a hugely important part of soccer, and directly relates to how well a coach's team will play during a match.<

The soccer formation is how a team lines up on a soccer field. The first number relates to how many defenders there are, the second number is for the midfielders and the third number is for the forwards or strikers. The goalkeeper is never included in the formation because every team has one and he can only play in one position.

Before picking a formation, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, a coach must first of all assess his or her own team. The coach must work out who the best players are, and what the team's biggest strengths and faults are so that a formation that compliments the team is chosen and their potential for success is increased.

Before choosing a formation, the coach should also think about the opposition. Different formations have different strengths and weaknesses against each other, therefore finding out what the opposition's formation is, or having a good idea of what it might be, can help in deciding what formation to play. The quality of the opposition in comparison to a coach's team must also be considered, as this can greatly influence how attacking or defensive a team might play.

4-4-2 - The most commonly applied formation in soccer. This formation provides balance in a team whose strengths are spread equally throughout defence, midfield and attack. This formation allows teams to adapt to any situation, its only weakness is that it does not emphasise any aspect of attack or defence. This formation is perfect for many hard working sides.

4-3-3 - This formation has an emphasis on going forward and attacking. With three forwards, this formation can often provide a lot of chances to score, however, with only three midfielders protecting the back four, there is often vulnerability in defence. Teams with strong defenders and talented forwards often employ this formation against weaker sides.

4-5-1 - This formation, in contrast to the above, is a defensive formation. Four defenders, often supported by a defensive midfielder as well provides security

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