What Are the Positions in Soccer? Here's Every Role on the Field

According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game, a soccer match is played between two teams that have at least seven players on the field at any given time, although the ideal number of players on the field per team is 11, including the goalkeeper.

Because of that, many teams have rosters with up to 23 players total to offer ample substitution opportunities. Most professional teams are allowed five player substitutions throughout the match, although substitutions can be unlimited for many recreational and youth leagues.

“It’s essential that every player fully understands the role and responsibilities of the position that they are playing to ensure that the team plays effectively together, rather than as a group of individual players,” explained Carl Wild, certified soccer coach credentialed by the Union of European Football Associations.

• A standard soccer team has 11 players per side, consisting of one goalkeeper and 10 outfield players.
• The four main position groups are goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and forwards. Each position has distinct roles, depending on whether the team is in or out of possession.
• The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to use their hands while the ball is in play.
• Although any player can score a goal, strikers are the primary scorers; defensive midfielders protect the defensive line.

The role of a position will vary, depending on whether the team is playing offense or defense. A particular position on the pitch may play a different role when their team is out of possession (when the other team has the ball) versus when they are in possession (when their team has the ball).

Cheat Sheet: All Soccer Positions

• Goalkeeper
• Fullback (Left and Right)
• Center Back
• Defensive Midfielder
• Central Midfielder
• Attacking Midfielder
• Winger (Left and Right)
• Center Forward or Striker

Here's a look at each position, including how the role might change when they are playing offense or defense.

“The main role of the goalkeeper is, of course, to keep the ball out of the goal,” explained Wild. According to the IFAB Laws of the Game, the goalkeeper is the only position on the pitch allowed to touch the ball with their hands while the ball is in play.

• Out of Possession: Naturally, a goalkeeper’s objective is to defend the goal in whatever way that they can. As Wild noted, this often coincides with communication with their teammates. “The goalkeeper needs to ‘command’ the area,” he explained. “If there’s an opportunity to do so, the goalkeeper should look to collect the ball from the attacking team and clear it.” This is done, he noted, by catching the ball or kicking, punching, or hitting it away.
  
• In Possession: The goalkeeper is allowed free movement throughout the field (if they choose), which changes their role when their team is in possession of the ball. “The goalkeeper has evolved into becoming an integral part of how many teams now play when they have the ball,” Wild said. “They need to be confident and comfortable in possession of the ball.” Wild explained that goalkeepers will often help “set up” a play among teammates through short and long passes, as they tend to have the most complete vision of the match ahead of them.

Also known as a left- or right-side defender, the fullback is typically positioned on the left or right side of the field.

Fullbacks work closely with the rest of the defensive line to help protect the goal from attacks from the opposing team, as well as initiate and deliver plays to their offensive teammates.

• Out of Possession: When the fullback is defending their goal from an attack, Wild said, “their main role is to work closely with the other defenders (namely, those more center-positioned defenders) to ensure that the opposition cannot penetrate through the defensive line.” Wild noted that the opposition will typically try to move the ball through the spaces between the defenders, so managing this area is key to avoid getting scored on.
  
• In Possession: Wild noted that, when a fullback’s team has the ball, their role will largely depend on their team’s formation. For example, he noted, some teams will play their fullbacks as both defensive and offensive players, using the full range of the left or right sideline to both attack their opponent’s goal and protect their own. In other instances, the fullbacks will center themselves on the field to allow for offensive players to take up more width in the other team’s half.

Also known as a sweeper, the primary role of the center back is to protect the areas of the pitch that are directly in front of their goal and to organize the defensive unit, said Wild.

Also known as a sweeper, the primary role of the center back is to protect the areas of the pitch that are directly in front of their goal and to organize the defensive unit, said Wild.

• Out of Possession: According to Wild, the center back guards the most vulnerable place on the pitch: the area right in front of the goal. “It’s the center back’s responsibility to remove the ball from this area as soon as possible,” Wild said. “This usually involves engaging with the opposition’s center forward, who tends to be the biggest [scoring] threat.”
  
• In Possession: When the center back has the ball, they’re often responsible for setting up the way in which the team will play the ball down the field. He added that the center back often provides a “safe pass,” or a pass from an offensive player who encounters pressure from the other team. The center back, who is often unmarked (they don’t typically have an opponent guarding them), provides a way to relieve this pressure and the opportunity to set up a new play.

Wild noted that many soccer teams operate with one or two defensive midfielders, also known as stoppers. “Their main role is to provide the defense with further protection by operating just in front of [the fullbacks and center back],” he explained.

• Out of Possession: When protecting the goal from an oncoming attack, a defensive midfielder will continuously try to prevent the ball from moving into central areas. “They do this by blocking the passing lines between the other team’s defensive and offensive midfielders.”
  
• In Possession: “When [a defensive midfielder’s] team has possession, they must play a similar role to the center back, in that they are the links between [defense and offense],” Wild said. That said, they need to be ready to receive passes from both types of players.

These players cover a wide swath of the soccer pitch. And in doing so, they are in a prime position to dive into an offensive attack on their opponent’s goal and to protect their own defensive line.

• Out of Possession: Wild explained that this player will do most of their defensive work on their opponent’s half of the pitch. If the attacking midfielder’s team loses the ball, their objective is to quickly get it back.
  
• In Possession: “When their team has the ball, the attacking midfielder will often be the player who helps penetrate the opponent’s defensive line through their movement with or without the ball,” said Wild. He added that these players may lose the ball more often than others, as they are expected to take more risks. “They should be able to create goal-scoring opportunities,” Wild said. “With risk, you will sometimes get reward.”

Also known as wings, these players are situated on the far right and far left sides of the field in front of the fullbacks and work closely with their center-oriented teammates, primarily to attack the goal.

• Out of Possession: Like the attacking midfielder, “the wide striker will do most of their defensive work in their opponent’s half of the pitch,” Wild said. “They will usually be the players, alongside the center forward, that initiate an [attack] with the purpose of preventing their opponents from progressing and winning the ball close to the goal.”
• In Possession: As Wild explained, these players have two major roles on the offense. First, they’re often in direct line to receive the ball from fullbacks and create subsequent plays into the middle of the field. They also are key in supporting the center forward(s) to ensure those players aren’t isolated when receiving the ball (to help prevent them from losing it).

This position is also considered a striker, the main scorer on the soccer field, said Wild. Their team is working throughout the game to get the ball to them in hopes of putting it in the back of the net.

• Out of Possession: When the opposing team has the ball in the half of the field that they are defending, a center forward will usually be the first player to pressure their defense, attempting to force their player to not send the ball directly back down the field.
  
• In Possession: Apart from being the main scorer (and doing everything they can to get the ball in the back of the opposition’s net), a center forward is also critical in sending the ball back out to wide strikers or midfielders to craft the perfect play. Wild said these players are continuously searching to “exploit” the spaces left within the opponent’s defense, either by dribbling the ball through it themselves or sending it to other teammates.

For those who are just getting started in soccer, the best position tends to be fullback, as they are less active than midfielders and strikers. This gives a beginner time to learn speed management, one-on-one defense, and strong positioning.

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