The free player in a formation

The "backbone" is the spine of the team. If you can play matches with a strong backbone, you can fit other players into the formation that have a role with more freedom. They can roam all over the pitch. In youth soccer this is best seen in seven or eight-a-side matches, where you can give one player the freedom to roam the whole pitch without positional responsibilities – of course they still have to do the basics like tracking back, pressing and winning the ball. In this way, the player can be an extra defender or midfielder and then join in the attack. On the smaller seven-a-side pitches, this works well and a fit player should be able to keep going for the entire match. Often coaches find there is one player in their team who is just that bit better than every one else in all areas of the pitch. It’s the equivalent of the all rounder, and it isn’t easy to pinpoint their best attribute. In this case, let them be a rover, going where the game tells him or her to go. If the game is balanced, the person plays in the midfield. If the team is struggling, the rover may find themselves in a more defensive role. Wherever the game needs this player, it is where they go.