7-aside formation: 3-1-2

3-1-2 IN-POSSESSION - BY POSITION

Goalkeeper

Though the formation as a whole encourages more direct play, this isn’t necessarily the case for the goalkeeping position.

A 3-1-2 offers goalkeepers a choice of whether they want to go short or long, allowing them to work on their decision-making and distribution.

Three players in defence should provide the goalkeeper with options across the pitch should they want to play short; central and in both wide areas. The two forward players offer an opportunity to play long.

Formations with only one forward player mean the option to make a long pass can be quite risky as it will be hard for this solo player to collect the ball. Even if they are successful, they are likely to be isolated and will therefore find it difficult to retain the ball.

But with two strikers, it is easier to collect the ball and then keep it between them.

Having both short and long options mean goalkeepers get to practise recognising the correct moments to play either kind of ball. 

Though we might prefer our goalkeepers  to play short and be more controlled in possession, we should also want them to be able to identify when there is an opportunity to gain an advantage by playing a long pass and then also have the ability to execute it.

Central Defender

When the team is in possession, this formation provides the central defender with a real challenge of finding good positions on the pitch to not only receive the ball, but also to ensure they are not occupying the same space as a team-mate, in particular the midfielder.

When the goalkeeper has the ball, the central defender needs to ensure they are not on the same line as the midfielder, else they will be cutting off the passing line to their team-mate. They need to ensure they are providing a different option. 

If the ball goes into a wide defender or the midfielder, the central defender needs to ensure they are the ‘safe option’, should their team-mate need it. That is to say, if the player on the ball is unable to play forward, they need to have an option where they can play back. 

Throughout the game, the central defender will need to continuously reassess where they are needed. As the ball moves, it is likely that they will need to alter their position. 

Wide Defenders

By playing with three in the back line, we are asking the two wide defenders to provide the width when the team has the ball. They are playing as wing-backs or attacking full-backs.

Allowing these wide defensive players to join in when the team has the ball, and to be brave and positive in their play, is an essential requirement of this formation. Without these players providing the width, all of the play will be through the central areas, making the team predictable.

An essential requirement of the wide defenders is therefore to provide supporting runs ahead of the ball. To do this, they will need to identify or, even better, anticipate when they need to move from their defensive position to a more advanced position ahead of the ball.

Most young players will need little encouragement to join in when their team is attacking. The challenge for them is understanding that they cannot do it all of the time. 

They need to recognise when they can and should get forward and when it is instead time to provide some defensive cover. 

One thing that will influence this decision is the position of the other wide player – they need to be aware of where their counterpart on the other side of defence is and offer balance.

• The two wide defenders provide the width when the team has the ball, playing as wing-backs
• In this shape, goalkeepers have a choice of whether to go short or long
• Playing in tandem means the two forwards will develop decision-making and combination play 
• The central defender must continuously assess where they are needed to provide an option for the player on the ball 

Central midfield player

This is a challenging position for a number of reasons - mainly because the central midfield player will often find themselves isolated when they are in possession of the ball.

It is also likely that they will be closed down quickly by opposition players so, when they receive a pass, they will probably have to do so under pressure and without an immediate option to play the ball to. 

Players in this position must be able to receive the ball in tight spaces and retain possession individually, until a team-mate moves so that they become an option for them to pass the ball to.

"Young players need to recognise when it is time to provide defensive cover..."

This position therefore helps players develop key skills that a modern day midfielder needs to have: the ability to control the ball while an opponent is attempting to take it off them and the ability to be strong and agile.

Strength is important for shielding the ball to keep hold of it and good agility is needed to twist and turn to get away from an opponent and find a position where they can pass to a team-mate.

Forwards

In the modern game, not may teams play with two strikers. But that’s not to say we shouldn’t do it during the early stages of a player’s development.

Having forwards playing close to each other will help develop two key areas: decision-making and combination play.

When in possession, a striker in this formation usually has a decision to make, perhaps quicker than they usually would: do they keep it or share it with their team-mate?

In this formation, if the team can get the ball to one of their strikers, they will often be in a good position to put pressure on the opponent’s goal. 

Whether or not they are successful in that will often depend on the decision that the player who receives the ball makes: do they dribble or do they pass?

Identifying the correct time to release the ball is one of the most important decisions a player will need to get right.

When they do pass it, they are then developing combination play. With the two strikers likely to be in close proximity, the details around the pass will be crucial, in particular the exact area it is played into and the amount of weight it is played with.

7V7 3-1-2 - OUT-OF-POSSESSION SUMMARY

3-1-2 OUT-OF-POSSESSION - BY POSITION

Goalkeeper

As this formation has just one defender in the central area of the pitch, it is probable that the opposition will have more success when attacking centrally than usual.

This will likely mean that opposing players will have more attempts at goal from central areas. The goalkeeper will, therefore, have to deal with more shots on goal.

Opposing players will also likely be able to run in on goal more often when playing against a team using the 3-1-2 formation. 

In these situations, the goalkeeper will be required to develop and deploy a different set of skills and will have to make different types of decisions.

They will need to decide whether they want to stay on their feet, making themselves big, or whether they want to go to ground. 

Their starting position will also be important as it will impact when and how they can engage their opponent. It will also influence their angles in terms of being able to reduce the areas of the goal that are available to the player with the ball.

Central Defender

This formation will definitely be challenging from a defensive point of view, as it is likely the player will often find themselves in 1v1 situations in an area of the field that will be really dangerous should the attacker come out on top.

One of the first things the defender will need to develop, therefore, is their ability to defend on the front foot. 

The most effective way to reduce the risk of an opponent winning a 1v1 is by preventing them from receiving the ball in the first place. 

To do this, the defender will need to anticipate the pass being played into the forward and then be positive and forceful in trying to steal the ball before their opponent is able to collect it.

This will, of course, not always be possible. The central defender will find themselves in 1v1 situations on numerous occasions, far more than in most other formations.

Sometimes they will be positioned behind the attacking player who will be looking to shield the ball. In this instance, they need to prevent their opponent from turning or they could find themselves in a race with an opponent to win the ball.

• Wide defenders must make a number of recovery runs, especially when their team loses the ball high up the pitch
• Goalkeepers may face more threats on their goal from central positions in this formation
• When an opposition defender has the ball, one striker can force them to pass to a team-mate, who is then closed down by our other striker
• The central midfielder must try to prevent the opposition striker from receiving the ball

Wide Defenders

As these players are being encouraged to help the team attack, they will often find themselves ahead of the ball or a long way from their own goal.

Therefore it is likely they will need to make a number of recovery runs, especially when their team loses the ball high up the pitch. 

Players must learn to analyse what is happening in the game and predict when the team is likely to lose the ball. They can then start to recover before the opposition begins to attack. 

Once they have identified the need to make a recovery run, they must then understand where specifically their run needs to take them to ensure they are in the correct position to defend effectively. 

When recovering, players will often run towards the ball. This is not usually the correct place for them to go, especially because it is likely that the central defender will go towards the player with the ball. It is more important that the recovering defender concentrates on protecting the goal. 

To help them, we can give them a reference point. Asking them to run towards the post furthest away from them should get them into a position between the ball and the goal. They can then support the central defender.

Central Midfield Player

This formation presents the central midfield player with a number of challenges when the team is out of possession.

The primary problem is identifying where specifically they need to go when their team doesn’t have the ball. 

As there is really only one player whose sole responsibility is defending, the central midfielder will need to provide them with support. 

The central defender will often find themselves in a 1v1 situation against an opposing forward. Though this can be a good opportunity for them to develop their defending, we will still want to prevent this situation from occurring.

The first challenge for the central midfielder is to try to stop the ball being played into the forward. This could be by closing down opponents and shutting off the passing lane into the striker or actually intercepting the pass.

The other opportunity for out-of-possession development for this player is understanding when they need to cover for one of their team-mates.

Again, this is likely to involve working with the central defender, as they are one of the main players the central midfielder will need to cover for.

When the central defender gets pulled out of position because they need to go and deal with an opponent, perhaps in a wide area, the central midfielder must identify this and fill the space their team-mate has vacated.

Forwards

With two strikers in operation, this formation provides a rare opportunity in which we can ask our forward players to press from the front.

When playing with one forward at 7-a-side, it is not realistic to ask them to close down the opposition’s in-possession defenders, as they are likely to end up chasing the ball as it is transferred between players.

However, when we set the team up with two forwards, we can introduce a little bit of structure to how we want them to press. 

Rather than just asking a striker to press and close down the opponent with the ball, we can ask them to try to force that opponent to pass to a specific team-mate or area of the field. We can then ask our other striker to identify where the ball is likely to be played and be ready to go and press.

When teaching pressing at this early stage, remember that the players are young and don’t need too much detail. 

Keep it simple. Give forwards a small amount of information and go beyond just asking them to press.

Talk about the approach of the first striker when closing down the player with the ball to force them to play in a certain direction. 

Then, ask the second striker not to mark the opponent who is about to receive the ball and instead position themselves so that it encourages the ball to be played to them. 

This then allows the second striker to ‘pounce’ on their opponent as they are receiving the ball.