9-aside formation: 3-2-3

3-2-3 IN-POSSESSION - BY POSITION

Goalkeeper

As there is so much width within the 3-2-3 set-up, the goalkeeper will play a lot of balls into the wide areas of the pitch. Yet, the formation also brings opportunities for them to play centrally.

The width provided forces the opposition to stretch their players across the pitch. This will create spaces or gaps in the usually compact and busy central areas, allowing the two central midfielders to come and look to receive the ball from the goalkeeper.

When playing the ball into these central areas, the goalkeeper needs to be able to see the movement from the midfielders early, in order to react to it quickly with an accurate pass, struck with a good amount of weight. This will ensure they do not lose possession in a dangerous area.

To aid this, the goalkeeper must have the ability to scan both before they receive the ball and when they are in possession of it. They will also need to be able to control the ball effectively, so that they can strike it quickly without the need to adjust their positioning. 

Finally, they must calculate where exactly their team-mate wants the ball to played them, so that it gives them the best possible chance of retaining possession of the ball.

Central Defender

When their team is in possession, one of the main responsibilities of the central defender is to ensure they don’t get in the way of their team-mates, or prevent the ball from being played forward.

As they are positioned centrally, they will likely need to move ’off-centre’ when the goalkeeper has the ball. In doing so, they must not block off the space for the midfielder to come into, or stand in the pathway that the ball needs to travel to reach their team-mate.

They will need to be aware of the midfielder’s movements, while also making slight adjustments to their own position, in order to create some space for their team-mates.

Once the ball has gone beyond them and into the midfield or the front players, the role of the central defender changes.

Rather than making movements to create space for other players to receive a pass, they now need to be the player who provides whichever team-mate has the ball an option to play back.

Because the two midfielders need to stay ahead of the ball to provide an option centrally (one of them may also be in possession), the central defender will need to take on the role of the ’number 6’, or central defensive midfielder.

To do this effectively, they will need to constantly check their position and be aware of what is around them at all times.

Additionally, they will need to help their team take advantage of the width afforded by this formation. 

It is likely that the central defender – due to how and where they receive the ball – will be the one that switches the play from one side of the pitch to the other. They will, therefore, need to master the long diagonal pass.

• Wide attackers can enhance their 1v1 abilities, in a number of different scenarios
• Wide defenders will have space to drive into and either overlap or underlap the player with the ball
• Centre-forward’s movement – whether to come short or stretch the play with a run in behind – will be key
• Central midfielders connect the defence and attack but may need to escape a packed part of the field
• The central defender may position themselves ’off-centre’ and also be required to play diagonal passes 
• Goalkeeper has options to play the ball out wide or into central areas

Wide defenders

The team can make the most of this formation, and the width it provides, by creating overloads in wide areas. The two wide defenders will be key to this.

In possession, there will be occasions when they will have plenty of space in front of them, with opportunities for them to drive forward. 

In these instances, it is not just the technique of running with the ball that is important, but also the execution of the pass that will need to be made while the player is on the move.

Players should look to use the outside of the foot to disguise the pass, and time it correctly to ensure it is not blocked by the defender closing them down. 

Another action the wide defender will do a lot when they have the ball in this formation is to cross it. To do so effectively, they will need to be able to cross the ball in different ways and from different areas of the pitch.   

When the wide attackers have the ball, the wide defenders must offer support by identifying where their team-mate is positioned and where they need to be to help. The basic concept to begin with is: If the wide player stays out wide, then they should come inside, and vice-versa. 

They must then decide whether the wide player needs support ahead of, or behind, the ball. Factors to be taken into consideration include which way they are facing, and the positioning of other team-mates and opposition players. 

"The team can make the most of the width in this formation by creating overloads..."

For example, if the player on the ball is facing forwards, and there is space ahead of them behind the opposition’s back-line, then the wide defender will probably look to make an overlapping, or underlapping, run.

Central Midfielders

As the defensive and attacking units have the extra players, one of the main roles of the two midfield players will be to connect them. They can also take advantage of the spaces that are likely to appear due to the multiple wide positions in the team.

When the opposition is stretched across the pitch, large gaps or spaces will become available in the central areas, making it easier to penetrate through the opposition’s units. 

The two midfielders can look to make runs through these gaps, between the opposition defenders. The key is the timing of the runs; they will need to identify when the gaps have appeared, and if their in-possession team-mate is able to play the pass.

Due to the number of players in wide areas, the two midfielders are likely to be outnumbered in central areas. They will often receive the ball under pressure, and so must be able to control the ball into an area where they can protect it and shield it from the opponent attempting to tackle them. 

They will then either need to get away from danger themselves, or find a team-mate who is in a better position. It is likely that this team-mate will be the other midfielder.

To escape the danger, the midfielders can combine with each other, by playing quickly using limited touches, making it difficult for their opponents to close them down and stop them from escaping the congested area.

Wide Attackers

These players will have lots of opportunity to enhance their 1v1 abilities, in a number of different scenarios.

The positioning of the opposition defender – tight, far away, behind them, in front of them – will change, as will the way in which they receive the ball; facing their own goal or facing their opponents goal, for example. 

Where, specifically, they receive the ball will also have an impact on the picture they face. For instance, if they receive it in a wide area, they will have fewer options in terms of which way they can take the ball.

This formation also offers an opportunity to play with an inverted winger, which is when a left-footed player plays on the right- hand side of the pitch, or vice-versa.

This allows the wide player to come inside with the ball, which then usually provides them with a few options – the first is to pass it to a team-mate to retain possession.

Some of the other actions are a lot more challenging and will require the players to work on different elements of their game.

It could be that cutting inside provides them with the opportunity to shoot, or to penetrate the backline with a pass and playing a team-mate in on goal.

The type of shot or pass they would need to execute to achieve this will be quite different to that in other areas of the pitch.

Centre forward

Despite being the only central striker, they should not feel too isolated, as they will have options either side of them and behind them. Depending on the specific movement of the central defenders and the wide players, they may also have options ahead of them. 

"There should be plenty of opportunities for the striker to get on the end of a cross..."

The forward’s movement – whether to come short or stretch the play with a run in behind – will be key. Often, they will need to accept that the runs they make are not to receive a pass, but to make it easier for one of their team-mates to get on the ball.

For instance, if they make a forward run which forces the opposition’s backline to go with them, it will then create space between their defensive and midfield units. 

This space can then be exploited by a central midfielder, or a wide attacker coming inside. 

Another key requirement for the forward in this formation will be to get themselves in the box and score goals.

As the wide players are supported by the wide defenders, there should be plenty of opportunities for the striker to get on the end of a cross. 

For them to be effective with this type of finish, the centre forward will need to practise their movement; getting across the defender and identifying whether to run towards the goal, or stay back to receive a cut-back pass. 

They will also need to work on their one-touch finish and the different ways in which this can be executed.

9v9 3-2-3 - OUT-OF-POSSESSION SUMMARY

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

Goalkeeper

It is likely that opposition teams will try to take advantage of the small number of players that your team has in central areas, so most of their attacks might originate and conclude through this central corridor.

Opposition progression through the middle will, hopefully, get more difficult as the opposition gets closer to goal, as the three defenders stay compact.

It is likely they will then look to shoot, which means the goalkeeper will have to deal with long-distance efforts.

Alternatively, with the three defenders staying compact, the opposition may look to play round them, rather than through them. When this happens, attacking players will look to receive the ball down the outside of one of the wide defenders.

In these circumstances, the receiving player will probably look to place a shot across goal or attempt a cross. The goalkeeper must consider their positioning to ensure they have their angles right. 

They will also need to work on how they will deal with the shot or cross. Quite often, it will not be possible, or even the right decision, to try and collect or catch the ball. 

In these instances, they need to be able to push the ball away from danger. 

As with all formations, a lot of what the goalkeeper now needs to do is based around footwork and positioning, rather than just shot-stopping.

Central defenders

With not much protection in front them, the central defender is key when the team does not have the ball.

There will often be a temptation for them to leave their position to go and engage the ball, especially if the opposition is able to penetrate through the midfield, but doing so will leave a big space in a really dangerous part of the pitch, which the opposition will then look to go and exploit. 

Therefore, the first key thing this player needs to understand is when they should leave their position. 

In most cases, they shouldn’t. But, if they do believe the correct decision is for them to move into another area of the pitch – likely because they believe they can get to the ball before their opponent – they must ensure they are fully committed and there is no hesitation in what they do.  

This means ensuring that the opposition cannot play forward and exploit the space in behind, left by the defender vacating their position. 

If they can’t win the ball, which should be their first aim, they need to ensure that their opponent is forced backwards. Once they have achieved this, it is imperative that they return to their position. 

Overall, they need to be disciplined and focused, in order to make the right sort of decisions.

• Wide attackers must track the runs of opposition players, and make sure they get the correct side of them
• Wide defenders must adopt a side-on body position, so it is easy for them to change direction quickly
• The centre forward must drop deeper to engage the opposition defensive midfielder, to assist their own midfielders
• Central midfielders can’t afford to go chasing the ball, as they will get played around easily and tire quickly
• Largely, the central defender should resist the temptation to engage the attacker
• The goalkeeper must be ready to field long shots or crosses from wide

Wide Defenders

With the opposition likely to try and play around the back three, wide defenders will need to be able to deal with the resulting balls from the wings.

To do this, they will need to adopt a side-on body position, so that it is easy for them to change direction quickly.

They will also need to be aware of the opposition players who are looking to make runs, and react to these movements. 

Once an opponent makes a run, the defender must track it. If they wait until the ball is played, it will be too late. If the ball isn’t played, they must get back into their position quickly.

Another important aspect of their performance will be their decision-making and positioning when the ball is in the wide areas. 

Quite often, when they need to go into a wide position because an opponent has the ball in this area, they will need to cover a lot of ground to get there. 

They need to be careful that, as they rush across to get to their opponent, the ball is not played back inside, to exploit the space left by the defender. 

"Wide defenders must be aware of opposition players’ runs and react to these movements..."

This provides the wide defender with a good opportunity to practise being patient and recognising when they need to cover the space, while also closing down some of the space between them and the opponent on the ball. 

Once they are in the right position, they can start to close down the player further and put pressure on the ball.

Central Midfielders

These two players will need to make important decisions around when to be patient in their defending, and when they can or need to be more aggressive.

Because they are likely to be outnumbered, they cannot afford to go chasing the ball, as they will get played around easily and tire quickly.

They will, therefore, need to understand when to protect the space and remain patient, and when to engage the player on the ball. 

There are some simple guidelines they can consider, such as: Can they win the ball? How dangerous is the situation? Where are other players positioned?

Another consideration is the ability of these two players to work as a pair. 

They will likely be at a disadvantage due to them being outnumbered. But how big of an advantage the opposition will have will depend on how effectively these two work together. 

If they do not stay close to each other, and end up isolated, it will be a lot easier for them to be penetrated. 

Each midfielder must always be aware of the positioning of the other. They will also need to communicate with each other to ensure that they do not get separated. 

At the same time, they need to make sure they do not get too close to each other, either – so there is a need for them to keep analysing their position.

Wide Attackers

One of the key requirements of this position is to be able to predict danger.

Due to the low numbers in the midfield unit, these two players will need to drop back and help their team-mates. Their recovery runs should start as soon as they think their team might be in trouble. 

This does not mean they have to fully recover every time they think the opposition is about to win possession, but they will need to start to alter their positioning and body shape slightly, so that if their team does lose the ball, they are not caught out and are more able to get back into a position where they can help their team-mates to defend.

Another area they will need to concentrate on is their ability to track the runs of opposition players, and making sure they get the correct side of them. 

It is quite easy, and normal, for young players to focus solely on the ball and not be aware of other things happening around them. 

When they are not directly involved in the game, it is also normal for them to just watch and wait to see what the outcome is before they decide what to do next. 

This particular position, in this formation, is an excellent opportunity for them to learn the importance of always ’thinking the worst’ and being aware of opposition players who are not necessarily close to the ball.

"It is easy, and normal, for young players to focus on the ball and not on other things..."

Centre forward

With the two midfielders likely to be outnumbered, there will be times when the striker will need to drop back into the midfield area, especially when the opposition are playing with a defensive midfielder.

If so, the central striker will need to engage this player. If they don’t, one of the central midfielders will have to, which means they become disconnected from their partner. 

How the striker does engage will depend on where, specifically, the ball is situated and the circumstances in which the opposition gains possession. 

For instance, if the ball starts with their goalkeeper, who then plays it into a defender, your striker will attempt to prevent the opponent’s defensive midfielder from getting on the ball. 

To do so, they will look to position themselves in between the ball and their opponent, blocking the path that the ball needs to travel to reach the opposition player. 

This will require good awareness and patience. Any attempt to chase the ball and tackle the opponent’s defenders will nearly always result in failure, and the opposition progressing up the pitch. 

In instances when the opposition’s defensive midfielder is already in possession of the ball, the striker will need to put immediate pressure on this player to try to win it.

 
Their approach, body shape and positioning will be key. Getting their body across the player and in front of the ball will help them complete the tackle strongly and fairly.