For example, the first formation listed in the interactive chart below is a "231" formation This means 2 defenders, 3 midfielders, and 1 attacker But what about the goalie? The tactics column looks at the 4231 formation and how it has become almost the standard in modern football because of its balance and flexibility The 4231The 341 Formation (or 323) This is the formation we saw most frequently at 9 a side football by a long way With the ball it's a 323 and without it becomes a 341 Plenty of width in attack, cover all over the pitch and 3 defenders seems the right number for the size of pitch and age of players to provide adequate cover at the back, with
Association Football Positions Wikipedia
