 This video is all about soccer positions And I encourage you to watch all the way to the end because I'm going to share some information that is Guaranteed to make you a better player, but could potentially save your career and we'll talk a little bit more about that If you don't know about me, I used to be a huge underachiever, but through obsessive self-improvement I found my success earned a college scholarship played for my national football team a YouTube channel with over 100 million views I've helped players worldwide and I'd love to help you improve faster and achieve more now in this video I'm going to talk about the basic soccer position. So if you are looking for information on soccer positions I'm going to explain that in detail. I'm also going to talk about The roles and responsibilities of each position so you can get a better idea of Maybe where you would be best suited to play and then I'm going to give you some tips some very Important stuff that I want you to hear at the end of this video. So like I said, please watch all the way to the end so I'm just going to talk briefly about the positions if you do want full tutorials about how to play each position specifically just go to my channel progressive soccer train and search For those positions how to play full back or how to play striker or how to play defensive midfielder Whatever position you're you're looking for I have a tutorial on it So go to my channel and check that out. Okay, so to get into this first thing I want to say is that Nowadays we're seeing a much more different formation But back in the day and still some teams do play this formation is the traditional 4-4 To formation. Okay, so let's talk about the positions in this formation quickly goalkeeper as always Center backs or center halves you have a right center back or a right central defender and a left center back or a left central defender Left full back right full back here. We have two central midfielders right central midfielder left central midfielder Here we have a right wide midfielder or a left wide midfielder Here you have two Forward's or a right forward or a right striker and a left forward or a left striker Okay, so like I said some teams still do play this formation, but what we're seeing a lot more is this formation here Most teams are playing this or a variation of this these days and this is a 4-2 3-1 okay, so let's talk about the positions in this formation because this is what you're seeing a lot more if you watch Professional football on TV. You're probably seeing them play a formation like this So again goalkeeper the back line is still the same Two center backs or center halves right center back left center back left full back right full back now here We have defensive midfielders Okay, so you have a right defensive midfielder or a left defensive midfielder and here We have wide midfielders, but these are probably referred to as wingers So a right winger a left winger and here we have an attacking midfielder attacking central midfielder and up top by himself is the striker or center forward. Okay, so that's Basically a breakdown of the positions Like I said if you want a full tutorial on how to play each position Especially in this formation here in more detail Just go to my channel progressive soccer and search for those specific positions that I've just mentioned Let's talk briefly. I'm like I said, I'm just gonna talk briefly about each position and the roles and responsibilities To give you a better idea of where you might be best suited to play So first of all goalkeeper, what do you have to do? Keep the ball out of the net Okay, and I did do a tutorial on goalkeeper and I am making more goalkeeper training videos I've got a friend who's gonna help me out. We're gonna bang out a bunch of goalkeeper Videos for all you goalkeepers out there who's saying we never we never do any goalkeeper videos. Well, it's coming So please be patient. Okay goalkeeper keep the ball out of the net You still need to be involved in the play as far as organizing your team Okay, making sure everyone's marked up especially on the defensive side of things Okay, you need to be the commander the general from back here So yes, you need to be a great shot stopper. You need to command your box anything crosses are coming in You need to be brave. You need to win those. You also need to have good distribution So whether that is with your hands or your feet You need to be able to receive a ball and you need to be able to play balls out of the back in different ways With your hands and your feet good distribution accurate passes But most importantly, you got to keep the ball in the net central defenders or center backs Okay, these are usually guys winning the headers in the air when the goal kick comes up They're coming through they're winning the ball. They're winning tackles again. They're organizing their team They're making sure everyone is compact making sure everyone's marked up. They're blocking lots of shots in here making lots of tackles and They may be forced all positions may be forced to play in other positions We'll talk about that briefly after I finish this But you are expected to do most of the defensive work for your team Okay, full backs again still very important that these guys defend but in today's game they do have a lot more freedom to get up the field and be more adventurous and joining the tack and Saying that it's actually Expected of you. So if you want to be a fullback, you need to have a good engine on you You need to be able to get up and down this line Yes defense comes first But you need to come in and join in the attack because we'll talk more about it But these wingers like to creep inside that creates lots of space for you to get up this wing And then you can whip crosses in the box Okay on the defensive side of things you have to stop crosses coming in the box You have to be quick on your feet. You need to be good in one-on-one defending situations and you need to Have an appetite for the game because a lot of times when you're tired you make this run you're tired You don't necessarily want to get back. You have to get back. You have to help out your team And you have to defend first. Okay defensive midfielder's so in the traditional formation 4-4-2 When we had four midfielder's like that these guys are basically box to box Everyone was pretty much box to box getting up getting down getting up getting down Especially these central guys doing a lot of running in this formation. These defensive midfielders. They have a bit more Defensive responsibilities. So yes, they might get up sometimes and join in the attack But their job is to protect the back line So they're cleaning up any passes in here if balls are played into the strikers here They're doubling up. They're trying to win the ball back. Okay, they're blocking passes into strikers here They're covering the playmakers here They're winning tackles in the midfield and then they're very important on The offensive side as far as moving the ball keeping the rhythm of play going keeping good distribution So they'll go and pick up the ball from the full back. They'll switch the play and they'll get it out here I should have a ball here on the field Okay, they're told about these guys are all about the playmakers. They keep the ball moving They're always showing giving options always moving the ball coming to get it from here switching the ball out of danger Switching to the other side of the field play lots of two-touch football always moving the ball keeping things ticking Okay, so that's these guys responsibility moving forward Let's talk about our number 10 attacking midfielder or the playmaker is usually this guy in here Okay, so this guy usually has a lot of freedom to go wherever he wants But his role and responsibility is to create goals and to score goals for his team. Okay, so As a playmaker, you're expected to get on the ball as often as possible You need to be finding little pockets of space between the defenders and these guys want to find you Everyone wants to find you but if you can get the ball into feet in these areas Then you're looking to play a little through balls to your wingers making runs or play into the strikers feet And joining the attack and try to get shots on goal. Okay. Also, you need to get in the box lots Whatever there's opportunity to score. Excuse me one second. Oh Bless me Sorry, I got a bit of a cold right now, but no excuses. I got a bang on this video for you guys Where was a attacking midfielder? Okay, so like I said get on the ball here You want to play these little combos? And yes, what I was saying is you need to get in the box if you're an attacking midfielder And you're always waiting around here. Just sit in the midfield. You're not gonna be very valuable to your team Okay, just as much as a striker you almost want to be as a second striker getting involved in the play You just have a little bit more defensive Responsibility you have to get back in and help out especially if you're playing against a very good team This comes into almost like a four five one on the defensive side of things Okay, we get back and we defend on the offensive side of things these guys especially get forward and attack. Okay wingers Your responsibility is to get lots of width Get the ball out wide and then you want to take eyes on you want to whip crosses into the box But you also want to cut inside and you want to create goalscoring opportunities for yourself play these little combinations And I want to say that these guys should feel a lot of freedom Especially these front four whether you're playing winger attacking midfielder or striker Freedom to interchange positions. Okay, especially I like to play total football If you like this content check out the soccer success planner you can download it for free There's a link in the description below and for advanced training check out the online soccer Oh where everyone can cover everyone so if uh, let's say a fullback does get up here Okay, his The winger his partner on the side here isn't going to say hey buddy You got to get back here defender He should be able to cover for him and this guy can come back slowly and then they can switch positions And he can go back and fill his spot. Okay, but especially these attacking four feel free to interchange positions Don't feel restricted to stay out here come inside sometimes. This guy can come in here strike It can drop attacking midfielder can make an advanced run. Okay free interchange of positions Just make sure defensively you get back into your spot and you help your team out Okay, so winger is like I was saying Getting wide taking players on in the right positions whipping crosses into the box Combining the play combining with the strikers your job is to feed the striker Your job is also to get goals for yourself And yes, you do need to help out defensively So say this defender and say there's an attacker right here and he's defending Don't just watch him come and help him double up because if he does his job It stops him forces to go backwards then you can win that ball And then you can play into the attack and join right away. Okay So let's talk finally about the striker quickly striker obviously. What's your responsibility? You got to score goals for your team. You got to put the ball in the net Okay, so if you want to be a striker you need to be very clinical in front of the net If you have two chances you got to be scoring at least one of them How you gonna do that? Well, we talk about that in a lot of my other videos But you got to be sharp with your finishing. You got to be practicing finishing every day. You got to be Studying great finishers great goal scores learning from them. Okay, but your job is anytime There's a ball whipped into the box. You want to be the guy getting on it Okay, you want to be making that run to the front post or peeling off making a run to the back post Or showing at the top for a cutback. Okay, you want to be involved You want to be an option you always want to be making good runs into space You also want to play as a target player. Okay, so Show you trying to get the ball into feet you want to hold that ball up really well And then guys are going to be running off you that you can play to or he's going to come back You can play this little give and go But especially as a striker if you're the only guy up there when that ball is played up to you You have to be able to keep possession if you lose it every time Your team isn't going to be able to get out of trouble. Okay, they need that outlet You need to be a good target player hold that ball be strong on the ball shield off defenders Play that ball simple then you can spin try to make forward runs between the center backs or between The full backs and try to get on that ball Then like I said, it's all about scoring goals and it's about creating goals for your teammates as well Okay. Yes, you want to be greedy in front of goal, but you also need to realize Okay, I got two guys defending me right now Well, maybe the best option is a pass to someone else and give them the opportunity to score Okay, so that's uh, basically the roles and responsibilities of each position I hope that helped you understand soccer positions a bit better What I want to say now is that You may have a preference of where you like to play And right now you may not be getting an opportunity In that position, where are we? Oh here here. Yeah, we're good Your coach may not be giving you an opportunity in that position Okay, but you need to understand that Plain different positions is one of the best things for your growth So if you want to be a striker everybody wants to be the striker But look, there's only one position as striker, especially in this formation So if you get stuck in a right full back or a left center back That's not the end of the world. In fact, it's just the beginning You need to look at that positively. You need to look at that like, okay This is an opportunity for me to grow in a different way And this is an opportunity for me to maybe get my chance Because a lot of players and I was just talking to a player agent the other day And he said every every parent wants their kid to play striker every kid wants to play striker or the number 10 attacking midfielder but Every professional team needs to fill positions needs to fill all these other positions every great team Needs to fill all these other positions and these positions are extremely important So maybe you can't make the top team as the starting striker But you can make it as the best full back in the league Okay, so just because you've been asked to play in a different position don't be like, oh, this is the worst I just want to play striker. I just want to score goals Look at your new position as a new opportunity and just say, hey I'm going to be the best left back there's ever been or I'm going to be The best defensive midfielder I can possibly be okay playing different positions or positions You're not used to is one of the best things for your development. So don't look at it negatively All right, what I also wanted to say and what I usually say is When players ask me Which position should I play here are my skills? Which position should I play? Well, I usually say what position do you want to play? And then I ask you to start developing those skills required by that position Because you may be stuck playing right back right now But if you want to play left winger or you want to play striker this number 10 or you want to play center back Okay, your opportunity may come One day so you need to be working to develop those skills and you need to be communicating with your coach saying hey I'm happy to play full back out here But I do really want to give it a try at winger or striker If there's ever an opportunity feel free to put me in because I've been working out my finishing or I've been working out my defending or I've been working on My tackling my ball playing whatever you think is important for that position Okay, so if you want to play striker, that's fantastic work to be the best striker You can possibly be but while you're stuck playing center back or defensive midfielder You you're not bitter. Okay, you're not frustrated. You don't resent your coach You're waiting for your opportunity, but you understand that hey I'd love to play striker But this position right here is probably the best thing for my development And I'm just going to make the most of this opportunity Okay, and that's like I said, I was talking to an agent recently and he said That he had a player who wanted to play striker But he got converted to left back and he just decided. Okay, I'm going to be the best left back I can possibly be and he ended up getting signed as a left back for a professional team And he never would have made it as a striker because the competition was just too high in that position And he wasn't as good of a striker as he was a left back. Okay, so That move to a different position may be the best thing for your career So leaving you I'll say Whatever position you want to play strive to play that position develop the skills to play that position But if you're stuck in a different position make the most of it It's not the end of the world. In fact, it's just the beginning because that change from striker to left back Or that's change from attacking midfielder to defensive midfielder Could have been the best thing for your career and allowed you to play on a higher team Allowed you to progress further allowed you to realize What your true position was okay, and I encourage you to play every position on the field at some point in your career It's just going to allow you to develop different skills. It's going to make you a smarter player It's going to allow you to see the game in different ways and it's going to make you a better player Okay, if you like this video on soccer positions if it helped you Please give me a quick thumbs up. Give me a little comment below. Let me know. What is your position? What position do you play? What position do you want to play? And what do you think is holding you back from playing that position? And maybe I can make some videos that will help you develop the skills necessary to get the starting spot for that position If you like this content, check out the soccer success planner. You can download it for free There's a link in the description below and for advanced training. Check out the online soccer academy