Before a single player is chosen, every formation starts with one decision: four defenders across the back, or three?
A Back Four
Four defenders share the width of the pitch between them, with full-backs providing both defensive coverage on the flanks and attacking width going forward.
A back four gives natural width without asking any one player to cover the full touchline alone. A back three trades that for an extra central defender, at the cost of demanding exceptional stamina from the wing-backs who now provide width by themselves.
Try it
On the pitch explorer, switch between 4-4-2 and 3-5-2 and count how many players occupy the width of the pitch in each shape.
Quick check
What does a back three gain compared to a back four?
Key takeaways
›A back four splits defensive and attacking width duty between two full-backs.
›A back three adds central defensive numbers but asks wing-backs to cover the width alone.
›Neither choice is universally correct. It depends on the players and the opponent.