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BASIC SOCCER POSITIONS (7 VS 7)
One Goalkeeper ("GK").
There is always just one Goalkeeper per team on the field at a time. The Goalie's job is to defend his/her team's goal and he/she usually stays close to his/her goal. You can identify the Goalie because he/she wears a different colored shirt or a vest over his/her shirt. As long as the goalie is in the "Penalty Box" the goalie can use his hands to pick up the ball, but if he comes out of the Penalty Box he cannot use his hands. Except for "Throw-Ins" and to pick up the ball in "Re-Start" situations, the Goalie is the only player who can legally use his hands.
Usually 2, 3 or 4 Defenders who are called Fullbacks ("FB").
Fullbacks play closest to their goal (which is the goal their Goalie defends). Along with the Goalie, they have the primary job of stopping the opponents from scoring. However, to a degree, every player should be a "defender" when the opponent has the ball.
Usually 2, 3 or 4 Midfielders ("MF").
The Midfielders play between the Fullbacks and the Forwards. They are often in the "Middle Third" of the field.
Usually 1, 2 or 3 Forwards ("F").
Forwards play closer to the opponent's goal, which is the goal guarded by the opposing Goalie. The Forwards are the primary scorers, although Midfielders sometimes score and at older ages Fullbacks even occasionally score.
EXAMPLES OF WHERE PLAYERS MIGHT BE POSITIONED ON KICK-OFFS IS SHOWN IN THE DIAGRAM ABOVE.
NOTES:
If the Green team has good passing skills, they should spread their forwards and midfielders wider than shown above so they have more "width" in their attack. Otherwise, it is best to stay compact so they are in a good defensive position in case they turn over the ball. They should especially keep their Fullbacks compact to protect their goal.
The receiving team must stay out of the "Center Circle" until the ball is moved by the kicking-off team.
For young teams the greatest danger is the opponent attacking straight down the center of the field (i.e., going straight to goal). Thus, when on defense, it will be best for those teams to stay compact toward the center and to force the opponent to attack to the outside (down the sidelines or "wings").
The diagrams above assume the Green team's plan is for a Forward (the RF in the 7 vs. 7 diagram) to kick the ball deep to the corner so the Forwards and MF's can push up and try to win the ball back. This has the advantages of being simple to teach and of moving the ball away from your goal so you avoid the possibility of turning the ball over in the midfield. Our experience is that it isn't worth Recreational teams spending much time practicing kick-offs (there aren't many kick-offs and there are many more important things to practice). Kicking the ball to the corner is a perfectly acceptable strategy and you avoid the risk of turning over the ball and giving up an easy goal (we have even seen professional women's soccer teams kick the ball deep to the corner).
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VOB LADY WIZARDS TRAVEL TEAM
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