Glossary
Football glossary
A plain-English reference for every football formation, tactic and position. Built by the team behind MyLineups — our lineup builder app.
A–Z reference
Football formations
Alphabetical reference of every common football shape — from 4-4-2 to 3-4-1-2.
12 entriesTactics
Plain-English definitions of pressing, blocks, runs and build-up concepts.
11 entriesPlaying positions
Every position on the pitch, what they do and how they’ve evolved.
Tactics
Concepts, in plain English
- False 9 A centre-forward who drops deep into midfield to drag defenders out of position and create space behind.
- Gegenpressing A high-intensity pressing scheme that tries to win the ball back within seconds of losing it, high up the pitch.
- High line Pushing the defensive line close to the halfway line to compress the pitch and sustain pressure.
- Low block Defending with all 10 outfield players compact inside your own half, inviting pressure to hit on the counter.
- Counter-attack A fast transition from defending to attacking, aimed at exploiting space before the opponent can regroup.
- Tiki-taka A short-passing, positional style that keeps possession and moves the opponent until gaps open.
- Inverted winger A winger who plays on the opposite side of their strong foot to cut inside and shoot.
- Inverted full-back A full-back who steps into midfield when the team has the ball, rather than overlapping out wide.
- Man-marking A defensive scheme where each defender is responsible for a specific opponent rather than a zone.
- Zonal marking A defensive scheme where defenders cover zones of the pitch rather than specific players.
- Overlapping run A run from deep, from outside the winger, to provide width and attacking support.
- Pressing trap A coordinated press that invites the opponent to play into a specific area and then suffocates them there.
Playing positions
Every role on the pitch
- Goalkeeper (GK) The only player allowed to use hands inside their penalty area, and the last line of defence.
- Centre-back (CB) One of two (or three) central defenders responsible for stopping the opposing striker.
- Full-back (LB / RB) Defenders on the left or right of the back four who provide width and attacking support.
- Wing-back (LWB / RWB) A full-back in a back-three system who provides width on both sides of the pitch, end to end.
- Defensive midfielder (CDM) A midfielder positioned just in front of the back four, tasked with breaking up play and recycling possession.
- Central midfielder (CM) A midfielder playing between the defensive and attacking thirds, balancing creation and recovery.
- Box-to-box midfielder (B2B) A midfielder who contributes in both penalty boxes, covering ground at high intensity throughout the game.
- Attacking midfielder (CAM) A player stationed between the midfield and the striker, focused on unlocking defences.
- Winger (LW / RW) Wide attacking players tasked with stretching the pitch, beating defenders and creating chances.
- Striker (ST / CF) The centre-forward — the team’s main goalscorer and the focal point of the attack.
- Sweeper (libero) A free-roaming central defender behind the back line, originally used in catenaccio systems.
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