The 4-3-3 formation, explained

The basic shape

The 4-3-3 uses a back four, a midfield three and an attacking front three. The goalkeeper plus ten outfield players are positioned roughly in the shape its name describes, although in modern football the lines bend and shift constantly.

Defenders stay compact when the team loses the ball, while the midfield three rotates to protect the back line. In possession the full-backs push forward, the wingers stretch the pitch and the number nine occupies the centre-backs.

Roles by position

Centre-backs

Composed on the ball, comfortable stepping into midfield to cover press, fast enough to defend the space behind a high line.

Full-backs

Provide the width going forward, tuck in as the team builds through the middle, and double up with the wingers to create overloads out wide.

Defensive midfielder (6)

Sits in front of the back four. Breaks up attacks, recycles possession and protects the central channel when full-backs push up.

Box-to-box and creative eights

Two midfielders ahead of the 6. One tends to drive forward in transition, the other links defence with attack and creates between the lines.

Wingers

Usually inverted: right-footers on the left, left-footers on the right. Cut inside to shoot and combine with the striker and number eight.

Striker (9)

Leads the press, attacks the last line of the opposition and finishes the chances the wingers and eights create.

Strengths

• Width and pressing triggers built into the shape.
• Numerical superiority in midfield most of the time.
• Plenty of rotation between the front three and the eights.

Weaknesses

• Exposed in the half-spaces if the wingers don’t track back.
• The 6 can be isolated against two attacking midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 or diamond shape.
• Demands fit, disciplined full-backs. Without them the back four gets stretched.

Build it in MyLineups

1. Open the builder.
2. Pick one of more than 300 clubs or national teams to load its current squad.
3. Tap the formation picker and select 4-3-3.
4. Swap players between the pitch and the bench to match the roles above: usually the defensive mid goes centrally ahead of the centre-backs, inverted wingers sit slightly ahead of the eights, and the striker at the top.
5. Export a clean square lineup image, or copy a share link that reopens the exact same XI on any device.

Want to take this base further? In the MyLineups mobile app you can build the same 4-3-3 from a fully custom lineup with no base club, import any of ~10,000 players from the catalog or create your own custom players, mark captains, log cards, goals, substitutions and ratings, and save up to 50 full lineups.