Soccer · 22 formations
Soccer Formation Maker
Pick a shape, drag your players into it, add names and numbers, and print the team sheet. Every pitch size from 5-a-side up to the full eleven, free and with no account.
11-a-side formations
The nine shapes most teams actually use, and when each one makes sense. Open any of them and the players land in position ready to rename.
4-4-2
Balanced classic
The default for a reason. Two banks of four, two strikers, easy to coach and hard to pull apart.
4-3-3
Attacking
Attacking width. Wingers stay high and the midfield three covers the ground behind them.
4-2-3-1
Modern, flexible
The modern club shape. Two holders protect the back four, three attackers feed a lone striker.
3-5-2
Wing-back power
Wing-back power. Five across the middle outnumbers most midfields; the wide players do the running.
5-3-2
Defensive shell
A defensive shell. Five at the back soaks up pressure and the two strikers counter.
3-4-3
Front-foot attacking
Front-foot pressing. Three at the back is a risk, but it puts six players in attacking areas.
5-4-1
Park the bus
Park the bus. Nine players behind the ball for a cup tie you need to survive.
4-1-4-1
Compact, one holder
Compact with one holder. Shuts the middle without dropping as deep as a 5-3-2.
4-3-1-2
Diamond midfield
Diamond midfield. A number ten behind two strikers, narrow but dangerous centrally.
Small-sided formations
Youth and small-sided football is not just eleven-a-side with fewer players — the shapes are different. Each pitch size has its own layouts.
What the numbers mean
A soccer formation is written back to front, starting with the defenders and never counting the goalkeeper. So 4-4-2 is four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers — eleven players once you add the keeper. A four-number shape like 4-2-3-1 splits the midfield into two banks: two holding players, then three attacking ones behind a lone striker.
The numbers describe a starting shape, not a set of rules. A 4-3-3 on paper becomes something closer to a 4-5-1 when the wingers drop in to defend, which is exactly why being able to drag players around matters more than the label.
Small-sided football has its own conventions. A 7-a-side 2-3-1 is two at the back, three across the middle and one up front; at 5-a-side a 1-2-1 is one defender, two midfielders, one striker. Fewer players means every position covers more ground, so the shape you pick says more about how much running you expect than about attacking or defending.
Questions
Is the soccer formation maker free?
Yes, and there is no account. Open it, drag your players into shape, and print or download the lineup. Nothing is locked behind a signup.
Which formations can I build?
Twenty-two presets across every pitch size: nine 11-a-side shapes including 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2 and 5-4-1, plus purpose-built layouts for 9-a-side, 8-a-side, 7-a-side, 6-a-side and 5-a-side. You can also drag any player anywhere and build a shape that is not on the list.
Can I add player names and squad numbers?
Yes. Tap any player to set their name, number, position label and captain's armband, and add a photo if you want one. Substitutes go on a bench you can drag onto the pitch.
Can I print the lineup or share it?
Both. Print a team sheet for the changing room, download a PNG sized for WhatsApp or Instagram, or copy a link that opens the same lineup for whoever you send it to.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The pitch is drag-and-drop on touch, and the whole editor is built for a phone screen — most people set their lineup on the way to the game.
Coaching American football?
The same editor does offensive and defensive football formations on a yard-lined field — I-Formation, Shotgun, Pistol, the 4-3 and the 3-4.
Build your soccer lineup
Pick a formation, drag your players, add names and numbers, then print or download it.
Open the lineup maker