The 3 defenders include two fullbacks (right and left sided defenders) and a central defender. The 3-2-3 system includes 3 defenders, 2 central midfielders and 3 attackers. Let’s get right into it – Positions, Roles and Responsibilities in the 3-2-3 (9v9). For more on the 3-2-3 formation and its strengths, weaknesses and coaching opportunities, check out our complete guide on Coaching the 3-2-3 (9v9) and Best Formations for 9v9. The lessons learned in this article can not only be applied to playing the 3-2-3 but to many other coaching facets and situations, allowing each coach to personalize the outcomes they gain from this article. This article will teach coaches everything they need to know about playing in the 3-2-3 formation, based primarily on my first-hand experiences playing the formation over the past two years with a talented group of now under-12 players. However, I have found that the 3-2-3 is fantastic in suiting nearly every type of player and the simple and easy variations that can be created using the formation such as shifting into a 3-1-3-1, allow coaches to tweak and change their style of play to fit the needs of the vast majority of youth soccer players.

I am a firm believer that the formation of any team should not be based around a club identity or a coach’s personal style of play, but rather based around the team’s style of play and the personnel of the team. Over the past three years of coaching 9v9 soccer, the 3-2-3 has become my favourite formation to use.

Numbers and positions in soccer