How important is formation in football?
The game formation refers to the arrangement of the players’ positions on the field, the combination of offensive and defensive forces, and the division of responsibilities. The formation is generally arranged from the back row to the front row, and is divided into the rear line, the front line and the forward line according to the arrangement of the players. The responsibilities of the goalkeeper are fixed and generally do not count. The formation of the game is selected according to the conditions, specialties and characteristics of the opponents of the team. The formation should make each player on the field clear the basic position and main responsibilities, give full play to the wisdom of the players and the offensive and defensive characteristics of the whole team, and be flexible and flexible. Use, must not rigidly pursue the formation, and limit the characteristics of the players.
With the development of modern football, the continuous improvement of players’ technical, tactical, physical and psychological qualities and the gradual deepening of people’s understanding of the rules of football games, the game formation has also evolved and developed, and has experienced the following four stages of evolution. .
(1) The budding stage of the competition formation (1860-1924)
With the birth of modern football in 1863, unified competition rules were formulated, so that football matches could be played under the conditions of fair competition. The players needed basic responsibilities and division of labor on the field. From the nine or ten strikers before the birth of modern football who only focused on the attacking “swarm” style of play, it gradually developed into the “two-two-six” style, and the “two-three-five” style. , The football game has also changed from just kicking the ball forward and running forward. The players are mostly concentrated in the area with the ball, heavy attack and light defense.
(2) The stable development stage of the competition formation (1925-1953)
In 1925, FIFA revised the offside rule, changing the number of offside players between the attacking player and the opponent’s end line to less than two players, which promoted the reform of tactical play and game formation. After continuous practice summary, in 1930, the British Chipman created the “WM” formation. This formation has a clear division of labor and balance of offensive and defensive power. The tactical style of play is defender defense, forward attack, avant-garde assists, and inner striker organizes offense and assists. It is suitable for the players’ ability to play at that time, and has been adopted by various countries for a long time. .
(3) The stage of rapid change of the game formation (1954-1974)
This period is also known as the three changes in the game formation and tactical play.
In the early 1950s, the Hungarian team created a “four forward” formation in view of the characteristics of the “WM” formation with three backs. And with accurate short pass coordination and frequent crossovers, he effectively broke through the opponent’s defense line and achieved a world-shattering achievement. Countries have followed suit, and it is hailed as the first change in game formation and tactical play.
In the late 1950s, the Brazilian team drew on the successful experience of the Hungarian team’s offensive reform and the characteristics of the “four-forward” formation, which is strong in attack and weak in defense, and created a “four-two-four” formation. Using four defenders to deal with four forwards not only strengthens the attacking power of the forwards, but also increases the defensive power, and achieves a balance of offense and defense, resulting in a remarkable record. This formation became the basic formation in the world in the 1960s, and was hailed as the second revolution in game formation and tactical play.
In the 10th World Cup in 1974, the Dutch team and the then West Germany team used the “1333” and “433” as the basic formation, and the players on the field were in the high-speed movement and change of the whole team. Maintain the orderliness of the overall and local formation structure, and give full play to the “overall” style of play of the team’s overall offensive and defensive capabilities. It has brought a new situation to the football game and is known as the third revolution in the game formation and tactical play.
(4) The stage of further exploration and development of the competition formation (1975 to present)
After 1974, with the continuous exploration of the “overall” tactical play and the more comprehensive offensive and defensive skills of athletes, the game formation and tactical play have also been further developed. In the 13th World Cup in 1986 and the 14th World Cup in 1990, some excellent teams adopted the “three-five-two” and “five-three-two” game formations and tactics. In the several games after the 15th FIFA World Cup in 1994, some excellent teams were able to flexibly arrange and randomly combine changes based on the basic formation according to the different characteristics of the players, the specific situation of the opponent and the tactical needs of winning. , the mobility of offense and defense has been fully exerted and used, which marks the maturity of modern football in tactical play.
