9v9 2-4-2 lineup sheet

The 9v9 2-4-2 formation

The 2-4-2 lines up two defenders, a midfield four and two strikers. The nine-a-side version of a 4-4-2 with the full-backs removed, it depends on the wide midfielders to cover the whole flank.

Strengths

• Four across midfield makes the team hard to play around
• Two strikers for a front pairing
• Familiar roles for players who know a 4-4-2

Weaknesses

• Just two defenders, so wide midfielders must recover
• Space behind the midfield line if they push up together

Best for

Fit teams with wide players who are happy to defend.

Coaching tip

Keep one central midfielder sitting in front of the two defenders at all times.

Positions in a 9v9 2-4-2

The lineup sheet has a box for each of these 9 positions in every quarter: Goalkeeper, Left Back, Right Back, Left Mid, Left Center Mid, Right Center Mid, Right Mid, Left Striker, Right Striker.

Other 9v9 formations

Want it filled in for you?

The free SOXY app does the parts a web page cannot. It keeps your roster, knows which players have said they are coming, and fills all four quarters so playing time comes out even. It rotates the goalkeeper, lets you drag players between positions, saves a lineup for every game, and prints this same sheet with the field, both coaches and the referees already on it.