9v9 3-4-1 lineup sheet

The 9v9 3-4-1 formation

The 3-4-1 sets three defenders and four midfielders behind a single striker. It is the most cautious of the common nine-a-side shapes, crowding the middle of the field and attacking with runners from midfield.

Strengths

• Seven players behind the ball make it hard to score against
• Four midfielders control the centre and the flanks
• Midfielders arrive late into the box unmarked

Weaknesses

• The striker can be left alone against two defenders
• Needs midfielders willing to get forward or attacks fizzle out

Best for

Teams with one strong forward and plenty of midfielders, or when protecting a lead.

Coaching tip

Pick two midfielders whose job is to join the striker every time the ball goes forward.

Positions in a 9v9 3-4-1

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