5v5 Soccer Formations (Plus 4v4, 6v6 and 8v8)

Small-sided soccer formations at a glance

Formation numbers count field players from the back and leave out the goalkeeper. A 5v5 2-2 is a keeper plus two defenders and two forwards. Pick a starting shape from this table, then jump to the diagrams below. Need the player counts for each age group? Our guide to how many players are on a soccer team has them.

Which small-sided formats are standard?

• 4v4 is the US Soccer standard for U6–U8. The small-sided standards call for no goalkeepers, four quarters of up to 10 minutes with 5-minute breaks and unlimited substitutions at any time, and suggest about 6 players per team. (Older ages switch to halves; see how many quarters are in a soccer game.)
• Formats are maximums. US Soccer's 2026 coaching guidance suggests small games such as 1v1, 2v1 and 2v2 at U5–U6, up to 4v4 at U7–U8, up to 7v7 at U9–U10 and up to 9v9 at U11–U12, and says smaller formats can also be played at each age.
• 5v5, 6v6 and 8v8 are not US Soccer standard formats. Leagues, clubs and indoor programs that use them set their own rules for game length, field and goal size, goalkeepers and subs.
• Futsal is 5v5. Under FIFA's futsal laws, each team has up to five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper, and substitutions are unlimited.

4v4 soccer formations

4v4 has no goalkeeper, so all four players are field players. The back player is the last defender, not a keeper, and nobody uses their hands.

1-2-1 diamond (best for beginners)

• Shape: one player at the back (CB), one on each side (LM, RM) and one at the front (ST).
• Strengths: every player has a different direction, so the team spreads out and there's always a pass to the side. It's easy to explain: back, left, right, front.
• Weaknesses: only one player at the back. If they chase the ball upfield, the goal is wide open.
• Best for: most 4v4 teams, and the best all-round starting shape.

2-2 box

• Shape: two defenders (LB, RB) and two forwards (LF, RF), each with a partner on the same side.
• Strengths: two players always stay back, and every player has a partner to pass to.
• Weaknesses: nobody in the middle, so the team can split into a front pair and a back pair.
• Best for: teams conceding a lot, or kids who need the simplest possible job: "stay on your side."

5v5 soccer formations

Most 5v5 games have four field players and a goalkeeper, the same numbers as futsal. These are the three best 5v5 soccer formations.

2-2 box (best for beginners)

• Shape: a goalkeeper, two defenders (LB, RB) and two forwards (LF, RF).
• Strengths: simple pairs on each side, two players always back, and the keeper gives a safe pass behind them.
• Weaknesses: the middle is empty, so a ball through the center splits the team.
• Best for: new teams and most 5 v 5 soccer games.

1-2-1 diamond

• Shape: a goalkeeper, one defender (CB), two wide midfielders (LM, RM) and a striker (ST).
• Strengths: width and depth, with passing triangles all over the field.
• Weaknesses: one defender, so the wide players must track back.
• Best for: teams that already spread out and pass well.

2-1-1

• Shape: a goalkeeper, two defenders (LB, RB), a center midfielder (CM) and a striker (ST).
• Strengths: solid: two defenders with a midfielder in front of them.
• Weaknesses: the striker can be left alone up front.
• Best for: teams conceding a lot or playing stronger opponents.

5v5 soccer formations with no goalie

Some leagues play 5v5 without goalkeepers. Then all five players are field players, and the shapes work like 4v4 with one extra player. Start from a 4v4 shape and add the fifth player where your team needs help.

The 6v6 2-1-2 and 2-2-1 diagrams below show the same five field positions, with a keeper behind them. Without a keeper, the two back players should stay a little deeper and never both leave the goal at once.

6v6 soccer formations

6v6 is five field players plus a goalkeeper, one more than 5v5.

2-1-2 (best for beginners)

• Shape: two defenders (LB, RB), a center midfielder (CM) and two forwards (LF, RF). It's the 5v5 box with a player in the middle.
• Strengths: balanced, with two back, two up and a link player.
• Weaknesses: the center midfielder does a lot of running, so rotate that spot often.
• Best for: most 6v6 teams.

2-2-1

• Shape: two defenders (LB, RB), two wide midfielders (LM, RM) and a striker (ST).
• Strengths: width in midfield and two lines of two in front of the keeper.
• Weaknesses: nobody central in midfield, and the striker can be isolated.
• Best for: teams with quick wide players who can get up and back.

3-1-1

• Shape: three defenders (LB, CB, RB), a center midfielder (CM) and a striker (ST).
• Strengths: very hard to get behind, with a spare defender to cover.
• Weaknesses: only two attacking players.
• Best for: teams conceding a lot or facing stronger opponents.

8v8 soccer formations

8v8 is seven field players plus a goalkeeper, one more than 7v7 and one fewer than 9v9.

3-3-1 (best for beginners)

• Shape: three defenders (LB, CB, RB), three midfielders (LM, CM, RM) and a striker (ST).
• Strengths: two full lines of three cover the width of the field, so every player has a clear lane.
• Weaknesses: the lone striker needs midfielders to join attacks.
• Best for: most 8v8 teams. It's a 9v9 3-3-2 with one forward fewer.

3-1-3

• Shape: three defenders, one center midfielder (CM) and three forwards (LW, ST, RW).
• Strengths: lots of attackers and a safe back three. Three forwards can press together.
• Weaknesses: one midfielder covers the whole middle, so the team can be bypassed.
• Best for: attacking teams with a fit, confident center midfielder.

2-3-2

• Shape: two defenders (LB, RB), three midfielders (LM, CM, RM) and two forwards (LF, RF).
• Strengths: a strong midfield three with a strike pair. It's a 7v7 2-3-1 with an extra forward.
• Weaknesses: only two defenders, so the wide midfielders must track back.
• Best for: teams moving up from 7v7 that like to attack.

Positions in small-sided soccer

The labels on the diagrams match our lineup maker and planner. In small-sided games the lines are close together, so every player attacks and defends.

For more on what each role does at each age, see our youth soccer positions guide.

How to rotate players fairly

• Share minutes evenly. Total playing time is players on the field × game minutes. Divide it by your roster for each player's fair share. US Soccer's small-sided standards recommend every player plays at least half of each game.
• Use short shifts. 4v4 allows unlimited substitutions at any time under US Soccer's standards, so short shifts are easy and nobody sits long. In other formats, follow your league's sub rules.
• Keep a set order. Apart from keepers swapping in and out of goal, nobody sits twice before everyone has sat once.
• Rotate positions, not just minutes. Give every player turns at the back, in the middle and up front. The planner's Rotate positions (development) setting does this for you.
• Share goalkeeper turns. In formats with keepers, give a turn to anyone who wants one, ideally a full quarter or half at a time.

Our guide to how to sub in youth soccer covers goalkeeper rotation, late arrivals and talking to parents.

5v5 sub plan for 8 players

Leagues set their own 5v5 game length, so this example uses four 12-minute quarters. With 8 players and a sub every 4 minutes, three players sit each window, two keepers take turns by quarter, and everyone plays 28 to 32 minutes:

Want exactly equal minutes? This table shows how even each sub interval is with 8 players. Subbing every 6 minutes (halfway through each quarter and at each break) gives everyone exactly 30 minutes.

4v4 sub plan for 6 players

US Soccer's 4v4 standard is four quarters of up to 10 minutes, and it suggests about 6 players per team. With 6 players and a sub every 5 minutes (at each break and halfway through each quarter), two players sit each window, nobody sits twice in a row, and everyone plays 25 or 30 minutes, well over half the game:

Subbing every 3:20 would give all six exactly 26:40, but every 5 minutes is much easier to run from the sideline. Rotate who gets the extra window from game to game. For a version to print, use our 4v4 substitution charts.

Moving up to 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11

Under US Soccer's standards, U9–U10 play 7v7 and U11–U12 play 9v9, and 11v11 is the maximum format from U13. When your team moves up, see our 7v7 soccer formations, 9v9 soccer formations and the full soccer formations guide for 11v11 shapes. To print a team sheet for any shape on this page, open the soccer lineup maker, which covers 4v4, 5v5, 6v6 and 8v8 as well.