There is no easy position in soccer. All the positions have their own challenges unique to them. But some are definitely easier than others. So, let’s examine why this particular position is the easiest in soccer.
Center back is the easiest position in soccer. They don’t need to be that fast or sound on the ball. They only need to be able to stop the opposition forwards, which is often helped by their physical build. Full-back is the next easiest position in soccer, as they don’t have to master a particular skill set.
There are many reasons why center-back is the easiest position in soccer. Some have to do with the physical characteristics that center backs naturally tend to possess, while others are more related to the general demands of the position. This is why center-back is the easiest position in soccer.
Why Is Center Back The Easiest Position In Soccer?
While all positions are challenging in soccer, center-back is probably the easiest. That doesn’t mean that center back is entirely relaxed and that there is no pressure on center backs, but instead that it is just easier than any of the other positions to play.
Center back is the most straightforward position in soccer for multiple reasons. The first is that center backs don’t have to be particularly fast. They often get a significant head start on attacking players. If their team plays a low defensive line, there generally isn’t much space for the attacking players to run behind them.
Center backs are generally tall players, as it is one of the best positions for tall soccer players. This makes it much easier for them to win aerial duels, especially as most forward players are shorter than center-backs.
They can also use their size to physically dominate opposition forwards in ground duels. This makes defending easier, as the attacking players cannot push them over due to their size.
Do Center Backs Have To Be Good Passers?
Center backs are only required to be particularly good on the ball for top teams. If a team doesn’t dominate possession, there isn’t a huge need for center-backs to be elite passers. This is because a lot of the time, a goalkeeper will either kick it long to the striker or other forward players and hope they win the aerial duel.
On the occasions the ball is played short to center backs, they can usually take a touch or two and offload the ball to the midfielders. Midfielders are generally excellent on the ball and will, therefore, shoulder most of the responsibility for ball progression in the team.
This means that center backs typically only need to focus on defending. Their only real task is to stop the opposition from scoring.
They also receive a lot of help defending, as stopping attacks is a team effort, starting with the forward players and ending with the goalkeeper. So, if the midfielders do their jobs properly, the center-backs won’t have much work to do.
Is Full-Back An Easy Soccer Position To Play?
Fullback is the second easiest position in soccer to play. Again, it’s important to note that it’s not a straightforward position and still requires specific skills, mainly if played at a high level. But, compared to other positions on the pitch, it is definitely easier to play.
It is often said that fullbacks are jacks of all trades but masters of none. It sums up the position well due to the demands and expectations of fullbacks, especially in the modern game.
Fullbacks are required to defend well and are generally responsible for marking the opposition wingers. They are expected to prevent crosses from coming into the box or marking the winger at the back post and winning the aerial battles against them.
But fullbacks are also expected to bomb forward up the touchline to support the attack. In this role, they usually hug the touchline to provide width to the team, allowing the wingers to occupy the areas closer to the goal, where their crosses or shots can be more effective.
This means that fullbacks will often be outlets for the wingers and midfielders, and they are also expected to provide good crosses into the box for the forwards to attack.
As you can see, they are expected to do a lot, but because they have to do several things quite well, they aren’t necessarily required to be elite at any of them, which is why the fullback is an easy position to play in soccer.
The one thing that all fullbacks have to be is exceptionally fit. You can only play full back in the modern game if you are fit, as you are required to support the attack and get back to your defensive third to assist the center backs.
Full Backs In Elite Soccer Teams:
By elite, I’m talking about top European teams like Manchester City, Bayern Munich, etc. While most elite teams use their fullbacks in traditional ways to support the attack and defense, some coaches, like Pep Guardiola, use their fullbacks slightly differently.
Depending on which players are playing, Guardiola often likes to keep one fullback much further back, almost in line with the center backs. With his Manchester City team, this is typically right-back Kyle Walker, who is a very quick and a great defender. By positioning him here, he can use his speed to defend against opposition counterattacks.
Guardiola will also use one, if not two, of his fullbacks (if Walker isn’t playing, for example) to push above the center-backs and tuck in next to the defensive midfielder. Here, they almost function as midfielders in possession while the midfielders move forward to support the attackers.
The idea behind this is that it frees the midfielders and allows the fullbacks to be in the center of the pitch to stop opposition counterattacks.
This is only done at an elite level, though, as it requires excellent tactical intelligence and brilliant ball-playing skills from the fullbacks. They are essentially playing as midfielders, which is considered to be the most challenging outfield position in soccer.
This is why on some occasions, Guardiola played midfielders (like Fabian Delph or Oleksandr Zinchenko) as fullbacks, so they could offer support to the midfielders and be comfortable in those areas of the pitch.
Conclusion
Center back is considered to be the most straightforward position in soccer. But, after fullback in second place, the ranking of easiest positions is hotly contested. I recommend checking out my article, titled “my ranking of the hardest soccer positions“, to see my interpretation of the ranking.
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