A Beginner’s Guide To Choose The Best Soccer Position

If you’re a beginner, choosing the best soccer position can be a daunting task. There are so many positions to pick from, each with varying responsibilities. But it’s easier than it looks, so here’s how to choose the best soccer position. 

The best soccer position you should choose is one that suits your physical attributes. If you’re quick and tricky, try out as a winger. If you’ve got an eye for goal, striker is best for you, but if you’re tall and slow, with a love for defending, center back is the place for you. If you love performing under pressure, goalkeeper is for you.

Each position on the soccer field presents its own unique challenges. Overcoming these will always be tough, but based on specific physical characteristics, it may be easier or harder to overcome them. So here’s a beginner’s guide to choosing the best soccer position. 

Table of Contents

• What Positions Are There In Soccer?
  • Positions For Defenders:
  • Positions For Midfielders:
  • Positions For Forwards:
• Why Should I Choose To Be A Goalkeeper?
• Why Should I Choose To Be A Center Back?
• Why Should I Choose To Be A Full Back?
• Why Should I Choose To Be A Defensive Midfielder?
• Why Should I Choose To Be A Central Midfielder?
• Why Should I Choose To Be A Winger?
• Why Should I Choose To Be A Striker?

What Positions Are There In Soccer?

Broadly speaking, there are four positions in soccer. These are goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and forward. However, there are what could be considered sub-positions in these positions (except for goalkeeper), based on which areas of the pitch a player tends to occupy.

Positions For Defenders:

Defenders are typically divided into two or three roles (depending the on the formation). There are center-backs (also known as center halves), full-backs, and wingbacks. Center-backs occupy the central areas of the defensive zone, whereas full-backs and wingbacks occupy the wider positions in the defensive third closer to the touchline. 

Positions For Midfielders:

There are three main positions for midfielders. These are defensive midfield, central midfield, and attacking midfield. Defensive midfielders have more defensive responsibilities and are expected to protect their defenders by making lots of tackles and interceptions.

Attacking midfielders are a dying breed in the modern game but are often the most technically gifted players on the pitch. They are meant to be the main focus of the team’s attacking gameplay and are responsible for setting up goals for their teammates and scoring goals. 

Central midfielders are essentially the in-between of attacking and defensive midfielders. They are meant to contribute defensively and offensively while also controlling the game’s tempo with their passes and dribbling. 

Positions For Forwards:

Forwards tend to have two positions, either striker or winger. Some people like to call wingers wide midfielders, but for the purposes of this explanation, it is better to separate them from traditional midfielders as their roles are very different.

Wingers tend to be jacks of all trades in an attacking sense. They are responsible for scoring and creating goals, although the amount of each they do depends on the team setup. Strikers, on the other hand, are generally responsible for scoring goals and not doing much else. 

Why Should I Choose To Be A Goalkeeper?

If you are considering becoming a goalkeeper, remember that it is perhaps the most high-pressure position on a soccer pitch. Your involvement in a game can often be minimal, but each involvement is usually critical. You will often be defined by your mistakes, as you don’t have many opportunities to redeem yourself. 

In the table below, I have listed the necessary skills that make a good goalkeeper and the ones you don’t need to have. It’s important to note that this list (and the other ones in this article) is not a definitive guide but rather just a list of abilities suited to these positions. 

• Read more about why goalkeeper is the hardest position in soccer.
• Read more about why this is the best position for tall soccer players.
• Read more about why this is one of the best positions for slow soccer players.

Why Should I Choose To Be A Center Back?

If you want to play in defense, you must understand that the skillset needed to be a center-back or a full-back/wingback are incredibly different. Center-backs are purely focused on defending and occupying the area right in front of the goal. So, why is center-back the best soccer position for you? Let’s take a look.

• Read more about why this is the best position in soccer for slow players.
• Read more about why this is the easiest position in soccer.
• Read more about why this is the best position for tall soccer players.

Why Should I Choose To Be A Full Back?

Full-backs in the modern game are highly physically demanding positions, as they’re expected to contribute in attack while still maintaining their defensive duties. But it also isn’t necessarily the most technically demanding position, so let’s see what you do and don’t need to become a good full-back.

• Read more about why this is the best position for your weakest soccer players.
• Read more about why this is one of the best positions for fast soccer players.
• Read more about why this is one of the best positions for slow soccer players.

Why Should I Choose To Be A Defensive Midfielder?

Defensive midfielders (DM) are sometimes the most overlooked players on the pitch. This is because they aren’t always very classy, so people tend to disregard their contributions. However, they play a vital role in any team, so if you’re up for a selfless but essential role, being a DM is just for you.

• Read more about why this is one of the best positions for slow soccer players.

Why Should I Choose To Be A Central Midfielder?

Central midfielders are the hubs of their team. They are responsible for receiving the ball from the defenders and creating good opportunities for the attackers. They control the game’s tempo and spend a lot of time on the ball.

They are also expected to help out defensively, whether that’s making tackles in the midfield or helping their full-back defend against opposition wingers.

• Read more about why this is one of the best positions for slow soccer players.
• Read more about why this is the hardest soccer position, besides goalkeeper.
• Read more about why this is the best soccer position for short players.

Why Should I Choose To Be A Winger?

Many people consider winger to be the most fun position on the football pitch. This is because it gives you lots of room to be creative and use your technical abilities. So, if you want to entertain while contributing to your team’s attacking output, winger is the best soccer position for you. But let’s have a closer look at what makes a good winger.

• Read more about why this is the best position for your weakest soccer players.
• Read more about why this is one of the best positions for fast soccer players.

Why Should I Choose To Be A Striker?

Goals win you games; it’s as simple as that. This means that strikers typically get the most recognition, as their contributions are apparent. But with this comes the pressure and responsibility to be your team’s focal point and score the all-important goals.

The only vital skill a striker needs to have is an eye for the goal. They need to be able to occupy good positions and have an accurate and hard shot.

They should also be relatively competent headers of the ball, although this may vary. Strikers come in all shapes and sizes, so you don’t need to have particular physical characteristics to be a striker, but it can be favorable to taller players.