3-4-3 formation
Three defenders, four midfielders, and a front three
Shape preview
This read-only board gives you a clean reference shape before you add coaching detail or animate phases.
Strengths and weaknesses
A quick honest read on what this shape gives you and what it asks you to accept.
Strengths
- The front three and both wide midfielders give five players to press high
- LW and RW can play narrow in the half-spaces while LM and RM hold the width
- Three center backs cover the counter when the wide players push on
Weaknesses
- Only two central midfielders, so a midfield three can overload them
- Space opens behind LM and RM when they press high and get bypassed
- Asks the wide midfielders to run the full length of the pitch for 90 minutes
Key roles on the pitch
The positional groups that make this shape work, use them as a roster-building checklist.
Goalkeeper
1 player
- GK
Defensive line
3 players
- LCB
- CB
- RCB
Midfield
4 players
- LM
- CM
- CM
- RM
Attack
3 players
- LW
- ST
- RW
Common variations
Shapes that share the 3-back defensive line, useful comparisons when you want to keep the back line and change the midfield.
Hybrid
3-1-4-2
Three defenders with a single CDM, wide midfield, and two strikers
Wing-back
3-4-1-2
Three center backs, four midfielders, one attacking mid, and two strikers
Wing-back
3-4-2-1
Three defenders, flat four midfield, two attacking mids behind a lone striker
Wing-back
3-5-2
Three center backs with attacking wing backs and a midfield diamond
Take the shape into your own workflow
Open the Teloframe board to adapt this formation, add coaching notes, animate phases, or present the idea with your own branding.