Playing with three centerbacks: theory and training activities

As the three-man back line makes a huge comeback in football, more and more coaches (at both lofty and modest levels) have added these formations to their notebooks. One of the most important and notable benefits to a system with three centerbacks is in the advantages it provides when playing the ball out from the back. Adding a player to the first line allows teams to overcome the opponent’s pressure more easily if their rivals press with one or two players up top, and allows the exploitation of space in the other half of the field if the opponent chooses to push more players up in a bid to win the ball higher up the field.

Andrés Bretones, an experienced coach who is also a specialist in tactical analysis, dissects all the possible variations from the bottom up; from moving an outside centerback out wide so that he behaves like a fullback pushing up high, to coordinated movements designed to free up a midfielder inside. With the help of videos and color images, the author analyzes the myriad options available to a team playing with three centerbacks. In addition, he offers training activities that will help you to develop these behaviors in your own team.