Soccer is an incredibly easy sport to get into. All you need to get started is a pair of cleats, an open area of grass to practice on, and a soccer ball. But maybe you have already reached the point of actually joining a team. If so, you will want to know the best position for beginners.
The best soccer position for beginners is the fullback position. The fullback position is the easiest to play because it has fewer responsibilities and less time on the ball. Other good positions for beginners are wingback and striker.
Now you know that the fullback is the best position for beginners, but why exactly is this? And should all beginners start at this position? I will answer these questions and much more in this article.
Picking up a new sport can be pretty daunting. It would also be entirely fair for a beginner not to fully understand the best position to start from.
But fear not; I will explain the easiest soccer position to play and why that is the case.
The best position for a beginner is definitely the fullback. Whether short or tall, slow or fast, left-footed or right-footed, you can always play in the fullback position.
The most straightforward reason the fullback position is the best for beginners is that it's the easiest position to play in soccer.
Here are some of the top reasons why the fullback position is the easiest to play and, therefore, best for beginners:
Although a fullback is technically a defender, the actual defensive responsibilities that come with the position are quite low.
A fullback is basically a wide defender. They are tasked with stopping wingers from crossing the ball, keeping a straight line with the other defenders, and moving the ball forward to the midfield players.
When it comes to actually stopping goals, the center backs and the goalkeeper are expected to do this much more than the fullbacks.
This means there is less pressure on the fullbacks from both coaches and spectators. If the opposition scores a goal, there's a higher chance that the center back or goalkeeper is at fault.
Fullbacks even have the chance to get forward if the opportunity arises. Once again, though, this is not the main expectation of a fullback. So there is not much pressure in an attacking sense, either.
Although a beginner will want to get as much experience as possible on the ball, it's best to do this in practice rather than in an actual game.
During a real game, it is ideal for a beginner to be in a position where their task is kept simple. Therefore, the fullback is the perfect position for beginners.
Research shows that over 55% of an average team's possession is played through the center of the field. The remaining percentage is split between either side of the field, with less than 20% being played down either wing.
Given that fullbacks play wide and defensively, it's fair to say that they are involved with the actual play much less than other positions on the field.
Fullbacks can also be involved with both the defense and the attack. This means the beginner can gain vital experience in all areas without being too heavily relied on.
Unlike other positions, there is no major requirement needed for a player to become a fullback.
Goalkeepers, for example, must be tall and brave and have the specific skills needed for this position.
Another good example is wingers. These players need to have high speed, preferably short, so they have a low center of gravity needed for good ball control.
Fullbacks, however, can be either tall or short.
That is because it is usually the job of the center backs next to them to jump and head the ball away and the job of the wingers in front of them to have the best ball control.
Fullbacks don't have to worry about much speed, either.
Although it would be beneficial to be able to keep up with fast opposition wingers, a fullback has the advantage of being able to position themselves so that they don't need to go chasing players.
Fullbacks can also be either left-footed or right-footed. This is because there are two fullback positions, one on both the left and right sides of the field.
These are commonly known as left backs and right backs.
No, a beginner should not always play in the fullback position. This is because, even as a novice, a new player may have some natural abilities that suit other positions.
Before a beginner plays their first soccer game, there is a high chance that they have a good idea of what abilities they already possess.
Let's say a beginner is extremely fast and may have even competed in sports such as running or other track and field sports.
In this case, it is probably beneficial for the beginner to try a position as a winger or perhaps even a striker. This is because these positions are best suited for fast players.
That said, the fullback position is certainly the best for a beginner who may not yet know their best strengths.
However, it is always a good idea for a new player to practice in as many positions as possible to see if there's a particular skill they did not realize they possessed.
There could always be a situation where the beginner may not actually be able to play as a fullback. This could be because the team already has a lot of fullback players, or maybe the coach doesn't even use fullbacks.
In this instance, you may want to know what other positions are good for beginners. I will list some of the best alternative positions here:
The wingback position is very similar to the fullback. The only difference is that a wingback is only usually used when a coach is playing with three center backs.
This means the player at wingback has more freedom to get forward and help the attack. As the name suggests, a wingback is basically a cross between a winger and a fullback.
As it's a position that shares similar roles to that of a fullback, it's reasonable to say that it can also suit beginner players.
The only difference is that more pace and attacking skills may be required.
The striker position is not usually one I would recommend for beginners. Though, if a beginner really doesn't want to play in a defensive position, then striker might be a good alternative.
Other forward positions, such as central attacking midfield (CAM) and wingers, take a lot of skill and creativity. This means they are rarely ideal for new players.
Normally, the same could be said for the striker. However, some coaches will choose to play with two strikers. In this instance, a rookie in the striker position could work.
With the support of a more experienced striker by the side of the beginner, they could learn a lot and have the chance to take all the glory during a game.
Ideally, the best soccer position for a beginner is fullback. This is because it's the easiest position in soccer due to the lack of pressure and responsibility involved.
Fullbacks also touch the ball less than most other positions during a game. This means the beginner is able to keep things simple while they learn the game.
However, suppose the beginner has a particular ability that suits a different position. In that case, they should definitely consider playing in one of those positions instead.