Futbol Island

11v11 lesson · Intermediate

4-3-3: Fullback Inside or Outside?

Fill the lane nobody holds: with the winger wide, the fullback moves inside; with the winger inside, the fullback goes wide.

What the coach says

  1. Your two center backs and far fullback form a deeper three behind the attack.
  2. The six, your holding midfielder, needs a separate supporting angle. The near fullback can move inside to become that second helper.
  3. Your two higher midfielders are called eights. With two wingers and the striker, they occupy five attacking lanes. The winger already supplies the near-side width.
  4. The left winger is already wide and the left eight stays high. Beside the six, there is a separate inside supporting lane for the fullback.
  5. Your winger is wide and both eights are high. Where does the fullback add a different supporting lane?
  6. The fullback arrives inside with space beside the six. The winger retains the outside lane and the eight stays higher, so none of these three jobs is duplicated.
  7. Now the winger moves inside and the eight drops beside the six. Those teammates already provide central support; the outside lane is empty.
  8. The eight now helps the six and your winger is inside. Which route restores a missing lane?
  9. The fullback restores the outside lane. The eight replaces the inside helper and the winger remains higher between defenders. The roles change without losing a useful lane.

Quiz questions

Try to answer before you read the coach’s explanation. On the island you answer each one on the pitch.

  1. Question 1

    Your winger is wide and both eights are high. Where does the fullback add a different supporting lane?

    • Move inside beside the six
    • Run beside the wide winger

    Coach’s explanation: This creates a separate inside helper. The far fullback and two center backs remain deeper, while five teammates occupy the attacking line.

  2. Question 2

    The eight now helps the six and your winger is inside. Which route restores a missing lane?

    • Open into the left lane
    • Stay beside the central helpers

    Coach’s explanation: The winger has vacated the outside lane. You can restore width while the eight replaces your inside job.

  3. Question 3

    Your winger is wide and the eights are high. Drag the left fullback into a lane nobody holds.

    • Behind the six, near the center backs
    • Inside, beside the six
    • Wide, beneath the winger

    Coach’s explanation: Beside the six, the fullback becomes a second helper without copying the winger's lane.

  4. Question 4

    True or false? In this picture, nobody is holding the outside left lane.

    • False
    • True

    Coach’s explanation: It's true. The winger went inside and the eight dropped, so the fullback must restore that width.

  5. Question 5

    Same idea on the right: winger wide, eight high. Which picture gives the right fullback a separate lane?

    • Fullback behind the six
    • Fullback inside beside the six
    • Fullback wide beneath the winger

    Coach’s explanation: With the winger wide and the eight high, the free lane is inside, next to the six.

Play it on the island