Wondering which position suits your child?
Try them all first, with a watch-for table and what to say to the coach.
Choose a positionFootball Positions Explained Simply for Kids
Kit, Rules & Safety
A football team has four jobs, and a child can learn all four in one sentence each.
Football positions explained for kids come down to where you stand and what you do: the keeper guards the goal, defenders stay between the ball and your goal, midfielders link the two halves and forwards try to score. Young children in England play smaller games. From the 2026-27 season, under-7s play 3v3 with no keeper, under-8s and under-9s play 5v5 and under-10s and under-11s play 7v7. This page shows those shapes, then a five-minute garden game.
For a long time I explained positions with a pepper pot as the goalkeeper and lost my audience at "left-back".
Football positions explained for kids
The Four Jobs in One Sentence Each
Defender, midfielder and striker are the words a child hears on the telly. A striker is a forward by another name. Spotting them is half the fun when you are watching football with your child. Which position your child should play can wait.
| Position | Say it like this | Where they stand | When the other team has the ball |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | "I guard our goal, and I can use my hands in my big box." | Near their own goal. | Comes off the line to pick up loose balls. |
| Defender | "I stay between the ball and our goal." | In front of the keeper. | Gets back and blocks the way. |
| Midfielder | "I'm in the middle. I help at the back, then I pass forward." | In the middle. | Gets back to help, then passes or dribbles forward. |
| Forward | "I try to score, and I'm first to chase when they have the ball." | Nearest the other goal. | Chases first to win the ball back. |
The big box is the keeper's own penalty area. Under Law 12 the keeper may handle the ball only inside it, and outside it they are like any other player. A team in the adult game has up to eleven players and one must be the goalkeeper, as Law 3 says.
England Football says skilful defending is often about timing, such as a well-timed interception or tackle. Its example of midfield skill is a quick turn and a dribble to get the team going forward. For a child who dislikes the back, see a child who hates defending.
These sentences are my simplification, because real teams swap jobs all game.
Match the words to the pitch
Where They Stand in the Games Children Actually Play
From the 2026-27 season, under-7s play 3v3 with no goalkeepers, in games of 6 to 10 minutes that the children run themselves with an adult facilitator. FutureFit says "All six players are active, engaged outfield players". A young child may not need the word goalkeeper yet.
Under-8s and under-9s play 5v5 with a keeper and no offside, and England Football calls rolling subs with at least half the game each best practice. A sample shape is 1-1-2-1: keeper, one defender, two midfielders and one forward, where the first number is always the keeper.
- Keeper. Stands near their own goal, where they may handle the ball only inside their own penalty area, and comes off the line to pick up loose balls.
- Defender. Stands in front of the keeper, between the ball and our goal, and gets back to block the way when the other team has the ball.
- Midfielders. Stand in the middle of the pitch and get back to help when the other team has the ball, then pass or dribble it forward.
- Forward. Stands nearest the other goal to try to score, and is the first to chase when the other team has the ball.
Under-10s and under-11s play 7v7 with a keeper and no offside. A sample shape is 1-2-3-1.
- Keeper. Stands near their own goal, where they may handle the ball only inside their own penalty area, and comes off the line to pick up loose balls.
- Defenders. Stand in front of the keeper, between the ball and our goal, and get back to block the way when the other team has the ball.
- Midfielders. Stand in the middle of the pitch and get back to help when the other team has the ball, then pass or dribble it forward.
- Forward. Stands nearest the other goal to try to score, and is the first to chase when the other team has the ball.
England Football tells coaches to let players try different positions, in the 5v5 and 7v7 guides alike. It also says to introduce positions in training, rather than switching them round mid-match, in its advice on trying different positions. The stated aim of the small formats is more time on the ball and more time on the pitch.
These shapes are England Football's examples for coaches rather than rules, and a club may use another.
A five-minute garden game
Who Goes Where: a Five-Minute Garden Game
This is my own idea, not a tested method: you place the players instead of explaining them.
- 1
Two goals. Put a pair of trainers at each end of the lawn or hallway. One end is "our goal".
- 2
Five players. Use a plant pot, a cushion, a teddy, a welly boot and a ball bag. Anything that stands up will do.
- 3
Clue, then place. Say a clue, such as "Who stays nearest our goal and can use their hands?" Your child carries a player to where it should stand, and any spot that is close enough counts. A far-off one just gets the next clue as a hint, such as "Nearer our goal than that?"
- 4
Swap. Your child gives the clues and you place the players, getting one wrong on purpose so they can fix it.
Make it easier.
Use three spots only: back, middle and front.
Make it harder.
Move the ball and ask "The ball is near our goal. Who comes to help?"
Make it a match.
After placing, roll the ball and let everyone "play" their spot for one pass each. It sits well beside games where nobody is ever out.
Stop on a win: finish when the team has been placed correctly once, before attention goes.
What is known and what is not
Why a Young Team's Shape Is Still Forming
A 2014 study by Folgado and colleagues tracked 30 players, ten each at under-9, under-11 and under-13, in small 3v3 and 4v4 games with goalkeepers. It found the youngest teams stretched long and narrow rather than spreading wide. If your child drifts or stands still once the match starts, read a child who stands still once the match starts.
That is ten players per age group in one country, in small training games. It shows a shape still forming, not that positions should be taught earlier or later.
A 2019 study of 16 under-11 players (Clemente and colleagues) found players won the ball, received it and shot far more often per minute in 3v3 than in 6v6. The players were older than the under-9s above, positions were not studied and the authors call both formats noisy. England Football states the aim of the small formats as more time on the ball and more time on the pitch.
No source I opened sets an age at which a child should settle into one position, and England Football's advice is to try several. See how Our Kickabout researches its pages.
Quick answers
Common Questions About Football Positions
What are the positions in football for kids?
Four jobs: keeper, defenders, midfielders and forwards. Under-7s play 3v3 with no keeper.
What does a midfielder do?
A midfielder links the back and the front, helping to defend and then passing or dribbling forward. England Football's example of midfield skill is a quick turn and a dribble.
Do under-7s have a goalkeeper?
Not in England Football's 3v3 format from 2026-27, and a coach on its FAQ explains why.
Can the goalkeeper use their hands anywhere?
Only in their own penalty area. Outside it, the keeper is like any other player, under Law 12.
Should my child stick to one position?
England Football suggests trying different positions. To choose, read which position your child should play.
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what you are seeing.
Only ever wants to go in goal?
Why it happens and how to widen it without a fight.
Read about goalkeepersStands still once the match starts?
What it usually means and what to try next.
Read about standing stillTonight's five minutes
Put five players on the lawn tonight.
One clue, one player, one spot. If they put the keeper up front, ask them why. You may get a better answer than mine.