What is Fullback in Football

The role of fullbacks in soccer can often be overlooked. While flashy and more skilled players get all the glory, dedicated fullbacks make games possible for their teams. There is a lot about what makes up a fullback that is not as widely known by fans. Here, we want to give you a glimpse into how these unsung heroes work together to win matches on both sides of the line.

Fullbacks are also referred to as defensive players. Fullback is one of the defensive football positions. They are often stationed just outside the penalty area in wide positions. The job of this position is to defend the goal from opponents and prevent runs and passes along the scrimmage line. In a four-defender system, the fullback is one of the players positioned outside the two central defenders. Wide defenders outside the three middle defenders are considered wingbacks in the defense of the back five.

The role of a fullback can also be understood by their position on the field during the game, usually playing one-on-one with the opponent or otherwise supporting another defender in defense.

Fullback is primarily a defensive player

Fullback is a defensive position in soccer. As the name suggests, they defend the goal and try to stop players from scoring. They are defensive primarily players.

The fullback’s primary responsibility is to stop opponents from getting the ball. They must also protect their own goal by preventing attackers from scoring. They do this by tracking the opponent’s movements, positioning themselves to intercept passes or shots before they get too close to the goal, and, if necessary, catching loose balls on the ground or in the air when the opponent tries to center or take a shot on goal. Fullbacks also mark the opponent, often wingers who come off the touchline with possession of the ball, and central attacking midfielders who move wide during play.

The fullback’s main duty is to defend the goal from opponents. In a common formation, there are two fullbacks on each side of the field.

Fullbacks usually defend the area near their corner flag, known as their “own half of the field.” Fullbacks also have key responsibilities in assisting on offense as they move up the field and become part of their team’s offense. Hence, they need technical skills and excellent ball control skills.

As the last line of defense, fullbacks are tasked with preventing runs and passes along the line of scrimmage. They also need to be able to help the team on offense, overlapping with the winger as a creative attacking option.

Types of fullbacks

Two types of fullbacks play in soccer. One is a strong defender who takes care of both sides of the field, while the other is known as an attacking fullback, who plays similarly to the wingback position. This means that they can take part in both defense and offense. In defensive terms, a fullback is a more or less wide player.

A defensive fullback sticks close to the central defenders and assists them as needed at certain times on the field. An attacking defender does exactly what it sounds like: goes forward into the opponent’s territory to take shots on goal, create goal-scoring opportunities or take possession of the ball from opposing players.

They usually have a wider range of responsibilities in attack and serve as an additional attacking option. In addition to these roles, some wingers attack from their own offensive zone, but still have some defensive responsibilities (this type of player is not technically considered a fullback position).

The wingback position is often played by midfielders because they usually don’t have the speed or stamina to run up and down the sideline for an entire match without tiring quickly because of how much space there is between them (since they are further away from the goal), unless they are really good!

Paolo Maldini is a great example of a fullback. He played for AC Milan, the Italian national team and was named Italian Footballer of the Year five times. He was also named to FIFA’s list of the 100 greatest living players and inducted into the Italian Soccer Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class of 2002.

Backup footballers can be divided into three types:

Wide Full Back

As we all know, the structure of any team has width. It’s not always a question of whether a team has width, but rather how and who it uses to achieve it. One approach to achieving such width is to use full backs. It is important to know which third of the field the defenders are in and what the team’s goals are before entrusting them with the responsibility of creating width.

There are several advantages to having wide and full backs. The most obvious benefit is that it requires the defense to protect the entire field, as they are a credible threat in attack. A wide fullback can peel off the center links and take advantage of disconnects if the defense doesn’t have a well-organized defensive transfer routine. A wide fullback can put wingers and central midfielders in more dangerous positions. These players can get more flexibility in the halfback position if they have the right skill set, allowing them to get the ball and influence the game more.

Reverse Fullback

Coach Pep Guardiola first introduced inverted fullbacks in the Bundesliga at Bayern Munich. He is the type of manager who always tries to get the most out of his offensive players. Many speculated that he bought Joshua Kimmich as a replacement for Phillip Lahm. Things were different then, as they used to start matches together. This system has greatly influenced the face of the modern game, with many coaches emulating it, both in amateur and professional soccer.

Inverted fullbacks take up positions in the midfield and create a somewhat crowded midfield to avoid opposition counterattacks, and since its inception, it has birthed huge results.

Midfield defenders

Midfield defenders play as the third central defender in a three-man defense. Many questioned Southgate’s strategy during the 2018 World Cup, when he used Walker as a third central defender and Kieran Trippier as a wingback.

However, it was a successful strategy as England advanced to their first World Cup semifinal in 40 years. He applied this strategy based on what he observed being implemented at Manchester City. Fabian Delph played as a fullback in the middle of the field with Fernandinho, allowing Kyle Walker to play as a third central defender and prevent any counterattacks.

Many managers are now exploring different ways to make the best use of the fullbacks they have and the squad, due to the growth of the three-back module.

Conclusion

As we have seen, fullbacks are an integral part of any soccer team for 90 minutes of a game. They are the ones who keep their teammates out of trouble by defending against opponents, and also help create goal-scoring opportunities for their team when needed. I hope this has helped you understand what a fullback does in the beautiful game!