Formation 1-4-4-2 with diamond as attacking variant

The 4-4-2 system is set up as an attacking variant in a 2-4-4 with diamond. The following shows the placement of ten field players and one goalkeeper on the field. The players are positioned according to their roles in four lines (goalkeeper/defence/midfield/attack).

This is a 4-4-2 staggering with midfield diamond, with players now taking attacking positions. The objective is to use the full width and depth of the field to create more space for building the attack. The first line is the goalkeeper. The second is the back four. In this line, the two centre-backs stand 20-30 metres apart. The fullbacks move to the sideline and stand slightly advanced (how far depends on the opponent's tactics). They essentially function as midfielders. In the third line, the midfield line, the half-space midfielders move wider and can occasionally shift to the flanks. The central defensive midfielder sits deep as cover, and the central attacking player pushes up behind or occasionally into the striker line. The fourth line is the striker pair; one takes a deep-lying position, the other a slightly withdrawn one. When the team is in possession, the goalkeeper moves between the goal and the centre of their own half, maintaining a distance of approximately 20 metres to the defensive line, always available as a sort of sweeper.