Double 6 in soccer

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You have probably heard of the so-called double six (also double-6 for short) at a soccer game or in the newspaper. It is a term for a modern tactic in football in which the defense is strengthened with two defensive midfielders.

Two typical game systems: 3-5-2 (left) and the 4-4-2 with a double six.
Two typical game systems: 3-5-2 (left) and the 4-4-2 with a double six.

Basic tactics in football

As you probably know, at the start of every football game there are 11 players from one team on the field.

  • Even if these players basically have any number on their Jerseys that are not limited to the numbers 1 to 11, there are unofficially designated numbers for a position.
  • In modern football there are different line-ups, which are basically named according to the number of players in the respective area (defense, midfield and storm). In the classic 4-4-2 there are exactly 4 defenders, 4 midfielders and 2 strikers. In the 4-3-3, which is mainly played by the Dutch national team and FC Barcelona, ​​there are only 3 midfielders and 3 strikers.
  • The classic 4-4-2 then also serves to distribute the numbers to the respective position. The 1 stands for the goalkeeper, as he is the first on the field when viewed from behind.
  • The defenders are then given the number 2 to 5, although there is no fixed distribution here.
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  • The numbers 6, 7, 8 and 10 are common for the midfield, with the numbers 7 and 8 often used for the outside players and 6 and 10 for the central players. The 6 is the more defensive player and the 10 is the more offensive and fundamentally more creative player. If both are at about the same height and are both responsible for the defensive and offensive, one also speaks of 8s, as they are between the 6s and 10s.
  • The two strikers then have the remaining numbers 9 and 11.

The meaning of the double 6

In the modern Football The term double-6 has also become established.

  • This basically only means that the team will act with two 6s, i.e. two defensive midfielders.
  • The double six is ​​mostly used in the 4-5-1 game system, which you can use, for example I've seen it before at FC Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund or the German national team to have.
  • There are 4 defenders, 5 midfielders and a central striker. The four defenders always play on one line, so there is a left defender, two central defenders and a right defender.
  • The midfield then consists of two relatively offensive players positioned on the wings. In the center there are then two defensive midfielders (the double-6) who defend should stabilize, and an attacking midfielder (the 10s) who initiate the attacks and should conduct.
  • With the German national team, for example, you can see this with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira (both sixths) and Mesut Özil (10th position).
  • At the very front is the only striker who is hit with flat balls from the center or with crosses from the outside players.

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