We have often heard about how crucial it is for an individual to be at the right time and the right place for their growth. But how true does that stand for a team sport? The best example can be taken from a football match. If Cristiano Ronaldo is your designated striker but he is not present in the opposition's box then the whole team composition would fall apart. Sounds gibberish? Let's understand it from the Cricketing perspective. If Sreesanth wasn't present for that Misbah Ul Haq catch in the 2007 T20 World Cup, had India still won the World Cup? In Almost every team sport the role of placement plays a huge role in shaping the outcome of it. Let's look at some of the major sports and the information concerning the positions present in them.
Cricket
One of the most popular sport in India, Cricket and its technicalities has been known to everyone. While the sport has different field placements for powerplay and the rest of the game it also has different field placements according to the bowling strategies. While the field is divided into inner and outer circles, the major field positions in the inner circle are as follows:
Point
Backward Point
Mid-Off
Cover
Mid-On
Square Leg
Backward Square Leg
Mid-Wicket
Fine Leg
With the brand of cricket being played these days, the outfield plays a huge role in deciding the outcome of the game. With such attacking displays the need for quicker and faster players has impacted the game so much. The major field positions in the outer circle are as follows:
Third Man
Deep Point
Deep Backward Point
Deep Extra Cover
Long Off
Deep Fine Leg
Long Leg
Long On
Deep Cover
Football
One of the most physical global sports, football has established itself as a major team sport. With so many leagues around the globe, the game is played in more than 200 countries. Formation plays a key role in the functioning and approach of the game. With managers opting for a 4-3-3, 3-3-3-1, 5-3-2, 5-4-1 etc. Here the numbers denote the number of players in that line of the play. The formation has often defined a generation of national teams and their impact has deepened how the tactical approach sets them different.
The positions in football are often segregated based on three major segments of the game. Defenders, mid-fielders, and forwards make up various positions in the game.
Defenders are further divided based on their position in the field. Following is the classification
Centre Backs:
The main aim of a center-back is to hold the opposing player from scoring. They play in the central position. With the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Paolo Maldini, John Terry, Carles Puyol, Giorgio Chiellini, etc gracing the position, the football world has seen some of the most fighting performances in this position.
Full back
The left-back and right-back function on both sides of the defenders. The position is more defensive than attacking. The role of a fullback is to protect goal-scoring from wide angles. Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Dani Alves, etc are some of the most recognised names in the history of football.
Wing Back
The main role of a wingback is to attack more than defend. usually inducted into the midfield they are majorly employed in a 3-5-2 formation. The position is one of the most physically demanding positions.
Midfield is often considered the heart of a footballing pitch. They control the transition from attack to defense and vice versa. It is further classified into 2 categories
1 Defensive midfield -
As the name suggests, a defensive midfielder is stationed in front of the defender. A defensive midfielder shields the defense. They also work in the transition from defense to feeding the attack. Roy Keane, Dunga, Patrick Viera, etc are some of the notable names to have played in this position
2 attacking midfield -
The main aim of an attacking midfielder is to control the play from central midfield to strikers. The attacking midfielder is an important position that requires the player to possess superior technical abilities in terms of passing and, perhaps more importantly, the ability to read the opposing defense to deliver defense-splitting passes to the strikers. Ronaldinho, Kaka, and Zidane are some of the famous players to have graced this position
The final segment of the football position is that of a forward. stationed closest to the opposition goal the main aim of a forward is to create chances and score goals. They are further classified into wingers, strikers, and center-forward. Someone who doesn't even follow football has heard of players like Messi, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Maradona, Pele, etc. The goal scorers are often at the center stage of this game.
Goalkeepers are the last in the line of defense and play the most defensive role in the team. their only task is to save the goal.
Baseball
A popular American sport, Baseball is governed by 9 major positions. They are: pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder. Other positions include the designated hitter, and specialized roles such as pinch hitter and pinch runner.
Basketball
Another team sport that is governed by the role of the position is basketball. The game is played between 5 players from each side. The 5 players are then designated into a point guard and a shooting guard. They often lead their team in assists and shooting guards prolific from the three-point range and long mid-range. Forwards is another position that is bifurcated into small forward and power forward. The final and most crucial position in basketball is the Centre. They usually play near the baseline.
Hockey
Another sport that has a fairly global reach is hockey. India also set the stage on fire with their dominance from the 50s to the 80s. The sport is played between 11 players from each side has Forwards, Midfielders, Defenders, and a Goalie.
Kabaddi
Kabaddi from the outside looks like a physical sport but it’s extremely strategic and tactical as well. The sport is pretty popular in India and is played with 7 players per side. The game is governed by raiders and defenders. Based on a team's strategy the number of raiders and defenders is decided. The positions on the mat are as follows:
Right-corner
Left corner
Right cover
left cover
Right in
Left in
Centre
