Positional Acronyms – and Requirements Explained

In case labels of AM R, or D/DM L, or even GK get you confused, here’s a quick breakdown, back to front:

GK: GOALKEEPER, literally your last line of defense. Needed are great REFLEXES, AERIAL ABILITY, and ONE-ON-ONE SKILLS.

D C: DEFENDER CENTER, aka the CENTER BACK. I like mine big with aerial prowess, but MARKING, TACKLING, POSITIONING and JUDGMENT are just as critical.

D L (or D R): DEFENDER LEFT (or RIGHT), aka the FULL BACK. They flank your center backs, and have to limit the number of crosses that are sent into your area. I prefer my full backs to be graced with speed and good crossing or at least passing, as I like to push them forward.

DM L (or DM R): DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER LEFT (or RIGHT), aka the WING BACK. These guys don’t sit as far back as the full backs, and often push into midfield or beyond. Not a position I typically employ.

D/DM L (or D/DM R): DEFENDER/DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER LEFT (or RIGHT): These are FULL BACKS who can play WING BACK; a lot of positions overlap for a lot of players, and while I won’t go through all the permutations, this is a very common one.

DM: DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER, they are the HOLDING MIDFIELDERS, the ones who typically sit deep in the center to anchor the midfield and mop up anything before it reaches the back four. Also the logical starting point of most offensive moves. Should be BRAVE, show good JUDGMENT, be excellent at MARKING, TACKLING, and PASSING.

M C: MIDFIELDER CENTER,  sits in the middle of the park and typically runs the midfield from there, covering ground to offensive midfield and tracking back to defensive midfield. POSITIONING, PASSING, CREATIVITY are all key.

AM C: ATTACKING MIDFIELDER CENTER, typically sits at the edge of the final third in the hole behind the strikers, linking the midfield to the forward line. Ideally should be an adept FINISHER, with great PASSING, CREATIVITY, and PACE (LONG SHOTS are an added bonus).

M R (or M L): MIDFIELDER RIGHT (or LEFT), plays on the flanks and depending on the style of play, gets forward fairly often. Should possess PACE and be good at CROSSING and PASSING.

AM R (or AM L): ATTACKING MIDFIELDER RIGHT (or LEFT), plays on the flanks on the edge of the final third, actively supporting the strikers. A lot of them also play M R (or M L), so the most active wingers cover everything from midfield to the opposition touchline. PACE, CROSSING, PASSING, DRIBBLING, POSITIONING, OFF THE BALL, are all important.

F C: FORWARD CENTER, these are the guys that operate in your forward line. Typically, they should be paired with another forward or a striker. FINISHING is crucial; PACE, POSITIONING, OFF THE BALL and PASSING are useful assets as can be DRIBBLING and HEADING.

ST: STRIKER, the out-and-out front men, whose bread and butter is tormenting center backs. HEIGHT is always an asset, as are JUMPING and HEADING to give the side an aerial threat. FINISHING, POSITIONING, OFF THE BALL, STRENGTH are all part and parcel.

MULTIPLE COMBINATIONS:

A lot of players ply more than one spot (although most will have their favored position), and a few are utility players (able to slot into a host of varied positions – very useful, especially in the Premier League where only 5 substitutes were allowed on the bench).

For example: AM RC is an ATTACKING MIDFIELDER RIGHT AND CENTER. AM/F C is an ATTACKING MIDFIELDER/FORWARD CENTER.

Others speak for themselves. D C, DM is a DEFENDER CENTER and a DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER. And so on and so forth. The permutations are endless. So are the on-field possibilities.