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A soccer team is generally made up of 11 players. They are each given one position, and in most cases, it is either an offensive or defensive position. In some cases, due to fouls or injuries, a team may play a match that's already started with less than 11 players on the field. However, most teams also make sure to have well above 11 players on their team to ensure they are never short-manned during a match.

Center Backs
Center backs are the heart and soul of the defense; there goal is to stop the offense from scoring. Many teams have three to four defenders on the field at a time. This allows for the defenders to cover a wide range of ground as well as cover ground in order to prevent openings in the defense for the offense to take advantage of and score.

Most center backs focus on two different types of strategy: One is the zonal and the other is the man-to-man. Man-to-man marking is when a center back covers one particular player for the duration of the match. This often occurs when the underdog team is pitted against a stronger offensive team, the defensive coach will often rely on their best center back to keep forwards at bay for a match. Zonal defense occurs when center backs are given a particular portion of pitch to cover during the game; this means that one center back will be responsible for anybody who enters their area. It doesn't stop other center backs from coming to their aid, it just gives them more ground to cover when the two teams are more evenly matched.

Center backs are also less likely to score. They are mainly opportunity makers, whereas they kick the ball down the field after stealing it from the offense. Sometimes a good kick down the field leads to an even greater shot by a forward who an score when the defense of the other team is still trying to follow the ball up the field.

Center Midfielders
Center midfielders are the all-around players on the pitch. They play a variety of roles on the pitch, both offensively and defensively, and these roles change every second of the game. When the opposing team is in control of the ball, they must be able to defend when the ball comes towards the half-line. Then, when their team gains control of the ball from their own goal, midfielders are the link between connecting that ball from the midfield to the opposing side's half of the field.

Being in the center of the field gives them the chance also to view what is going on at all times. Since most midfielders stay in the same area for the entire game, they have a unique perspective on the overall picture of the flow of the game. This gives them the chance to spot openings before anybody else does and it also enables them to guide other players into how they should respond to such openings.

Midfielders control the game. No matter whether a team is playing offensively or defensively, the midfielders can always change the flow of the game by one simple kick, steal or punt of the ball. Once they have control, from their vantage point, they are the single most powerful force on the fluidity of the game. As you'll often see at the end of a match, if a team is ahead, they will often stall the ball in the middle of the field passing it between each midfielder in order to run out of time and keep the opposing team from gaining the opportunity to change the score.