Left Backs

A left back defends the left side of the pitch against the opposition's right winger, then supports the attack down the left by overlapping, underlapping or passing into midfield. Good left-footed full-backs are hard to find at every level, so a player who can defend 1v1 and deliver with their left foot is worth building a team around.

Why left backs are different

Most players are right-footed, which shapes the left back position in three ways:

• Fewer natural options. Many youth teams end up with a right-footed player at left back. That works, but the player will tend to turn back inside onto their right foot, which slows attacks down the left.
• A different opponent. Left backs often face a left-footed right winger who wants to cut inside onto their stronger foot and shoot or curl a cross. Stopping that cut inside is usually more important than stopping the run down the line.
• The angle of delivery. A left-footed left back can cross first time from the touchline, with the ball curling away from the goalkeeper. A right-footed player has to check back first, which gives defenders time to get set.

Defending: the left back's main jobs

Defending the winger who cuts inside

Against an inverted right winger, stand slightly inside them, showing them down the line onto their weaker right foot. If they do get inside, a central midfielder or the left centre back should be ready to step in. Agree that cover before the game, not during it.

Covering the centre backs

When the ball is on the right, the left back tucks in to stay close to the left centre back. The back four moves like a chain: if one player moves, the others move with them. That idea is explained in more detail in our guide to defensive tactics in football.

Defending crosses from the right

When the ball is crossed from the right, the left back usually defends the far post. Keep the runner in front of you and on your goal side, and keep both the ball and the runner in view.

Attacking from left back

Left backs add a whole extra attacker when they get forward well. The three main ways are:

• The overlap. The left winger comes inside with the ball and the left back runs round the outside to receive and cross. Practise the timing with our attacking drills.
• The underlap. If the winger stays wide, the left back runs inside them into the half-space between the opposition full-back and centre back. It's harder to track and often leads to a cut-back.
• Playing inside. In some possession teams, the left back steps into central midfield when the team has the ball. This "inverted" role needs good passing skills and the confidence to receive under pressure with your back to goal.

Whichever version you coach, the final action matters most. Crossing Ability separates good attacking left backs from the rest: early crosses from deep, driven crosses across the six-yard box and low cut-backs from the byline.

Left back roles in different formations

Formation	Left back's job
4-4-2	Mostly defensive, supporting the left midfielder with overlaps when the chance comes
4-3-3	Gives the width when the left winger plays inside; has to get up and down the whole flank
4-2-3-1	Often the main source of width on the left, with a holding midfielder covering behind
3-5-2 or 3-4-3	Plays as a left wing-back, responsible for the whole left side
Back three in possession	Either stays deep as the left of a back three, or steps into midfield as an inverted full-back

See our guide to the best soccer formations for how each shape changes the full-backs' work.

Great left backs and what to learn from them

• Paolo Maldini: timing and reading of the game. He was known for how rarely he needed to go to ground.
• Roberto Carlos: pace, power and a willingness to attack the whole flank.
• Ashley Cole: 1v1 defending. Watch how he stayed close to wingers and stayed on his feet.
• Marcelo: composure and close control, often playing almost as an extra midfielder.
• Andy Robertson and Alphonso Davies: modern examples of high-energy left backs who press, recover and cross at speed.

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Three left back drills

1. Stop the cut inside

• Area: a 20 by 25 yard box on the left side of the pitch, with a small goal at the defender's end on the inside edge and a gate on the touchline edge.
• Players: one attacker and one defender at a time, with others queued.
• Equipment: balls, cones, a pop-up goal.
• How it runs: the attacker scores 2 points by shooting into the inside goal and 1 point by dribbling through the touchline gate. The defender has to make them go the "1-point" way.
• Coaching points: start slightly inside the attacker; show them down the line; stay on your feet and wait for the heavy touch.
• Progression: add a covering midfielder who can only enter once the attacker has beaten the left back, so players practise defending as a pair.

2. Overlap or underlap

• Area: the left half of the attacking third, with a goal and goalkeeper.
• Players: a left back, a left winger, one defender and two attackers in the box.
• Equipment: balls, cones, a full-size goal.
• How it runs: the left back passes into the winger. If the winger goes inside, the left back overlaps; if the winger stays wide, the left back underlaps. The move ends with a cross or cut-back.
• Coaching points: watch the winger's first touch to decide which run to make; talk ("round" or "inside"); arrive at speed as the pass is played.
• Progression: add a second defender tracking the left back's run, so the winger has to choose the right pass.

3. Crossing on the run

• Area: a wide channel down the left touchline from halfway to the byline, plus the penalty area.
• Players: left backs in a queue, a server in midfield, two or three attackers and a goalkeeper.
• Equipment: balls, cones marking three crossing zones (deep, edge of the box, byline).
• How it runs: the server plays the ball into the channel ahead of the left back, who runs onto it and crosses from the zone the coach calls out.
• Coaching points: look up before you strike the ball; early crosses curl away from the keeper; from the byline, pull the ball back along the ground.
• Progression: add a defender who closes the left back down, forcing a quicker cross.

More crossing ideas are in our crossing drills guide.

Coaching left backs by age

U8 to U11

Rotate everyone. A child who plays left back every week at eight learns less than one who plays everywhere. Use small-sided games that reward using the weaker foot, which helps right-footed players who might end up at left back later.

U12 to U14

Teach the defending basics: tucking in, the far post, and showing the winger the right way. Give left-footed players lots of crossing practice, and give right-footed left backs work on taking the ball down the line with their left foot.

U15 and older

Coach the role your formation needs, whether that's a wide overlapping full-back, a wing-back or an inverted full-back, and build the fitness to do it for the whole game.

Related guides

For the other flank, read our guide to playing right back in soccer. To see how full-backs fit into the whole team, read defensive positions in soccer, positions in soccer and soccer position numbers.