Right Back in Soccer

A right back defends the right side of the pitch, stops the opposition's left winger, and then helps the attack by overlapping, underlapping or passing into midfield. The modern version of the role is half defender, half extra midfielder or winger. Which half matters more depends on your formation and your coaching.

What a right back does

Think of the job in two phases.

Out of possession

• Stop the winger. Most of the time the right back is defending 1v1 against the opposition's left winger or left wing-back. The first job is to stop them turning, crossing or cutting inside onto their stronger foot.
• Hold the line with the centre backs. When the ball is on the far side, the right back tucks in so the gap between them and the right-sided centre back is small. A full-back left wide on their own is the classic way to concede through balls.
• Defend the back post. When the ball is crossed from the left, the right back is usually the player guarding the far post. Many goals at youth level come from a right back watching the ball instead of the runner behind them.
• Press when it's on. If the opposition's left back receives facing their own goal, the right back can jump forward and press, with the right midfielder or winger covering behind.

In possession

• Give width. If your right winger comes inside, the right back has to provide the width, staying high and wide so the opposition back line has to stretch.
• Overlap or underlap. Running outside the winger (overlap) or inside them (underlap) creates a 2v1 against the opposition full-back.
• Build from the back. At goal kicks and when the keeper has the ball, the right back gives an outlet near the touchline, or steps into midfield if your team plays that way.
• Cross and cut back. From the byline, a low cut-back to the penalty spot is usually better than a high cross, especially for youth teams.

Three types of right back

Coaches use the full-back in different ways. Knowing which one you want makes it much easier to coach.

Type	What they do	Suits
Overlapping full-back	Stays wide, bombs forward on the outside of the winger, crosses from deep or the byline	4-4-2 and 4-3-3 with inverted wingers who like to cut inside
Inverted full-back	Steps into central midfield when the team has the ball, making a box or a back three behind it	Possession teams that want an extra midfielder and protection against counter-attacks
Wing-back	Plays the whole right side in a back three or back five, often the team's only width	3-5-2, 3-4-3 and 5-3-2

Cafu and Dani Alves are the classic examples of the attacking full-back. Philipp Lahm became a reference for the inverted role when Pep Guardiola moved him into midfield in possession at Bayern Munich. In recent seasons, players such as Achraf Hakimi, Jules Koundé and Trent Alexander-Arnold have shown how differently the position can be played: Hakimi as an explosive runner, Koundé as a defender first, and Alexander-Arnold as a passer who often drifts inside to create.

For more on how the shape around the right back changes the job, see our guide to the best soccer formations.

The skills a right back needs

• 1v1 defending. Body side-on, knees bent, showing the attacker down the line and away from goal. Patience matters more than tackling.
• Recovery speed. Not just top speed but the first three or four steps when the ball goes over them.
• Scanning. Looking over the shoulder before the ball arrives, to see where the winger and the runner behind are.
• Passing with both feet. The right foot for passes down the line and crosses, the left for passes inside into midfield.
• Crossing. Early crosses from deep, driven low crosses and cut-backs. Our crossing drills cover each one.
• Stamina. Few positions cover more ground. A right back who stops getting forward after an hour is a right back who has run out of fuel.
• Communication. Telling the right midfielder when to track, and the centre back when to slide across.

Where to stand: four common situations

The winger has the ball, 1v1

Get close enough to stop them going past at speed (about an arm and a half away), stay side-on and show them down the line. Only commit to a tackle when the ball is away from their foot, or when a teammate is coming to help. If they cut inside, you want a centre back or midfielder waiting there.

The ball is on the far side

Tuck in towards the centre backs, roughly level with the edge of the box, with your body open so you can see the ball and the winger behind you. If the ball is switched to your side, you have time to step out as it travels.

Your team is building from the back

At a goal kick, start wide near the touchline, level with or just ahead of the edge of the area. If the opposition presses you, show for the ball down the line; if they leave you, carry the ball forward until someone comes to you. The same ideas apply in our guide to how to build up play.

A cross is coming from the left

Move inside to guard the back post, keep the attacker on your goal side and attack the ball if it comes your way. "Ball and runner" is the cue: see both, and never just watch the ball.

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Three right back drills

1. Show down the line (1v1 channel)

• Area: a channel 15 yards wide and 25 yards long down the right touchline, with a small goal or two cones at the defender's end.
• Players: pairs, one attacker and one defender, with the rest queued at both ends.
• Equipment: balls, cones, two pop-up goals.
• How it runs: the defender passes to the attacker, closes them down and has to stop them dribbling through the end gate. Win the ball and the defender scores by dribbling into the attacker's end.
• Coaching points: close down quickly while the ball travels, then slow down for the last few yards; side-on, show them down the line; be patient and tackle when the ball is away from their foot.
• Progression: add a central goal the attacker can shoot at if they get inside, so the defender has to stop the cut inside.

2. Overlap to cross

• Area: the right third of a half pitch, with a goal and goalkeeper.
• Players: a right back, a right winger, two strikers and one defender who starts passive.
• Equipment: balls, cones, a full-size goal.
• How it runs: the right back passes into the winger, who dribbles inside. The right back overlaps outside, receives the return pass and crosses or cuts back for the two strikers.
• Coaching points: time the run so you're arriving at speed as the pass is played; call "hold" or "overlap" so the winger knows where you are; look up before you cross.
• Progression: make the defender fully active, so the winger chooses between using the overlap and going inside.

3. Back-post defending

• Area: the penalty area plus a wide crossing zone on the left.
• Players: a crosser on the left, two attackers, a centre back, the right back and a goalkeeper.
• Equipment: balls, cones, a full-size goal.
• How it runs: the crosser delivers from different spots in the wide zone. The two attackers attack the near and far post, and the right back has to defend the far post runner.
• Coaching points: keep ball and runner in view; stay goal side; attack the ball with your head or foot rather than waiting for it.
• Progression: add a third attacker arriving late at the penalty spot, so the right back has to decide between two runners.

For more ideas, try our defending drills or the drill library on Cupello.

Coaching right backs by age

U8 to U11

Don't fix anyone at right back. In small-sided games every player should rotate through every position. The habits worth coaching early are being side-on when defending and running forward when your team has the ball. Players who only defend at this age miss half the game.

U12 to U14

Once teams move to 9v9 and then 11v11, start teaching the position properly: tucking in when the ball is on the far side, defending the back post, and timing overlaps. Use small-sided games with wide zones so full-backs get repeated 1v1s and crossing chances.

U15 and older

Now you can coach the details: different full-back roles for different formations, pressing triggers, playing inside as an inverted full-back, and the fitness to get up and down for 80 or 90 minutes. Video is useful here. Show players a top right back's positioning when the ball is on the far side, and then theirs.

Right back vs left back

The jobs mirror each other, but the details differ: a right-footed right back can cross first time down the line, while a left-footed player on the right will want to come inside onto their stronger foot. Read our guide to left backs for the other side of the pitch, or see how full-backs fit into the team in defensive positions in soccer and our overview of positions in soccer.