confused regarding defensive attributes

[neiltrain]

hi, i'm trying to determine exactly what positioning does as opposed to good marking.

i reckon there are two possibilities here:
1. the general position a player gets in when not in possession of the ball, how the team shape sets up.
2. when in one-on-one situations, positioning themselves so as to limit the options an attacker has, for example putting himself between the attacker and the goal to stop corssing or shooting opportunties.

i reckon it's no.2, but surely this comes under "marking"?

i'd welcome some help on this one, thanks, neil

 

[damian fichardo]

i think you answered your own question, positioning means where the player is in relation to the ball and the oposition

 

[Dynamo_ZahnZee]

Marking and positioning work hand in hand really, but they both cover different aspects of defending.

Marking is how well your player tracks his man and stays goal-side of the striker. (more important in central defenders

Positioning dictates where the player thinks he should be. Where on the pitch he should be to counter any attacking moves and not leave his team exposed to through-balls, crosses ect. (more important in wide defenders)


A player with poor Marking really has to compensate with exceptional possitioning and a player with poor positioning has to do the same with his Marking. So a player with 15/15 Possitioning & Marking is often better than a player with 18/10 or 10/18.

 

[neiltrain]

thanks, that really helps!