WikiLine-up
The line-up decides who plays and in which position. It's the foundation your tactics are built on – and the most common place where managers give away strength for nothing. Here you'll learn how the match engine really rates your eleven.
The most important rule: the right position
Every player has an ideal position (some have a second). Only there do they bring their full strength. How strongly they take the field depends directly on how far you move them away from their position:
| Where you play him | Effective strength |
|---|---|
| Ideal position (1st or 2nd) | 100 % |
| Same line, different position (e.g. CB instead of RB) | 90 % |
| Wrong line (e.g. a striker in defence) | 50 % |
| Outfield player in goal / goalkeeper outfield | only 15 % |
A 90-rated striker at full-back brings only 45 effective strength – weaker than a 70-rated defender in his own position. Always play players as close to their position as possible. When in doubt, pick a weaker specialist over a strong player in the wrong role.
Second position 2.0, roles & striker sides
Since 5.0.1 any outfield player can gain a second position outside his own unit. The rule applies automatically in the nightly evaluation as soon as a pair of abilities averages at least 1.0 point above the player’s own outfield average. Once assigned, the second position is permanent.
- Strikers: pace + technique → LM/RM (left-footers left, right-footers right) = winger, game intelligence + shot accuracy → AM = false nine.
- Full-backs: game intelligence + shot accuracy (foot matching the flank, or two-footed) → LM/RM = wing-back; otherwise defensive profile → CB, two-footed → the other flank.
- Wide midfielders & AM (since 28 Sep): LM/RM with tackling + pace → LB/RB = wing-back, with shot power + technique → ST = winger; AM with shot power + heading → ST = false nine. The roles are checked before any other second position.
Roles: what a player with a role does in the match depends on where you play him. His match strength is split between midfield and attack, and in the three chance phases – build-up, pass, finish – he is picked with different weights than a plain positional player. The line-up screen shows the role as a badge.
| Role | Played as | Strength counts for | Build-up / pass / finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winger | LM/RM | 65 % midfield + 40 % attack (wide midfielder: 100 % midfield) | 14 / 20 / 20 (wide midfielder: 18 / 12 / 12) |
| Shadow striker false nine at AM | AM | 75 % midfield + 30 % attack (AM: 100 % midfield) | 12 / 20 / 26 (AM: 18 / 16 / 18) – more finishing, less build-up |
| False nine up front | lone striker or centre of a front three | 85 % attack + 25 % midfield (striker: 100 % attack) | 10 / 30 / 22 (striker: 0 / 30 / 30) – drops deep, joins the build-up, finishes less often |
At AM the false nine therefore acts as a shadow striker: he looks for the finish and leaves the build-up to others. Only up front does he play the real false nine – dropping deep, starting attacks and setting them up, but less often applying the finish himself. A player with a role brings a little more strength overall (105 or 110 % instead of 100 %) but spreads it differently: the shadow striker leaves gaps behind him, the false nine lacks punch in front of goal.
Striker sides: the left, central and right forward spot is saved exactly as you set it (two strikers = left/right, one = centre). The foot matters: right-footer on the left or left-footer on the right −3 % match strength, two-footed in the centre +2 %. A small dot on the shirt warns about the wrong foot. Substitutes take over the spot of the player they replace.
Foot rule on every line: the same side logic applies to CB, DM, CM and AM as soon as two or three players share a line (two = left/right, three = left/centre/right). The wrong foot on the outside costs −3 % there as well; outside the attack the centre bonus for two-footed players only exists in a line of three. Full-backs and wide midfielders (LB/RB, LM/RM) are not affected by the foot.
Wing-backs & the false nine up front (5.0.1): a wing-back is a full-back with a wide-midfield second position or a wide midfielder with a full-back second position (LB/LM, RB/RM). Wide midfielders earn it as fast tacklers (tackling + speed well above their own average). With three centre-backs on the pitch he gets +3 % match strength – where the wing-back actually operates in the system: in a back three (no full-backs, e.g. 3-5-2 or 3-4-3) at LM/RM, in a back five (LB and RB next to the three centre-backs, e.g. 5-3-2 or 5-4-1) at LB/RB. In a back five there is no wing-back bonus in wide midfield (rule since 1 Oct; decided per side). A false nine (striker with AM as second position) only unfolds his real role up front – as lone striker or in the middle of a front three; at AM he is a shadow striker (figures in the roles table above). Since 28 Sep the winger and false-nine roles also work the other way round: an LM/RM or AM with ST as second position carries the same role.
Formation & system
The formation determines how many defenders, midfielders and strikers you put on the pitch – and their exact arrangement. KoF offers many systems, roughly grouped by the back line:
| Back line | Examples | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Back three | 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2, 3-1-4-2 | attack-minded, more players forward – more vulnerable at the back |
| Back four | 4-4-2 (diamond/flat/block), 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1, 4-4-1-1 | balanced – the all-purpose standard |
| Back five | 5-3-2, 4-5-1, defensive 4-3-3 variants | defensively solid, great for protecting a lead |
Add-ons like diamond, flat, wide, block, attacking, defensive change the width and focus of a system. Important: the formation sets the base distribution – the orientation then shifts strength between defence and attack during the match on top of that.
Pick the system that suits your best players in their ideal positions – not the other way round. Three top strikers? Play a back-three/back-four system with three up front. A rock-solid central defence but no wings? Then don't force a wide system.
Formation picker 2.0 (5.0.3)
The formation picker shows every formation as a card with a mini pitch (attack at the top, goalkeeper at the bottom), grouped by back three, four and five, with filter chips and the current formation at the top. Two duplicate systems were merged (4-5-1 wide is now 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2 compact is 3-5-2 cross; saved line-ups stay valid), and 3-5-2 (attacking, DM) with a holding midfielder instead of a central one and 3-4-2-1 were added.
Players stay when you change formation (5.0.3)
Changing the formation no longer empties the eleven: whoever finds their position in the new system stays there; all remaining outfield players are placed on the free positions with the best match strength (including foot and wing-back factors), with pairwise swaps whenever that raises the total. Goalkeeper and bench stay as they are. A note tells you how many players are in a new position – give those a quick check.
Who counts where? Positions in the match
Not every position is involved in everything. The match engine distributes the scenes by position – this is how you deploy your players optimally:
| Position | Main job in the match |
|---|---|
| Striker (ST) | drives the attack and the finishing most of all – this is where your best finishers belong |
| Attacking midfield (AM) | second most important man for chances & finishing – the creative hub |
| Wide midfield (LM/RM) | creating chances down the flanks |
| Central midfield (CM) | the link – involved in build-up, attack and defence |
| Defensive midfield (DM) | winning the ball and shielding the defence |
| Defence (CB/SW/LB/RB) | defends the opponent's chances away |
| Goalkeeper (GK) | the last line; with the right abilities also build-up play (counters) |
The three lines don't work in isolation: a strong midfield lifts both defence and attack – it's the heart of the team. Lose the centre and you usually lose the match. And: special abilities count triple in the one-on-one duels – the right skill in the right position decides tight scenes.
Reading strength correctly: best 11 avg., best 15 avg. & strength comparison
On the line-up screen you see three figures – they help you judge the squad:
- Average of the best 11 – the average of your strongest starting eleven. The most important number for matchday.
- Average of the best 15 – thinking with the bench in mind: it shows how deep your squad is for busy weeks and rotation.
- Average strength – the average across the whole squad.
The strength comparison lets you set your values against those of the opponent. With Scout opponent you get extra statistics – use them to tune your formation and tactics specifically to the opponent.
Scouting report (from 5.0.1): after scouting you also see the opponent's best eleven by match strength (one keeper + ten outfield players, with the total), the captain and set-piece takers (if assigned), the record of the last 10 matches (wins/draws/defeats, average goals scored and conceded), the kick-off tactics in those matches (mentality, effort and aggression as a distribution; AI clubs show their profile mentality) and the goal threat (top three scorers of the season with assists).
The displayed strength isn't everything: in the match what counts is match strength including form. A slightly weaker but fresh and highly motivated player can beat a jaded star. Before busy weeks, rotation pays off.
Bench & absentees
You need 11 outfield players, otherwise the line-up can't be saved. The substitutes on the bench are ready for substitutions – plan them to fit the changes you intend to make. Suspended (cards) and injured players are not eligible and show up under "Absentees".
Captain & set-piece takers
Who you make captain and who takes the corners, free kicks and penalties is set on the team screen. Both have a real impact on the match: the captain gives the team a boost from the 80th minute on, and good set-piece takers convert more dead balls. When picking your line-up, make sure your captain is actually on the pitch right to the end.
How to line up well
- Position over strength: better every player in his ideal position than stars in foreign roles.
- System to suit the squad: pick the formation that places your best players in fitting positions.
- Best finishers up front: strongest finishers at ST/AM, best ball-winners at DM/CB, link-type players in CM.
- Don't neglect the midfield: it supports both other lines – skimping here costs you everywhere.
- Factor in the opponent: use the strength comparison and scouting, then adjust formation/tactics.
- Rotate: before congested fixture lists, put freshness over raw strength – tied in with your training.
Ideal position = 100 %, wrong line = 50 %, goal/field swapped = 15 % · 11 players mandatory · pick your system around your best players · best finishers at ST/AM, ball-winners at the back, CM as the link · best 11 avg./best 15 avg. & scouting for comparison · form can beat strength · captain & takers on the team screen.