In the shape of a ... what now?

They're all the rage, sports analytics. (Keep reading, I'll keep this statistics-light.)

Here are two screenshots snagged from a recent X (how I miss the term tweet) from the NWSL Analytics account that illustrate my opening sentence and enough about shapes for my purpose.

These were from the Chicago Red Stars 2-1 win over Seattle Reign FC on April 21 (week 5) and it's the diagrams shown in the upper right of each that illustrate some shape basics, to which I call your attention. (Good thing, right?)

Now, if you're someone who totally gets what these stats mean even if you can't see the data clearly... well, let's be honest, you don't need to read this, so go ahead and stop.

For the rest of us, this is a simple lesson about a few numbers and shapes in the sport.

Fans tend to enjoy a lot of goal scoring when watching so they do this with their eyes: follow the ball. (Later, I'll make a case for viewers to stop doing that!) Therefore, my focus is on offense.

Two key position players

Let's start with two numbers—not jersey numbers, rather the player positions known as 9 and 10. These are two people who will commonly be mentioned in a broadcast's preamble.

There are four basic positions: Goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker (or forward).

Position 9 is the player sometimes called a center forward. She is the focal point of the attack and is usually found stalking the space in front of the opponent's goal.

She is fast (can beat others in a flat-out foot race) and quick (can change direction in a flash, often making defenders look silly). She has exceptional ball-control skills and, hopefully, finishes well. (Um, the ball finds the back of the net because she is accurate.) Her primary responsibility is scoring goals and she often leads the team in that stat.

Position 10 may also be called an attacking midfielder. She is a creative playmaker who has excellent vision, passing and decision-making skills and who dictates the tempo, thereby creating chances for others to score.

(There are scads of videos on YouTube if you want to search them to learn about other positions or strategies. Here our focus is on the two positions most directly responsible for the offense, 9 and 10.)

Shape basics

Everything begins with the arrangement of players on the field, described in terms of a numerical formation (e.g. 4-4-2, 3-4-3, etc.) when play begins. (Yep, the formation should add up to 10 players because the goalkeeper, No. 1 position, will be busy tending the goal so won't be part of an attacking shape.)

That formation shows how the players are positioned relative to each other. As players and the ball move the offense is often still described by someone's observation of what the shape was at kick off.

For example, in a 3-4-3 formation there are three strikers, four in midfield and three defenders. This formation may be referred to as a diamond, even if a viewer never actually sees that shape develop once the ball is put in play.

In youth leagues, players are taught that triangles are the fundamental building blocks of shape in soccer (along with other sports). For a young player, understanding how to move and pass in triangles relative to their teammates helps them develop.

At the pro level, of course, things get more complicated, but within various formations like the diamond, the triangles that develop between three attacking players may be the easiest shape for viewers to spot when initially trying to determine what teams are doing, regardless of the overall formation the team started in. (See the analytics images above for reference.)

Players each have a specific role and responsibility within the overall formation depending on their position and what a team is trying to do offensively or defensively. And, of course, once play begins the overall formation gives way to players needing to react to an opponent's shape, speed and strategy.

That's all part of team preparation, personnel use and the tactical side of match preparation in the first place, which is what analytics help teams determine.

It's also part of what it means for a team to find its shape or identity, which is a storyline developing in franchises that find themselves near the bottom of the table (um, the standings) early in the season.

Can their personnel handle the formation and shapes strategists have devised after, say injuries, have occurred? These are key adjustments managers and players need to make.

It can take time (and the proper seat or camera angle from which to view a match) for a fan to see how a formation allows for players to "be creative" within the various shapes that develop during play.

Viewers who focus on the ball (or watch the player with the ball) often miss how a team's shape develops and allows players without the ball to be creative with the moves or runs they make. Or how a shape gets disrupted, usually indicating great defensive creativity, but we're sticking with offense here.

Learning to appreciate the tactical side of the sport takes time and often requires the help that analytics or shape-illustrations can provide. Whether a fan continues to just follow the ball during play or to look more broadly for shapes and what the players without the ball are doing is an individual choice.

Just don't concentrate so hard on looking at analytical diagrams or identifying shapes that it takes away the enjoyment of watching a breathtaking run (fast) or move (quick) by any player. (Yep, the breathtaking attacking moves are usually made by a 9 or 10 position player.)

In one of the better analyses of the 2023 USWNT World Cup author Kimberly McCauley does an exceptional job of explaining more about shapes (and naming them as she brilliantly coined that team's shape as a "Prayer Circle") using video stills in illustration. It's worth the read if you want to learn more and are a paid subscriber to the Athletic.

Otherwise, this post may be as much about shapes, positions and analytics you ever need to enjoy watching the NWSL.