Triangles in soccer refer to a basic form of player positioning. One player stays upfield, and two remain downfield. A single player can be part of several triangles. For example, a halfback might be the upfield point of a triangle that consists of her and two fullbacks and also one of the downfield points of a triangle that consists of a forward and two halfbacks.
Benefit
Players in a triangle formation always have someone to pass to. For example, if the upfield player has the ball and an opponent challenges him, the player can pass the ball back to either of his teammates. Whoever gets the ball then can pass the ball to the members of whatever triangles he belongs to.
Function
Triangles help soccer teams move the ball around strategically. If you watch a professional team, you'll notice the team will advance the ball upfield but quickly send it back if the other team presents a formidable defense. The team then will move the ball quickly to the other side of the field and attempt to bring it upfield again. Through the use of triangles, soccer teams increase passing mobility and decrease the likelihood of losing possession to opponents.
Dynamic
Triangles are often dynamic, meaning the formations come and go as the game requires. For example, if a player is dribbling the ball upfield, two other players may position themselves behind her to provide support. When the player with the ball passes the ball away, the two supporting players reposition themselves, perhaps forming a new triangle behind the player who now has the ball.
Static
Triangles can also be static, meaning they are set positions. The fluidity of the game often requires players to abandon designated positions momentarily, but players generally should try to maintain proper positioning. One of the most common formations in soccer is 4-3-3, which means there are four fullbacks, three halfbacks and three forwards. The four fullbacks adopt a diamond formation, which you can think of as two triangles back-to-back. This formation creates a strong defense, with one player aggressively approaching opponents, two players providing support directly behind him and one player staying near the goal in case an opponent slips through.
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