Editing Midfielder (section)

{{EngvarB|date=September 2024}}
{{short description|Association football position}}
{{about|the association football position}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Annotated image |caption=The midfield positions highlighted in relation to other positions in association football
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|annotations=
{{Annotation|125|355|[[Goalkeeper (association football)|GK]]}}
{{Annotation|125|320|[[Defender (association football)#Sweeper (libero)|SW]]}}
{{Annotation|210|285|[[Defender (association football)#Full-back|RB]]}}
{{Annotation|125|285|[[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|CB]]}}
{{Annotation|30|285|[[Defender (association football)#Full-back|LB]]}}
{{Annotation|210|250|[[Defender (association football)#Wing-back|RWB]]}}
{{Annotation|30|250|[[Defender (association football)#Wing-back|LWB]]}}
{{Annotation|125|230|[[Midfielder#Defensive midfielder|DM]]|font-weight=bolder|font-size=20}}
{{Annotation|210|190|[[Midfielder#Wide midfielder|RM]]|font-weight=bolder|font-size=20}}
{{Annotation|125|190|[[Midfielder#Central midfielder|CM]]|font-weight=bolder|font-size=20}}
{{Annotation|30|190|[[Midfielder#Wide midfielder|LM]]|font-weight=bolder|font-size=20}}
{{Annotation|125|150|[[Midfielder#Attacking midfielder|AM]]|font-weight=bolder|font-size=20}}
{{Annotation|210|95|[[Forward (association football)#Outside forward|RW]]}}
{{Annotation|125|95|[[Forward (association football)#Second striker|SS]]}}
{{Annotation|30|95|[[Forward (association football)#Outside forward|LW]]}}
{{Annotation|125|60|[[Forward (association football)#Striker|CF]]}}
}}

In the sport of [[association football]], a '''midfielder''' takes an [[Glossary of association football terms#O|outfield position]] primarily in the middle of the pitch.<ref name="BBCsport1">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/rules_and_equipment/4197190.stm|title=Positions guide: Central midfield|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=27 August 2013|date=1 September 2005|location=London|archive-date=11 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311140237/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/rules_and_equipment/4197190.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As [[#Central midfielder|central midfielders]] often go across boundaries, with mobility and passing ability, they are often referred to as deep-lying midfielders, play-makers, box-to-box midfielders, or holding midfielders. There are also attacking midfielders with limited defensive assignments.

The size of midfield units on a team and their assigned roles depend on which [[Formation (association football)|formation]] is used; the unit of these players on the pitch is commonly referred to as the '''midfield'''.<ref name="ExpertFootball1">{{cite web|title=Football / Soccer Positions|url=http://expertfootball.com/coaching/positions.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123010101/http://expertfootball.com/coaching/positions.php|archive-date=23 November 2012|access-date=21 June 2008|website=Keanu salah|publisher=Expert Football}}</ref> Its name derives from the fact that midfield units typically make up the in-between units to the [[Defender (association football)|defensive]] units and [[Forward (association football)|forward]] units of a [[Formation (association football)|formation]].

[[Manager (association football)|Managers]] frequently assign one or more midfielders to disrupt the opposing team's attacks, while others may be tasked with creating goals, or have equal responsibilities between attack and defence. Midfielders are the players who typically travel the greatest distance during a match. Midfielders arguably have the most possession during a game, and thus they are some of the fittest players on the pitch.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Di Salvo |first=V. |title=Performance characteristics according to playing position in elite soccer |journal=International Journal of Sports Medicine |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=222–227 |date=6 October 2005 |doi=10.1055/s-2006-924294 |pmid=17024626|s2cid=46557339 }}</ref> Midfielders are often assigned the task of [[assist (association football)|assisting]] forwards to create scoring opportunities.