Playmaker
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In association football, a playmaker is an attacking player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals[1]. The term overlaps somewhat with attacking midfielder, but playmakers are not constrained to a single position - creativity is the only true requirement, and good passing ability and tactical awareness help. Because many midfielders have these attributes, they tend to be the playmakers of a team. They are sometimes called the "number 10" of the team.
Qualities of a good playmaker
Perhaps the most important quality of a playmaker is the ability to read the game, and get into good positions making for effective receipt and distribution of the ball. Intuition is another key element of a playmakers' game, as they need to know where different players are at different times, without taking too long to dwell on the ball. A good playmaker will often hold possession, allowing other team members to make attacking runs. The ostensible role of the playmaker is to then provide or facilitate the final pass which leads to a goal[2]. In football terminology this is often known as a killer ball or the final ball and is officially recorded as an assist.
Playmakers and tactics
Playmakers are not often renowned for their tackling or defensive capabilities hence they are often seen as a luxury in football teams, though they retain their places due to their ability to change games. In a 4-4-2 formation a playmaker will usually play alongside a defensive midfield player to ensure that the team is not vulnerable to attack. However with different formations a team may play with multiple playmakers. Most teams usually use only one playmaker to minimise defensive frailties and also because using more than one may inhibit each playmakers playing style. For example, at the 1970 World Cup the Italian manager, Ferruccio Valcareggi, opted not to play both Gianni Rivera and Sandro Mazzola in the same team [3].
Noted examples include retired French World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane- widely considered one of the greatest playmakers of his generation- and Argentine Juan Roman Riquelme.
See also
- Association football positions
- Formation
- Striker
- Defender
- Goalkeeper
- Midfielder
- Point guard, a basketball position with a similar role to the association football playmaker, and actually translated "playmaker" in several European languages