Who plays three at the back?
Share of line-ups set out with three defenders — the shape that has grown faster than any other in the archive.
Serie B (Italy) commits hardest: 41.9% of its line-ups start with three defenders.
| League | Three at the back | Line-ups |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Serie B Italy | 41.9% | 930 |
| 2. Bundesliga Germany | 36.6% | 612 |
| 3. Serie A Italy | 36.1% | 760 |
| 4. Super League Switzerland | 32.8% | 360 |
| 5. J1 League Japan | 29.6% | 611 |
| 6. Premier League Russia | 29.4% | 479 |
| 7. Premier League England | 23.9% | 758 |
| 8. Superliga Denmark | 23.4% | 354 |
| 9. Allsvenskan Sweden | 22.5% | 480 |
| 10. Bundesliga Austria | 21.6% | 357 |
| 11. Championship England | 20.4% | 1,104 |
| 12. Jupiler Pro League Belgium | 18.3% | 262 |
| 13. 2. Bundesliga Germany | 18.3% | 612 |
| 14. Eliteserien Norway | 15% | 480 |
| 15. Super League 1 Greece | 13.8% | 240 |
| 16. UEFA Champions League International | 13.6% | 286 |
| 17. UEFA Europa League International | 11.7% | 664 |
| 18. AFC Champions League Elite International | 11.7% | 248 |
| 19. Liga MX Mexico | 9.2% | 306 |
| 20. Super League China | 8.6% | 478 |
Showing the major competitions. Include every competition
Any formation whose first line is a three. The provider records a formation for roughly a quarter of line-ups, so a league appears only once enough of its matches carry one.