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 A (Italy) commits hardest: 45.4% of its line-ups start with three defenders.
| League | Three at the back | Line-ups |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Serie A Italy | 45.4% | 760 |
| 2. Bundesliga Austria | 35.4% | 390 |
| 3. Allsvenskan Sweden | 33.8% | 482 |
| 4. A-League Australia | 33.1% | 296 |
| 5. Serie B Italy | 33% | 776 |
| 6. Superliga Denmark | 22.4% | 482 |
| 7. FA Cup England | 21.7% | 295 |
| 8. Super League Switzerland | 20.3% | 364 |
| 9. Premier League England | 20.3% | 760 |
| 10. AFC Champions League Elite International | 20.1% | 288 |
| 11. Premier League Russia | 18.7% | 470 |
| 12. Super League China | 18.5% | 464 |
| 13. 2. Bundesliga Germany | 18.1% | 612 |
| 14. Ligue 1 France | 16.1% | 558 |
| 15. UEFA Champions League International | 16% | 420 |
| 16. UEFA Europa League International | 15.3% | 1,022 |
| 17. Championship England | 14.2% | 1,114 |
| 18. Ligue 2 France | 13.8% | 560 |
| 19. Primeira Liga Portugal | 12.8% | 610 |
| 20. Premiership Scotland | 11.8% | 356 |
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.