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.
Championship (England) commits hardest: 59.8% of its line-ups start with three defenders.
| League | Three at the back | Line-ups |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Championship England | 59.8% | 1,114 |
| 2. K League 1 South Korea | 50.7% | 460 |
| 3. Jupiler Pro League Belgium | 49.2% | 651 |
| 4. FA Cup England | 46.9% | 258 |
| 5. Bundesliga Germany | 43.7% | 616 |
| 6. Serie A Italy | 41.7% | 760 |
| 7. Allsvenskan Sweden | 39.5% | 484 |
| 8. Ekstraklasa Poland | 37.3% | 612 |
| 9. Premiership Scotland | 33.8% | 468 |
| 10. Serie B Italy | 33.7% | 780 |
| 11. Super League Switzerland | 33.3% | 360 |
| 12. Superliga Denmark | 32.4% | 383 |
| 13. Super League China | 31.9% | 360 |
| 14. Ligue 2 France | 30.6% | 764 |
| 15. J1 League Japan | 29.2% | 760 |
| 16. Ligue 1 France | 28.7% | 764 |
| 17. Primeira Liga Portugal | 28.3% | 615 |
| 18. Major League Soccer United States | 27.6% | 905 |
| 19. UEFA Europa League International | 26.6% | 350 |
| 20. Premier League Russia | 25.8% | 472 |
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.