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. League One England | 49.1% | 1,111 |
| 5. FA Cup England | 46.9% | 258 |
| 6. Bundesliga Germany | 43.7% | 616 |
| 7. Serie A Italy | 41.7% | 760 |
| 8. Veikkausliiga Finland | 40.7% | 216 |
| 9. Allsvenskan Sweden | 39.5% | 484 |
| 10. Ekstraklasa Poland | 37.3% | 612 |
| 11. Superettan Sweden | 36.9% | 480 |
| 12. First League Russia | 35.6% | 752 |
| 13. Segunda Liga Portugal | 35.6% | 570 |
| 14. EFL Trophy England | 35.5% | 245 |
| 15. League Two England | 34.4% | 1,114 |
| 16. Premiership Scotland | 33.8% | 468 |
| 17. Serie B Italy | 33.7% | 780 |
| 18. Super League Switzerland | 33.3% | 360 |
| 19. 3. Liga Germany | 33% | 706 |
| 20. Superliga Denmark | 32.4% | 383 |
| 21. Super League China | 31.9% | 360 |
| 22. Ligue 2 France | 30.6% | 764 |
| 23. J1 League Japan | 29.2% | 760 |
| 24. Ligue 1 France | 28.7% | 764 |
| 25. Primeira Liga Portugal | 28.3% | 615 |
| 26. Major League Soccer United States | 27.6% | 905 |
| 27. UEFA Europa League International | 26.6% | 350 |
| 28. Premier League Russia | 25.8% | 472 |
| 29. NB I Hungary | 25.5% | 329 |
| 30. HNL Croatia | 24.7% | 356 |
| 31. Premier League England | 23.8% | 760 |
| 32. 1. SNL Slovenia | 23.6% | 233 |
| 33. UEFA Champions League International | 23% | 435 |
| 34. Premier Soccer League South Africa | 22.3% | 470 |
| 35. Czech Liga Czechia | 20.9% | 556 |
| 36. CONMEBOL Libertadores International | 20.8% | 307 |
| 37. First League Bulgaria | 20.5% | 444 |
| 38. Eliteserien Norway | 20.1% | 482 |
| 39. Super Liga Serbia | 19.6% | 582 |
| 40. Ligat Ha'al Israel | 19.5% | 339 |
Showing every competition. Major competitions only
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.