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: 69.2% of its line-ups start with three defenders.
| League | Three at the back | Line-ups |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Serie B Italy | 69.2% | 778 |
| 2. 2. Bundesliga Germany | 52.8% | 616 |
| 3. Bundesliga Germany | 51.3% | 616 |
| 4. Serie A Italy | 49.3% | 760 |
| 5. Premiership Scotland | 45.7% | 468 |
| 6. Jupiler Pro League Belgium | 42.5% | 630 |
| 7. Bundesliga Austria | 42.3% | 388 |
| 8. Primeira Liga Portugal | 33.3% | 616 |
| 9. Ekstraklasa Poland | 33.3% | 604 |
| 10. FA Cup England | 33% | 227 |
| 11. Ligue 1 France | 30.7% | 616 |
| 12. J1 League Japan | 29.5% | 760 |
| 13. Major League Soccer United States | 28.9% | 1,032 |
| 14. HNL Croatia | 27.7% | 354 |
| 15. UEFA Europa League International | 25.7% | 538 |
| 16. UEFA Nations League International | 25.2% | 369 |
| 17. Eliteserien Norway | 22.9% | 484 |
| 18. Allsvenskan Sweden | 22.9% | 484 |
| 19. Liga MX Mexico | 21.3% | 675 |
| 20. Premier League England | 20.5% | 760 |
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.