Where is 4-2-3-1 the default?
Share of line-ups set out as 4-2-3-1 — the most common shape in football, and in some leagues close to the only one.
Serie A (Brazil) is the most uniform: 69.9% of its line-ups are 4-2-3-1.
| League | 4-2-3-1 | Line-ups |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Serie A Brazil | 69.9% | 760 |
| 2. Süper Lig Türkiye | 68.4% | 607 |
| 3. Serie B Brazil | 67.3% | 676 |
| 4. Liga I Romania | 63.5% | 353 |
| 5. A-League Australia | 63% | 270 |
| 6. Premier League Ukraine | 62.5% | 256 |
| 7. Super League 1 Greece | 60.4% | 240 |
| 8. Primera División Peru | 54.4% | 465 |
| 9. Primera A Colombia | 47.6% | 822 |
| 10. 1. Lig Türkiye | 44% | 480 |
| 11. AFC Champions League Elite International | 42.3% | 248 |
| 12. Segunda División Spain | 41.5% | 922 |
| 13. Jupiler Pro League Belgium | 40.1% | 262 |
| 14. Ligue 1 France | 38.6% | 760 |
| 15. Primeira Liga Portugal | 38.1% | 612 |
| 16. Ligue 2 France | 36.3% | 760 |
| 17. Bundesliga Austria | 35% | 357 |
| 18. Championship England | 34.3% | 1,104 |
| 19. Liga MX Mexico | 33% | 306 |
| 20. Super League China | 32.8% | 478 |
| 21. UEFA Champions League International | 31.5% | 286 |
| 22. Premier League Russia | 31.1% | 479 |
| 23. UEFA Europa League International | 29.7% | 664 |
| 24. Liga Profesional Argentina Argentina | 26.5% | 752 |
| 25. J1 League Japan | 25.9% | 611 |
| 26. La Liga Spain | 25.3% | 760 |
| 27. 3. Liga Germany | 24.7% | 450 |
| 28. Premier League England | 24.3% | 758 |
| 29. Bundesliga Germany | 24.2% | 612 |
| 30. 2. Bundesliga Germany | 23% | 612 |
| 31. 2. Liga Austria | 20.9% | 358 |
| 32. Super League Switzerland | 20% | 360 |
| 33. Eliteserien Norway | 17.7% | 480 |
| 34. Allsvenskan Sweden | 13.8% | 480 |
| 35. League Two England | 13.6% | 368 |
| 36. League One England | 12.2% | 376 |
| 37. Superliga Denmark | 12.1% | 354 |
| 38. Serie A Italy | 11.3% | 760 |
| 39. Eredivisie Netherlands | 10.3% | 612 |
| 40. Serie B Italy | 2.2% | 930 |
Showing every competition. Major competitions only
Exact formation as recorded.