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 B (Brazil) is the most uniform: 72.1% of its line-ups are 4-2-3-1.
| League | 4-2-3-1 | Line-ups |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Serie B Brazil | 72.1% | 675 |
| 2. Pro League Saudi Arabia | 61.7% | 446 |
| 3. Primera A Colombia | 61% | 847 |
| 4. Süper Lig Türkiye | 60.4% | 604 |
| 5. Super League 1 Greece | 59.8% | 470 |
| 6. 1. Lig Türkiye | 58.2% | 328 |
| 7. Premier League Egypt | 58.2% | 466 |
| 8. Major League Soccer United States | 47.1% | 786 |
| 9. Serie A Brazil | 46.5% | 722 |
| 10. Primera División Peru | 46% | 554 |
| 11. Segunda División Spain | 42.2% | 905 |
| 12. CONMEBOL Libertadores International | 40.5% | 294 |
| 13. Championship England | 39.9% | 1,114 |
| 14. Ekstraklasa Poland | 38.7% | 582 |
| 15. Primera División Chile | 37% | 378 |
| 16. Premier League Russia | 36.2% | 470 |
| 17. 3. Liga Germany | 36.1% | 618 |
| 18. Ligue 2 France | 36.1% | 560 |
| 19. Czech Liga Czechia | 34.8% | 508 |
| 20. First League Bulgaria | 32.8% | 366 |
| 21. CONMEBOL Sudamericana International | 32.5% | 206 |
| 22. Liga MX Mexico | 31.5% | 550 |
| 23. Premiership Scotland | 31.2% | 356 |
| 24. Ligue 1 France | 30.3% | 558 |
| 25. Allsvenskan Sweden | 29.7% | 482 |
| 26. AFC Champions League Elite International | 29.2% | 288 |
| 27. Liga I Romania | 28.3% | 467 |
| 28. Super League Switzerland | 27.7% | 364 |
| 29. UEFA Champions League International | 26.9% | 420 |
| 30. Primeira Liga Portugal | 25.9% | 610 |
| 31. Jupiler Pro League Belgium | 25% | 452 |
| 32. Premier League England | 24.5% | 760 |
| 33. Copa del Rey Spain | 23.8% | 210 |
| 34. 2. Bundesliga Germany | 22.9% | 612 |
| 35. FA Cup England | 22% | 295 |
| 36. 2. Liga Austria | 21.2% | 208 |
| 37. UEFA Europa League International | 20.9% | 1,022 |
| 38. League One England | 20.7% | 796 |
| 39. La Liga Spain | 19.1% | 760 |
| 40. Bundesliga Austria | 18.5% | 390 |
Showing every competition. Major competitions only
Exact formation as recorded.