Balanced 7-a-side teams

UPDATED · 4 MIN READ

Seven-a-side is the most common format among amateur groups: 14 players, 7 per team, usually with a goalkeeper, two defenders, three midfielders and one attacker. To make it even you have to split not just ability but positions too, because with seven per side a gap at the back or in midfield shows straight away.

What makes a 7-a-side game uneven?

With seven per side every player covers a lot of ground, so a bad split has nowhere to hide. What usually tips the balance:

  • A midfield without vision. With three midfielders, the team that gets the good passers controls the ball and the game.
  • Two defenders who don't defend. If one team gets everyone who tracks back and the other gets nobody, the score shows it within half an hour.
  • Fitness. The pitch is bigger than in five-a-side; a team with all the runners gets to everything in the second half.
  • Both good strikers together. With one striker per team, the two best attackers landing on the same side decides the game.
  • 1GK
  • 2DEF
  • 3MID
  • 1ATT

The most common shape in seven-a-side, per team. Every group plays its own way, but it's a useful reference for splitting.

How does Teamix handle it?

Teamix balances each option on all four skills at once (physical, defence, attack and vision) and on positions, so each team gets a similar mix of defenders, midfielders and attackers. A player can have several positions, which in seven-a-side is the norm.

If there are two goalkeepers, one goes to each team, and the stronger one to the weaker side. If two friends arrive together, mark them and they land on the same side. Teamix suggests several different options and the group votes; more in the football team generator.

An example split

Fourteen players, two goalkeepers. One of the options Teamix might suggest:

Illustrative example: the same positions on each side and the four skills nearly level.

7-a-side questions

How many players do you need for 7-a-side?

Fourteen, seven per team. Teamix can generate teams from 6 players, so if fewer turn up one day, it still works.

What if we have substitutes?

Tick everyone who's coming. Teamix splits all of this week's players between the two teams, so with 16 you get two teams of 8 and each has its own sub.

Does it work for 8-a-side too?

Yes. Teamix works for games from 5-a-side to 11-a-side, including 8-a-side. The balancing works the same way: skills, positions and goalkeepers.

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