The Numbering System

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Today, I learned a new way to describe positions of players on a soccer field. In the US, we use words to describe these positions: Center back, outside back, central midfielder, holding midfielder, outside midfielder, winger, forward, attacker, striker, etc. In Cameroon, however, they have a system of numbers—one through 11—that they use to describe each position, much like they have in American baseball—The pitcher is number (1), catcher is number (2), first baseman is number (3), etc. Here’s how it works:

• 1—Goalkeeper
• 2—Outside right back
• 3—Outside left back
• 4—Center back
• 5—Center back. (Although most professional teams play with a flat four in defense, the number (5) is the last defender, the “sweeper” of sorts, if necessary.)
• 6—Defensive center midfielder
• 7—Right midfielder
• 8—Attacking center midfielder
• 9—Striker
• 10—Striker
• 11—Outside left midfielder

For me, numbers 1-6 make sense, but there’s no order to the way they arrange numbers 7-11. Anyway, it’s good I finally figured this system out. When I’ve been playing over the past few weeks, people were always telling me, “I’m playing 10,” or “I’m playing six,” and I really had no idea what they were talking about—I kind of just went with it and did my own thing. Now, I finally know. When people ask me where I play, at first I respond, “everywhere.” If they ask a second time, I tell them, “two, three, seven, or 11.”

Here’s a picture of my friend Eric describing the number system to me on Sunday: