2-3-5 (Pyramid)

Pyramid (2–3–5)

The Pyramid formation

The first long-term successful formation was recorded in 1880.[1] In Association Football, however, published by Caxton in 1960, the following appears in Vol II, page 432: “Wrexham … the first winner of the Welsh Cup in 1877 … for the first time certainly in Wales and probably in Britain, a team played three half-backs and five forwards …”

The 2–3–5 was originally known as the “Pyramid”,[2] with the numerical formation being referenced retrospectively. By the 1890s, it was the standard formation in England and had spread all over the world. With some variations, it was used by most top-level teams up to the 1930s.

For the first time, a balance between attacking and defending was reached. When defending, halfback-trio were the first facing opposing forwards, when those were surpassed, then fullbacks met forwards as last line of defending.

The centre halfback had a key role in both helping to organise the team’s attack and marking the opponent’s centre forward, supposedly one of their most dangerous players.

This formation was used by the Uruguay national team to win the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games and also the 1930 FIFA World Cup.

It was this formation which gave rise to the convention of shirt numbers increasing from the back and the right.

Danubian school

The Danubian school of football is a modification of the 2–3–5 formation in which the centre forward plays in a more withdrawn position. As played by Austrian, Czechoslovak and Hungarian teams in the 1920s, it was taken to its peak by the Austrians in the 1930s. It relied on short passing and individual skills. This school was heavily influenced by the likes of Hugo Meisl and Jimmy Hogan, the English coach who visited Austria at the time.