Positions

Where you play someone matters. A lot. MFL uses a positional familiarity system that rewards you for putting players where they belong and punishes you when you don't.

MFL Player positions on the pitch

Familiarity Levels

Every player has a primary position and up to two secondary positions. Beyond that, how comfortable they are depends on how close the role is to their primary position.

Familiarity	Penalty to All Attributes
Primary	0 (no penalty)
Secondary	-1
Fairly Familiar	-5
Somewhat Familiar	-8
Unfamiliar	-20

A -20 penalty across the board on an Unfamiliar position is brutal. It can turn a Rare player into a Common-level performer. Don't do it unless you're truly desperate.

How Familiarity Is Calculated

Key rule: Familiarity is based on proximity to the player's primary position only. Secondary positions do NOT extend the familiarity map.

The positional familiarity matrix, based on a player's primary position.

Here's an example. Say you have a Right Winger (RW) with Right Back (RB) as a secondary position:

• RW -- Primary, no penalty

• RB -- Secondary, -1 penalty

• Positions near RW (like RM, CF) -- graded by proximity to RW

• CB, LB, LWB -- still graded by distance from RW, not from RB

Having RB as a secondary doesn't make your player more familiar with other defensive positions. The familiarity radius always centers on the primary position.

Here's what that looks like in practice for Alfons, a Right Winger with Right Back as his secondary position. Even though his secondary position is RB, he doesn't get any advantage playing CB or LB.

Position Categories

Forwards

Abbr	Position
ST	Striker
LW	Left Winger
RW	Right Winger
CF	Center Forward

Midfielders

Defenders

Goalkeeper

Secondary Position OVR

Some players have a higher OVR when assigned one of their secondary positions rather than their primary. This happens because of how attribute weights differ by position. A player's raw stats might add up to a higher weighted average at a different position.

Because of positional familiarity, those players may or may not actually perform better in their secondary position (remember the -1 penalty). This phenomenon becomes more common as players progress and their ratings evolve.

Squad Building Tip

Versatility is underrated. A player who can cover two or three roles at -1 or -5 gives you way more tactical flexibility than a specialist who crumbles the moment you move them one slot over. Especially valuable when injuries or fatigue force your hand mid-season.