The advanced playmaker in central midfield plays similarly to one in the attacking midfield, the only difference being he needs to be slightly better in the defensive act of his game to deal with the demands that come with playing in the heart of the midfield.

The main difference between a playmaker and an attacking midfielder is that the playmaker will tend to limit their movements behind the strikers or attacking midfielders, remaining mostly unconcerned about getting into goal scoring positions. Instead, playmakers tend to plan the game using their vision and passing to set up chances for the attack.