Total Football is the name given to the style of Rinus Michels' Ajax and the Netherlands team that reached the 1974 World Cup final, with Johan Cruyff its most famous player. The big idea was that players could swap positions: if a defender went forward, a team-mate filled their place. Add aggressive pressing and a high offside line, and you get a team that attacked and defended as one.
Step 1 of 4
Our right-back has the ball. Watch three players on the right swap jobs.
Drawn for 11v11 4-3-3. Pick your own format and shape and every step is redrawn for your players. Then present it or send it to your team.
Step by step
Our right-back has the ball. Watch three players on the right swap jobs.
The right-back plays into the winger and goes forward. The midfielder drops to fill the right-back's place.
The winger comes inside, the right-back overlaps, the striker drifts wide and our left midfielder runs into the box.
Every position is still filled, but nobody knows who to mark. Cross for the late runner.
When to use it
When you want players who understand the whole pitch, not just one position. Rotations work best between players who are next to each other: full-back, midfielder and winger on one side.
Coaching points
When a player leaves their position, the nearest team-mate fills it.
Rotate in small groups: full-back, midfielder and winger on the same side.
Keep the shape even when the players change: the positions stay filled.
Press high and together when the ball is lost.
Use a high line to keep the team compact.
With younger players
Total Football's spirit is perfect for youth football: let children play different positions so they understand the whole game.
Who does what
Position
Their job
Full-back
Free to attack; trusts the midfielder to cover.
Midfielder
Fills in behind when the full-back goes.
Winger
Comes inside to make room for the overlapping full-back.
Striker
Drops or drifts wide, and a midfielder runs into the box instead.
When they change it
If they…
You…
The opponent man-marks
Rotations drag markers out of position and open space.
The opponent sits deep
Rotations still change who arrives in the box, which is hard to track.
Copying it at grassroots
Rotate in threes on one side, and teach every player at least two positions.
Common mistakes
Players leaving their position without anyone filling it.
Everyone rotating at once, so nobody knows their job.
Forgetting the pressing half of the idea.
At 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11
7v7
Rotate wide midfielder and centre-back on one side: when one goes forward, the other covers.
9v9
In a 3-2-3, wide centre-back, midfielder and winger rotate on each side.
11v11
The board: a 4-3-3 with full-back, 8 and winger rotating on the right.
The history on this page is written in our own words from these sources. The board is our simplified picture of the idea, not a copy of any match footage.
A style associated with Rinus Michels' Ajax and the Netherlands in the early 1970s, where outfield players could take over each other's positions, combined with pressing and a high line.
Who played Total Football?
Most famously Ajax and the Netherlands team that reached the 1974 World Cup final, with Johan Cruyff as its best-known player.
Is Total Football good for young players?
The idea of playing several positions is excellent for development. Start with simple rotations between neighbouring players.
