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total football

British  

noun

  1. an attacking style of play, popularized by the Dutch national team of the 1970s, in which there are no fixed positions and every outfield player can join in the attack

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Indeed, at Italia 90, Colombia's first World Cup in 28 years - with Maturana also the national team boss and keen to employ a system inspired by the Netherlands' Total Football - Higuita's heroics landed on a global stage.

From BBC

If anything, Wiegman's side strive for 'total football' - a Dutch identity from the Johan Cruyff era - a dynamic and creative playing style, which relies on the versatility of players.

From BBC

"It was more of a Pep philosophy in terms of total football even at that level," said Tardif, referring to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

From BBC

The former midfielder was part of the Ajax and Netherlands teams credited with creating "total football" in the 1970s.

From BBC

The Dutch played Total Football, but did not win the World Cup.

From BBC