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total football

British

noun

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.

Circa 2000, Hunt relocated to the Netherlands — the soccer-mad land of total football and the Oranje — to perform at the American-founded Amsterdam comedy theater Boom Chicago.

From Washington Post • Jul. 22, 2021

But the legacy of total football is still alive and kicking.

From The Guardian • Jul. 13, 2018

“He plays with a total football mentality,” Servais said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 18, 2018

As a player, Cruyff was the embodiment of Dutch "total football", a fluid style of play focused on ball possession and rapid passing, and involving all members of the team in both attack and defense.

From Reuters • Mar. 24, 2016

It is more about making well-rounded people than total football.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023