Total Football

Total Football (Dutch: totaalvoetbal) is the label given to an influential tactical theory of football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team. It was best known by Dutch football club Ajax in the period of 1965 to 1973, and further used by the Netherlands National Football Team in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Early exponents of Total Football were Real Madrid, Brazilian side Santos F.C., the Golden Team of Hungary and English side Burnley F.C. in the 1950s.

In Total Football, a player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus retaining the team's intended organisational structure. In this fluid system, no outfield player is fixed in a nominal role; anyone can successively play an attacker, a midfielder and a defender. The only player fixed in a nominal position is the goalkeeper.

Total Football's tactical success depends largely on the adaptability of each footballer within the team, in particular the ability to quickly switch positions depending on the on-field situation. The theory requires players to be comfortable in multiple positions; hence, it places high technical and physical demands on them.