He trains his players on this pitch and trains them to orient to these specific lines on the field.

“The only important things in our game are what happens within these 4 lines. Everything else is secondary.” – Pep Guardiola

The four central lines are of utmost importance. This is where the men in between the lines play, and it is the most important portion of the field for Guardiola. There are 4 vertical lines and 5 vertical strips of space on the field.

The flanks are the outside vertical strips, the 2 inside strips are called “interior corridors” in Positional Play, and the central strip is the center.

The interior corridors are arguably the most important spaces within the center, as this is usually in between all lines of the opponent defense. From here, players can have the biggest impact in eliminating opponents as well as moving diagonally towards the goal, which has its own specific benefits that will be mentioned in the game analyses.

On this field, Pep trains his players how and where to move in relation to the ball. If the ball is on the left flank and Ribery has the ball, there are various movements that can be trained to support Ribery while maintaining great positional structure and stability. For example, at. Bayern Munich, when Ribery begins dribbling inside, Alaba the left back will move from the interior line to occupy the left flank that Ribery is exiting, with a possibility for an overlapping run.

Meanwhile, the near side supporting central midfielder like Schweinsteiger would move deeper and toward the left outermost vertical line of the 4 central vertical lines. This means that Ribery is dribbling inside towards goal, Alaba is giving him an overlapping run option, and Schweinsteiger is moving deeper and in between the two – forming the tip of the triangle while the other two attack.

At the same time, the rest of the team is reacting to these movements in order to have the most efficient positional structure and stability in play. During the training of these movements the general rules of never having more than 3 players on a horizontal line at the same times and never more than 2 on the same vertical line at the same time is being obeyed and thought about constantly by the players. So even the far side players are chain-reacting to these movements and forming the optimal far side structure to be able to attack if the ball is switched across to the center or the opposite flank.

This is just one example of a specific movement that could be trained using this field. Guardiola can add defenders and train specific situations and eventually the players can play on any field without a need for guidelines to help orient themselves. The players over time learn all the variations and principles that come with training on this field and use it flexibly and interchangeably. Eventually the players move fluidly, and all have the same mindset and sense of orientation on the field.

*Note: Here is a famous video posted by tz.de on YouTube of Guardiola training his Bayern Munich team in the art of Positional Play during the winter break of his first season with the team. He talks about the length and angling of the central midfielders in relation to each other in order to have optimal positioning to penetrate the defensive lines, specific runs/movements the players should be doing, decision making with the ball to manipulate the opponent or maintain stability, and more. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6YDl1dFI5g

OFFENSE AND DEFENSE GO TOGETHER
 The staggering of your team’s positioning in possession directly translates into better structure when counter pressing after the ball is lost. Counter pressing refers to pressing the ball immediately after possession is lost; a well-known factor of Pep Guardiola’s teams.

One of the most important principles in positional play is that the offensive and defensive aspects of the game cannot be separated. Each has an impact upon the other. The team’s offensive ideas have a direct impact on their defensive work. Therefore, the team’s ideas in possession set the tone for all other aspects of the match.

Guardiola even has a “15-pass rule,” in which he believes that his team cannot be properly prepared to cope with transitions or build a well-structured attack until they have completed at least 15 passes. This provides enough time and stability for players to move into their roles within the offensive structure and strategy. 

Johan Cruyff talked about the success of Barcelona in defensive transition due to their aggressive ball-oriented support while in possession here.

“Do you know how Barcelona win the ball back so quickly? It’s because they don’t have to run back more than 10 meters as they never pass the ball more than 10 meters.” – Johan Cruyff. 

Oscar Moreno elaborates on the importance of controlling all phases of the game simultaneously here:

“Provoke the proximity of the maximum number of opposition players around the ball. Recuperate the ball imminently when lost in spaces where we are united. Divide the play of rival team while not dissociating ours. All with the idea of having awareness of, during the prices of attacking, I am generating the future conditions defensively or vice versa.” Oscar Moreno

 This relates both to defensive stability coming from offensive stability, and another aspect of the way Guardiola sees soccer. For him, this also applies to the idea that general concepts within the phases should not be separated. Some concepts which are used exclusively for defense can also be used for offense.

For example, in soccer the defense are the ones that are proactive, meaning that they determine how the game will be played due to them defending their zones in order to block access to the goal. The defense makes the rules, the offense reacts to the defense and try to score goals to win. Guardiola tries to change the state of modern soccer, while other managers attempt to win the game.

His offense attempts to be the proactive one, to determine how the game of soccer will be played, to take away the control of the game from the defense. Meaning the offense determine how the defense will react instead of the defense determining how the offense will play with the ball.

A key principle of Position Play is the manipulation of the opponent.

“The objective is to move the opponent, not the ball. – Pep Guardiola

Every single action that happens on the field must have a purpose. The ball doesn’t move just to move. The ball is moved in order to move the opponent, to gather them on one side while you plan to attack the other. Every pass has the intention of building up to the action of eliminating opponents. If it isn’t possible to eliminate opponents, then the players will keep the ball and look to get the opponents to move out of position. The ability to do any of these actions is supported by the structure in possession talked about earlier.

This is a key shift in the balance for control in a soccer match.

To add onto this idea, through hard training his players are able to work well with each other to control phases of the game where nobody seems to be in any real control. For example, when Pep’s teams lose the ball they counter press immediately, as mentioned above. This means that even in transition phases they seek to act rather than to react to the change in play and rhythm.

They press immediately and determine what the opponent will do in the moment of transition, rather than dropping off and allowing the opponent to decide how they will transition. They cope with all conditions of the game better than their opponents do. The conditions for all of these concepts to come into play are constantly being generated, even while in possession and creating the offensive structure.

Guardiola’s teams play defense very aggressively. The main focus is on zonal marking instead of man marking. Zonal marking gives the initiative to the defense, and they determine the offense of the opponents, while man marking is a reactionary defense at best.

In man marking players must react to whatever the opponent does, meaning a loss of control. While in zonal marking the defending team determines where and how they will defend, and the opponent must play against them to control the game.

There is a focus on the passing lanes between the opponents. The opponents all seem open to the ball carrier, but the defenders are closing the passing lanes while all pressuring the ball together.

Guardiola’s teams counter press. The moment the ball is lost is the perfect time to press the opposition because the opponent is disorganized, especially the player who won back the ball.

The player who won the ball usually loses his awareness of how the game and the field positions have changed when he wins the ball. So, the player who lost the ball leads the hunt and Barcelona press the ball in a “wolf pack,” blocking the passing lanes to the opponent’s teammates while closing down the player on the ball very quickly before he is allowed to escape, or the opponents regain stability.

CREATE PASSING LANES BY CREATING TRIANGLES
Within the structures created in possession, a main principle of supporting the ball is creating triangles or preferably diamonds. Formations are not entirely important to Guardiola. They are merely numbers. He cares more about the perfect coverage of the field in relation to the ball.

Forming triangles allows players to have better orientation on the field and creates uniformity in movement. Depending on the ball’s position, the players will position themselves in a way that allows them to move it into important areas of the pitch. If the ball is on the left flank in attack, the positions that must be occupied are completely different than the positions that must be occupied if the ball is in front of your own penalty box.

Players can perform specific movements while in these positions in relation to each other. These include but are not limited to overlapping runs, diagonal inside runs, and providing a back pass option. There are general “rules” within these methods of structuring the player’s positioning in relation to the ball. These do not have to be followed strictly but are recommended to provide continuity and flow to the game. The idea is that a maximum of 3 players may occupy a horizontal line on the field at one time, while a maximum of 2 players may occupy a vertical line at one time.

If a system has natural triangles in its design, then it is that much easier for the players to form triangles in possession. This is one of the many reasons we see formations with variations like 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 being used in teams who play this way. Every player is connected to one another, and they move like chains throughout the field in order to have the best structure in possession and support their teammates and the ball. Oscar Moreno mentions the interconnectedness of all the players on the field here:

“Every action implies the subsequent action for receiving the ball.”

POSITIONING AND THE FOUR REFERENCES
The best players determine where they will move by reference to the following 4 factors.

• The ball location
• The space
• The opponents and
• Their own teammates

Arrigo Sacchi when talking about his great AC Milan team:

“Our players had four reference points: the ball, the space, the opponent, and their own teammates. Every movement had to happen in relation to these reference points. Each player had to decide which of these reference points should determine his movements.”

Of these perhaps space is the most important.

“Think quickly, look for spaces. That’s what I do: look for spaces. All day. I’m always looking. All day, all day. Here? No. There? No. People who haven’t played don’t always realize how hard that is. Space, space, space. It’s like being on the PlayStation. I think shit, the defender’s here, play it there. I see the space and pass. That’s what I do.” Xavi Hernandez FC Barcelona

With these four references, players are able to create superiorities or overloads, which allow combinations to become tighter and quicker when a space is overloaded. It is possible to break through the defense on the near side of the field, to open spaces on the far side of the field, and it allows for secure and stable possession.

THE FREE MAN
The free man is an extremely important character in terms of manipulating the opponent. This is achieved mainly through switching the ball to the opposite side of the field once the opponents have gathered on one side. Usually, the free man is the unmarked player on the opposite side of the field, and he provides the best attacking option.

The ball is a tool that is used to eliminate opponents and manipulate their defensive balance. The ball isn’t held in possession just for the sake of having the ball; possession is a consequence of this style of play.

Teams that use this philosophy of Positional Play determine which spaces they want to attack based on the game strategy then use a distraction in another area before striking the opponent in the desired area, i.e., playing on the left side to gather the opponents there, in order to finish the attack on the right or playing in deep areas to lure the opponents out in order to finish the attack in behind the opponent in the open spaces. We see that specific mentality of play even in counterattacking teams. Juan Manuel Lillo summarizes this concept here:

“The principal idea of Positional Play is that players pass the ball to each other in close spaces to be able to pass to a wide open man.”

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT PASSING THOUGH
When looking at the principles of positional play, it is also important to look at how this philosophy relates to the specific movements and ideas of the individual players.

The ball can move via dribbling, passing, or shooting. A player must master when and how to do any of these movements in order to create an advantageous situation for the team.

Each movement can cause the opponents to concentrate their positioning more towards the ball, which opens other spaces on the field.

Lionel Messi and especially Andres Iniesta are masters of this. They create spaces by drawing many players towards them. It can be considered a sort of “offensive pressing trap,” because they invite pressure from many players then escape it and conquer the resulting spaces with their teammates. 

Johan Cruyff talked about the types of players he wants specifically:

“I want players who can make decisive moves in small spaces, I want them to work as little as possible to save energy for that decisive action.”

In general, players should always choose passes that provide continuity to the game and they should always look to secure the passes by supporting them. For example, if the opponent is compact the orientation of the game should be changed with longer passes. If the opponent is not compact, then it is better to combine in short movements to exploit these spaces quickly.

Both types of passes should be used flexibly though. The players will look to move the ball as quickly as possible so that the opponent cannot react in time and so that the forwards have the edge in game rhythm. In terms of positioning, standing between the lines attracts the attention of more than just one player, which can be beneficial to others.

“Move the opponent, not the ball. Invite the opponent to press. You have the ball on one side, to finish on the other.” – Pep Guardiola

BETWEEN THE LINES
The men between the lines, called “interiores”, dominate Positional Play. They are in between their opponents and this separation from their opponents is precisely what causes the gathering of opponents in specific areas. They are masters at eliminating their opponents and avoiding movements that attract opponents to an area where the opponents have defensive access to the ball. The players positioned in between the opponent’s lines should constantly move in order to have an open passing lane between them and the ball, or between them and a player who has an open passing lane in relation to the ball.

Staying out of the cover shadow of the opponents means that the opponents cannot block you with their positioning and invites more than one opponent to worry about this player. The specific manner in which a player receives the ball could also affect how they are marked.

Movement of the ball and the players is how signals are communicated in soccer, so if a player checks into a space to receive a ball very quickly, the defenders might match this intensity and follow the player and leave a free space to be exploited, or a free man.

Siegbert Tarrasch talks about chess in a way that is comparable to this aspect of Positional Play:

“Weak points or holes in the opponent’s position must be occupied by pieces, not pawns.”

Meaning that your very best players should be the ones who are the men in between the lines. They are the ones who will most skillfully exploit the holes in the opponent’s defense as well as perform the most valuable actions for the team. Examples of these players in Guardiola’s time with FC Barcelona were Xavi Hernandez, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets.

The fullbacks or wingers are usually very wide and open on the sidelines of the pitch. They stretch the defense and by staying wide, they naturally create interior spaces and passing lanes for the midfielders. The opening of these spaces provides a better environment for the midfielders and creates superiorities and free men in the most strategically important area of the field, the center.

The defenders build the game from defense and should determine the beginning of the attack. If the opponent is sitting deep and the strikers aren’t pressuring it is the job of the defenders to move towards the opponent and attack them in order to disorganize them. These are all main principles that Guardiola uses with his teams when teaching Positional Play.

PEP GUARDIOLA 2007
Pep Guardiola’s first season with FC Barcelona’s first team was during the 2008/2009 season.

Before that in 2007 he was a writer for El Pais and at that time it was easy to see his philosophy of soccer through his writing. When the then Barcelona coach, Frank Rijkaard used a 3-4-3 against Zaragoza in the 2007 season, Pep Guardiola had this to say in his article:

“I think, and maybe I’m wrong, but what I see is: [Barcelona] like to organize themselves according to the ball—that they attack and defend with the ball and understand that it is unacceptable that the ball is there, and we are here. The players feel that, instead of moving towards the ball, the ball will reach them where they are. They feel that, in order for the attackers to succeed and appear in the newspapers, [they] need a good ball from the midfield and they, to do so, need a good ball from their defenders. I will pass it on to you and you pass it to them.

Ronaldinho knows that he is better with Eto’o and Eto’o knows he is better with Ronaldinho. They have their aspects but are better together than alone. They insist on knowing where the free man is at every moment and know that it is better if that man is Iniesta rather than a winger. They know that Xavi and Iniesta are compatible. And why wouldn’t they be, dammit? They understand, as all good collectives should, that when you start on the right, it is better to finish on the left end and a back pass does not indicate fear, but the beginning of another, better play.

They feel that the time will come and that possession itself is nothing, but rather a means to reach the goal. That it is better that the ball reaches the extreme end of the pitch via the center rather than from up the sides. And with all this, sometimes, occasionally, they also lose. They lose through lack of will power, by not getting their shirt sweaty enough. Or because they have recently eaten too much and too well, and they have lost their appetite.

Yes, they also lose for these reasons, like all teams around the world. But they also lose because sometimes, Xavi or Iniesta or Deco will steal the ball from the midfielders when perhaps they should not. Or because the ball that starts on the right is on track to finish on the right. Or because the third man is seldom used. Or because Ronaldinho has to receive more passes from Marquez and fewer from Sylvinho. Or, because the attack-defense transition, to have it or not have it, was seen and unseen, and now maybe the best is slower.”

This extract perfectly exemplifies the views and passion of Pep Guardiola.

In regard to Positional Play, Pep said only 3 teams in the world truly play this way. Swansea City under Laudrup, Rayo Vallecano under Jemez, and his Bayern Munich. This alone shows that there can be some problems with the complexity of this concept. It may be difficult to implement in training and for the players to grasp. Each coach has their own variation of Positional Play that fits their team and their personal philosophy.

Guardiola’s recent teams have been the best in the world, and they follow these principles. They have purpose in every pass and look to take opponents out of the game very frequently. Many times, you will be able to see players not passing the ball until receiving some sort of pressure. This shows the complete dedication to manipulating the opponent’s movements with the ball.

Sometimes Iniesta will be in the middle of the field, and he will just stop doing anything. This famous move is called “La Pausa” or “The Pause,” He stands completely still while opponents begin to pressure him and abandon their defensive positioning, creating holes in the defense and free men for Iniesta’s team.

THE FALSE NINE AND ATTACKERS
Another interesting aspect of Guardiola’s teams was the use of a “False 9,” a player who is the center forward, but does not occupy the center forward position at all.

An interesting quote by Guardiola perfectly summarizes his views on this style of play:

“Everyone is allowed to move into the box, but none are allowed to stand in it.” – Pep Guardiola

Meaning he expects every single player to contribute to the support of the ball and the build up play before entering the penalty box to finish the move off. This means his strikers don’t usually just stand up front and wait for the ball but are actively and fluidly involved in the buildup play, while even the midfielders and defenders can finish the move in the box if the situation allows them too.

This provides interconnectedness within the team as well as confusing the opponent. When Messi was introduced as the False 9 vs Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time, Madrid’s central defenders admitted they had no idea how to defend Barcelona, and they lost 6-2 on the day.

In regard to superiority in possession, this quote by Angel Iturriaga perfectly captures the talent of Pep Guardiola:

“Guardiola has sublimed Positional Play. He introduced variants in taking the ball out [of defense] that didn’t even cross La Volpe’s mind. He is an innovator and an excellent scholar. I think it is impossible to repeat that virtuoso cycle. As a coach, I would say his capacity to manage a group and egos stands out, his capacity to work and his capacity to change matches tactically. He is able to use 4 guidelines in a match and change them depending on how the rival is situated.”

The variants Iturriaga speaks of are actions such as:

• The defensive or central midfielder dropping towards the sides of the central defenders.
• The defensive or central midfielders dropping into the spaces in between a formation with 3 central defenders
• The fullbacks pushing high and inside towards the center, and more.

Continuing with the idea of progressing the ball out of the defense, this quote by Guardiola shows his style of thinking and strategy when facing opponents:

“In soccer each player is responsible for another except in the 2 central defenders versus 1 striker tip of each team. We start our 2-v-1 with a central defender driving out towards the opponent goal, causing an opponent to step out to prevent his progression, freeing his partnering central defender, which generates the free man). Danger! If we lose the ball the opponent strikers have a 1-v-1 against our defenders. Each team decides how they will play now.”

Guardiola is willing to take the risks necessary to be successful. It may not look like a dangerous situation, but it takes real bravery to leave your team matched up man for man against the opponent forwards while your team is in possession trying to create a chance and the defending team is sitting back waiting to counter. It takes bravery to split your central defenders extremely far apart from each other to the touchlines of the pitch while under pressure. All of this is done in order to constantly adhere to the principles of Positional Play, no matter the cost.

Guardiola chooses different players in his starting lineups based upon how he interprets their movements and their synergies between other teammates on the field. He plans specific movements in regard to the opponent and what the strategy on the day calls for.

His tactical moves always fit the team and he doesn’t change the team in order to fit his tactics – or else they will play very badly. In terms of being a manager, Guardiola has his philosophy, is great at creating strategies against his opponents, excellent at the specific tactical movements required to execute the goals of the strategy and is also world class when it comes to in-game changes.

Along with that form of training, Guardiola also plays various other games that improve the fundamentals needed when it comes to Positional Play, e.g., game intelligence, movement, body angle and position, clean passing technique and dribbling, awareness, and more.

A favorite training exercised used by Guardiola to teach his players the principles of  Positional Play is a 4 v 4 + 3 positional game.