Is Relationism The Next Big Thing in Soccer?

Football tactics have shifted from chaos to order over the years, with the dominance of positional play pushing the game towards a more structured approach. However, a new philosophy called relationalism is emerging, which prioritizes individual relationships between players over structure and ideas. This approach creates emerging structures that are different every time a team attacks, giving power back to the player and pushing the balance back towards chaos.

Relationalism is an emerging philosophy that changes the way a team is structured on the pitch. Unlike positional play, it is much less concerned about where to attack and more interested in how players are moving and connecting with their teammates. With little concern for an overarching team structure, the positioning of players is a lot more free and dynamic, giving players more creativity and freedom to express themselves.

Key Takeaways

• Football tactics have shifted from chaos to order, with the dominance of positional play pushing the game towards a more structured approach.
• Relationalism is an emerging philosophy that prioritizes individual relationships between players over structure and ideas, giving power back to the player and pushing the balance back towards chaos.
• Relationalism is much less concerned about where to attack and more interested in how players are moving and connecting with their teammates, giving players more creativity and freedom to express themselves.

The Shift in Football Tactics

Football tactics have evolved over the years, constantly shifting from one approach to the other. The balance between chaos and order has always been in flux, from the all-out attack of the 1-2-7 formation to the birth of organized systems such as the WM, from Dutch Total Football to Saki’s defensive principles. In recent years, the dominance of positional play has pushed the whole tactical landscape further towards order, transforming the game into a game of chess. However, a new philosophy has emerged that doesn’t care about structure or ideas and is more concerned about the individual relationships between the players, creating emerging structures completely different from each other every time they attack. This philosophy is called relationalism.

Relationalism, also known as functional play, is an emerging philosophy that changes the way a team is structured on the pitch. It embraces the chaos of a match and is more interested in what the players are doing, how they’re moving, and how they’re connecting with their teammates. The positioning of the players is a lot more free and dynamic, with little concern for an overarching team structure. It’s a philosophy that’s rooted in South America and made popular by managers such as Fernando Denise at Fluminense or Renato Gaucho at Gremio.

The vast majority of teams, especially in Europe, now use positional play as their foundation, made popular by Guardiola but used by managers such as Sarri, Arteta, and Tuchel, to name a few. The main idea of positional play is that it prescribes players with designated zones, and each individual movement serves the structure of the whole team. Guardiola’s well-known pitch zones, while slightly outdated, help explain the core principles of the positional school of thought. One role he sets his players is that there can be no more than three players in each horizontal zone and no more than two players in each vertical zone, ensuring the team has cover all over the pitch.

While positional play can be beneficial, it does come under heavy criticism. One of the biggest complaints is that it’s removed a certain element of creativity from the players, as they essentially function on rails to serve the whole organization of the team. This is where relationalism comes in, giving power back to the player and pushing the balance back towards chaos.

The shift in football tactics can be seen as a movement from order to chaos, then back to order, and now back towards chaos again. The dominance of positional play has given way to relationalism, which is more concerned with the individual relationships between players, creating emerging structures completely different from each other every time they attack. While there are patterns in relationalism, it’s much less concerned about where you are and what space you’re going to attack, but is more interested in what you’re doing, how you’re moving, and how you’re connecting with your teammates.

The Dominance of Positional Play

In recent years, the dominance of positional play has transformed the landscape of football tactics. This approach, made popular by managers like Pep Guardiola, emphasizes designated zones for players and places importance on structure and organization. The idea is that each individual movement serves the structure of the whole team, with players rotating freely within the designated zones.

While this approach has proven to be effective, it has also faced criticism for removing a certain element of creativity from players, as they essentially function on rails to serve the whole organization of the team. However, positional play has become the foundation for the vast majority of teams in Europe, with managers like Maurizio Sarri, Mikel Arteta, and Thomas Tuchel all utilizing this approach.

One of the key principles of positional play is the use of pitch zones. Guardiola, for example, prescribes his players with designated zones, with no more than three players in each horizontal zone and no more than two players in each vertical zone. This ensures that the team has cover all over the pitch, with players free to rotate within this structure.

While modern football tactics are often compared to chess, with managers scripting specific plays, positional play takes this to the next level. Managers know which spaces will be left vacant, and it’s up to the players to exploit them. This has led to the scripting of specific plays, with teams executing extremely accurate passing maneuvers.

Overall, positional play has pushed the tactical landscape of football further towards order, with creativity giving way to structure and the ideas of the manager being seen as more important than the quality of the players. However, as we will see, there is a new philosophy emerging that is pushing the balance back towards chaos.

Introduction to Relationalism

Relationalism, also known as functional play, is an emerging football philosophy that prioritizes the individual relationships between players on the pitch over an overarching team structure. It is a philosophy that embraces the chaos of a match, creating emerging structures that are completely different from each other every time a team attacks. This approach gives power back to the player, pushing the balance back towards chaos and creativity.

Positional play, on the other hand, is a more structured approach that prescribes players with designated zones and each individual movement serves the structure of the whole team. It has been made popular by managers such as Guardiola, Sarri, and Tuko, and is heavily reliant on scripted movements both in and out of possession. While this approach can be beneficial, it has also come under criticism for removing a certain element of creativity from players.

Relationalism, which is rooted in South America, has been made popular by managers such as Fernando Denise and Renato Gaucho, and is slowly making its way into Europe with managers such as Carlo Ancelotti and Luciano Spalletti. It is a philosophy that is less concerned about where a player is and what space they are going to attack, but rather, is more interested in how they are moving and connecting with their teammates.

In its purest form, relationalism resembles street football, with players going wandering and clusters of teammates emerging on one side of the pitch while other areas are left completely vacant. Skills and dribbles are encouraged, and an attack can arise at any moment. While there may be a lot of positional freedom, players still have roles to abide by, with defenders, strikers, and midfielders all playing their part in bringing the whole team together.

The Basics of Relationalism

Relationalism, also known as functional play, is an emerging philosophy in football that focuses on the individual relationships between players on the pitch. Unlike positional play, which assigns players designated zones and prescribes specific movements to serve the structure of the whole team, relationalism embraces the chaos of a match and encourages players to be more free and dynamic in their positioning.

The philosophy of relationalism is rooted in South America, where it has been made popular by managers such as Fernando Denise at Fluminense and Renato Gaucho at Gremio. However, there are also signs of it making its way into Europe, with managers such as Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid and Luciano Spalletti at Napoli adopting relationist principles in their tactics.

In a pure form of relationalism, players have a lot of positional freedom, with little concern for an overarching team structure. However, there are still roles that players have to abide by, such as defenders, midfielders, and a striker ready to attack. The main objective of a relationist team is to control the tempo of the game, which is done with short and quick passes.

One of the key principles of relationalism is the give and go, also known as the one-two. This involves midfielders passing the ball forward before running forward with ferocious intensity to receive the ball back in a more advantaged position. Timing is crucial, and players have to wait for the perfect moment to make a pass.

Another pattern in relationist play is the diagonal line, which traditional positional play teams would struggle to create. These lines give the team options, as a pass forward could be met with a dummy, giving the receiving player more options to lay the ball off, or the first player can simply look for a quick one-two and catch the opposition off guard. These diagonals or ladders can appear at any moment and provide the team with an opportunity to progress the ball.

Overall, relationalism is a philosophy that is more concerned with how players are moving and connecting with their teammates than where they are on the pitch. It encourages creativity and individuality, giving power back to the players and pushing the balance back towards chaos.

Positional Play vs Relationalism

The world of football tactics has constantly shifted from one approach to the other. The positional play, made popular by Guardiola but used by many managers, is currently the most used setup. It prescribes players with designated zones, and each individual movement serves the structure of the whole team. The main idea is to ensure the team has cover all over the pitch. Guardiola’s pitch zones are an example of this approach. It allows players to know without thinking that a teammate will be in a specific position at a specific time, making their whole thought process a lot more automatic.

However, this scripting can be beneficial, but it does come into some heavy criticism. One of the biggest complaints is that it has removed a certain element of creativity from the players, as they essentially function on rails to serve the whole organization of the team. This is where relationalism comes into the picture. The tactics are much less concerned about where you are and what space you’re going to attack, but is more interested in what you’re doing, how you’re moving, and how you’re connecting with your teammates.

Relationalism, also referred to as functional play, is an emerging philosophy that changes the way a team is structured on the pitch. It embraces the chaos of a match. It is a philosophy that’s rooted in South America, made popular by managers such as Fernando Denise at Fluminense or Renato Gaucho Agremio. It is a philosophy that doesn’t care about chess structure or ideas and is more concerned about the individual relationships between the players, creating emerging structures completely different from each other every time they attack, giving power back to the player and pushing the balance back towards chaos.

The positioning of the players is a lot more free and dynamic, with little concern for an overarching team structure. It encourages skills and dribbles, and an attack can arise at any moment. While there may be a lot of positional freedom, there are still roles players will have to abide by. They may not be confined to specific zones, but there are defenders, a striker ready to attack, and midfielders that bring the whole team together.

The Spectrum of Modern Managers

Modern football tactics have evolved over the years, and the balance between chaos and order has shifted constantly. The dominance of positional play has pushed the tactical landscape towards order, but a new philosophy called relationalism is emerging, which gives power back to the player and pushes the balance back towards chaos.

Modern managers fall somewhere along the spectrum between chaos and order. At the left end of the spectrum are managers like Guardiola, who have shifted towards chaos but still use a fluid style that is heavily reliant on positional play. Other managers like Maurizio Sarri are heavily reliant on scripted movements both in and out of possession.

In the middle of the spectrum are managers like Jurgen Klopp, who use a balanced approach with elements of positional play and an aggressive press that leads to chaotic attacks. Managers like Ten Hag allow their teams to be more fluid in attack, especially with their rapid counter-attacks that are heavily reliant on the relations between the attackers.

At the right end of the spectrum, structure still plays an important part, but individual players change a team’s approach. Managers like Carlo Ancelotti allow their teams more positional freedom and creativity thanks to players with relationist qualities, while Luciano Spalletti was also influenced by relationist principles that were able to get the most out of players like Farat Scalia.

It’s interesting to note that two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum can have relatively similar statistics. For example, Fluminense and Barcelona both average over 60% possession per match, are in the top three for passes per match in their league, and both rank high for pressing intensity metrics. While their approach is completely different, both extremes look to dominate the game in a similar fashion.

Overall, modern managers must find a balance between chaos and order, and the emergence of relationalism is pushing the tactical landscape towards chaos once again.

Understanding Relationism

Relationism, also known as functional play, is an emerging philosophy that challenges the traditional approach to football tactics. Unlike positional play, which prescribes players with designated zones and prioritizes the structure of the whole team, relationism is more concerned with individual relationships between players and creating emerging structures that are completely different from each other every time they attack.

The philosophy is rooted in South America and has been made popular by managers such as Fernando Denise at Fluminense or Renato Gaucho at Gremio. It is a style of play that embraces the chaos of a match and is more interested in what players are doing, how they are moving, and how they are connecting with their teammates. The positioning of the players is a lot more free and dynamic, with little concern for an overarching team structure.

While positional play has been criticized for removing a certain element of creativity from players, relationism encourages skills and dribbles and allows for attacks to arise at any moment. However, it’s worth noting that while there may be a lot of positional freedom, there are still roles players will have to abide by, such as defenders, a striker ready to attack, and midfielders that bring the whole team together.

Fluminense is a team that exemplifies the principles of relationism. Their main objective is to control the tempo of the game, which is done with short and quick passes. They rank first by far in average length of passes across Europe, South America, and the MLS from goal kicks. The team starts with a 4-2-3-1 formation, but once the first pass is made, the structure goes away very quickly.

Beating the press is often done with overloads, with the attacking set of players joining in and always looking to outnumber the press. Third man passes are key for their ball progression, and this constant overload allows them to slowly move up the pitch. They rank high for possession, but their field tilt is low compared to other teams, showing how they are not too concerned with moving up the pitch as quickly as possible.

Some of the principles of relationism include the give and go or the one-two, where midfielders pass the ball forward before running forward with ferocious intensity to receive the ball back in a more advantaged position. Another pattern is the diagonal, where players unexpectedly form diagonal lines that traditional positional teams would struggle to create. These lines give the team options as a pass forward could be met with a dummy, giving the receiving player more options to lay the ball off, or the first player can simply look for a quick one-two and catch the opposition off guard.

The Principles of Relationism

Relationism, also known as functional play, is an emerging football philosophy that focuses on individual relationships between players rather than a strict team structure. It is a South American style of play that is gaining popularity in Europe with managers such as Carlo Ancelotti, Luciano Spalletti, and Roger Schmidt adopting it.

Unlike positional play, which prescribes players with designated zones and scripted movements, relationism prioritizes the freedom of players to move dynamically and creatively on the pitch. The philosophy embraces the chaos of a match and encourages players to connect with their teammates in unique ways, creating emerging structures that are different every time they attack.

The main objective of relationism is to control the tempo of the game through short and quick passes. Fluminense, a Brazilian team that employs this philosophy, ranks first in average pass length across Europe, South America, and the MLS. The team’s structure quickly disappears after the first pass, and players are encouraged to move dynamically and create clusters of teammates on one side of the pitch while leaving other areas completely vacant.

Relationism heavily relies on overloads to beat the press, with the attacking set of players joining in to outnumber the opposition. Third man passes are key for ball progression, and the constant overload allows the team to slowly move up the pitch. The team’s field tilt is low compared to other teams, showing how they are not too concerned with moving up the pitch as quickly as possible.

Some of the principles of relationism include the give and go, where midfielders pass the ball forward before running forward with ferocious intensity to receive the ball back in a more advantaged position. Another pattern is the diagonal, where players unexpectedly form diagonal lines that traditional positional play teams would struggle to create. These diagonals provide the team with an opportunity to progress the ball and catch the opposition off guard.

In conclusion, relationism is a unique football philosophy that prioritizes the individual relationships between players over a strict team structure. It is gaining popularity in Europe and is employed by managers such as Carlo Ancelotti, Luciano Spalletti, and Roger Schmidt. The philosophy focuses on controlling the tempo of the game through short and quick passes and heavily relies on overloads to beat the press. The give and go and diagonal patterns are some of the principles of relationism that allow players to move dynamically and create emerging structures on the pitch.

The Role of Overloads in Relationalism

In the philosophy of relationalism, overloads play a crucial role in the team’s attacking strategy. The idea behind overloads is to outnumber the opposition players in a specific area of the pitch, which creates space and opportunities for the team to progress the ball forward.

Teams that follow the relationalism philosophy, such as Fluminense, use overloads as a means to beat the press and control the tempo of the game. By joining the attacking set of players, the team can quickly move up the pitch while always looking to outnumber the opposition. This constant overload allows the team to slowly move up the pitch, and it’s done with short and quick passes.

One of the key principles of relationalism is the third-man pass, which is essential for ball progression. The third-man pass involves a player passing the ball to a teammate, who then passes it back to the first player’s original position, creating a triangle of players. This movement allows the team to progress the ball forward while maintaining possession.

Another pattern that emerges from overloads is the diagonal lines that players form unexpectedly. These lines give the team options as a pass forward could be met with a dummy, giving the receiving player more options to lay the ball off, or the first player can simply look for a quick one-two and catch the opposition off guard. These diagonals or ladders can appear at any moment and provide the team with an opportunity to progress the ball.

Overall, overloads are a crucial part of the relationalism philosophy, and they allow the team to control the tempo of the game, beat the press, and progress the ball forward. By using short and quick passes, third-man passes, and diagonal lines, teams can create space and opportunities to score goals.

The Importance of Diagonal Plays in Relationalism

In the philosophy of relationalism, diagonal plays are an essential component of the team’s attacking strategy. These diagonal lines are unexpected and can catch the opposition off guard, providing the team with an opportunity to progress the ball up the pitch. The diagonal lines give the team options as a pass forward could be met with a dummy, giving the receiving player more options to lay the ball off, or the first player can simply look for a quick one-two and catch the opposition off guard.

Fluminense, a team that uses relationalism, often forms diagonal lines that traditional positional play teams would struggle to create. These lines provide the team with an opportunity to progress the ball up the pitch and create scoring opportunities. The players are encouraged to use their skills and dribbles to create clusters of teammates on one side of the pitch while leaving other areas completely vacant.

The give and go, or the one-two, is another pattern that is often seen in relationalism. Midfielders pass the ball forward before running forward with ferocious intensity to receive the ball back in a more advantaged position. These passes are not necessarily first-time passes, and it’s all about timing and waiting for the perfect moment to make a pass.

Another key principle of relationalism is beating the press with overloads. The attacking set of players joins in and always looks to outnumber the press. Third man passes are key for their ball progression, and this constant overload allows them to slowly move up the pitch.

In conclusion, diagonal plays are an important component of relationalism, providing teams with unexpected options and opportunities to progress the ball up the pitch. The give and go, beating the press with overloads, and third man passes are other key principles of relationalism that allow players to use their skills and creativity to create emerging structures completely different from each other every time they attack, giving power back to the player and pushing the balance back towards chaos.