Sir Alex Ferguson, when asked which team was the closest to the Dream Team label, he said:
The one that had made the biggest impression on me is the Barcelona we faced at Wembley, with United, in the 2011 Champions League final. They were unplayable
Positional Play is a way of play that became well known due to Pep Guardiola and the magnificent teams he builds. It’s a whole philosophy that includes many theories that a coach must be familiar with in order to be able to implement it.
Understanding football tactics is essential for any soccer coach looking to implement a structured and effective playing style. From Johan Cruyff’s revolutionary Total Football to the tactical evolution seen in the Champions League and World Cup, the game has continuously evolved. This article explores some of the best soccer books that break down modern soccer strategies, making them invaluable for coaches at all levels, from grassroots to professional.
Below I present the 7 best Positional Play books that I have read and that I believe include all the necessary information (theory and practice) that a coach must learn before trying to implement the Positional Play style.
1. How to Train Positional Play – 15 Exercises from Theory to Practice
How to Train Positional Play – 15 Exercises from Theory to Practice
Positional Play Methodology provides a set of guidelines and structures for the attacking phase of the game.
- What is Positional Play?
- What is the Guardiola Grid?
- Third Man Concept
- Half Spaces
- 15 Positional Play exercises
Positional Play Methodology ( “Juego de Posicion” in Spanish) provides a set of guidelines and structures for the attacking phase of the game. The main idea behind the positional play is to create superiorities (different kinds of superiorities) in specific areas of the pitch. In this book, you will find 15 exercises on how to train Positional Play football.
The football book aims to explain in simple words, the most important aspects of Positional Play. The objective is for the reader to understand the key principles and the general guidelines and concepts behind this methodology and to implement them using the 15 exercises presented in this book to train positional play.
The content is influenced by Guardiola’s philosophy and training methods but also by other supporters of Positional Play. Of course, the methodology goes beyond plain tactical guidelines and includes theory from the areas of neuroscience and complex systems, but here the main objective is to offer to all coaches and football lovers the opportunity to understand the basic rules of thumps.
2. Coaching Positional Play – “Expansive Football” Attacking tactics & Practises
Coaching Positional Play – “Expansive Football” Attacking Tactics & Practices
Learn to Coach Positional Play with the Spanish Game Model of “Expansive Football”, Attacking Tactics & Practices.
- Positional Attacking
- Developing an Effective Attacking Tactical Game
- Methodologies to Use in Training
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Competitiveness and Desire to Win
- The Methods of Training
- Putting the Theory into Practice with “Expansive Football”
This fantastic book is written by Pasquale Casà Basile, a UEFA Pro Licence Coach and a specialist in tactics and team management. Learn how to coach positional play and develop your tactics with the Spanish game model of “Expansive Football” so your team can play effective attacking football.
Through this method of teaching, players are also helped to grow in personality and taught fundamental values such as work rate, competitiveness, teamwork and the desire to win.
This book also provides a detailed analysis of 34 different tactical situations and provides 47 practices for you to use when training your team.
The author
Pasquale Casà Basile (UEFA Pro Licence Coach) has had various roles, including with the Catalan Football Association and RCD Espanyol, where he coordinates, facilitates and develops the work of the youth team coaches, directing the development of tactics and periodization of the Spanish football model.
34 Tactical Situations were analyzed including:
- Building Up Play Against the Opposition’s High Press (2 Markers)
- Support Play When the Ball is Out Wide
- Retaining a Balanced Formation in the Possession Phase
- The Transition from Attack to Defence
47 practices including:
- Switching the Point of Attack with Player Movement in the Final Third
- Quick Combination Play with Positional Inter-Changing of Diagonal Movements
- Maintaining Possession in the Centre with a Quick Break Attack
- “Expansive Football” Combination Play in a 7 v 2 Attack vs Defence Practice
3. Positional Play in Modern Football
Positional Play in Modern Football
How to Use Guardiola’s Attractive Way: A guide on what Positional Play is and how to train it, influenced by Pep Guardiola training concepts
- Coaches Football Quotes on the Positional Play Concept
- What is Positional Play?
- What is the Guardiola Positional Grid?
- General Principles
- Continuous Spatial Distribution
- Spatial Awareness
- Ball Circulation
- Generating Superiorities
- The Free Man
- The Half Spaces
- Exercises to train the Positional Play
Positional Play or “Juego de Posición” is a methodology, a way of play that provides to the plays a set of guidelines, a cognitive map on the pitch that can use in order to apply in the most efficient way the team’s Game Model. The most common misconception is confusing Positional Play with Possession Play. Even though on many occasions to play Positionally you need to have possession of the ball, they are not obligated to be used together. Saying this, we can play possession without using positional principles and using positional play we can also adopt a more direct way of play.
The book will reveal the most important aspects of the specific football philosophy in a simplified form. The aim is for the reader to understand the key principles and the general guidelines and concepts behind this methodology. The content is influenced by Guardiola’s philosophy and training methods but also by other supporters of Positional Play. Of course, the methodology goes beyond plain tactical guidelines and includes theory from the areas of neuroscience and complex systems, but here the main objective is to offer to all coaches and football lovers the opportunity to understand the basic rules of thumps.
Additionally, the book contains 7 exercises that will allow the theory to get a more practical form and the coaches will be able to see how they can train the Positional Play in a simple way.
See below a sample of pages from the book:
4. Pep Guardiola – 88 Attacking combinations and Positional Patterns of Play directed from Pep’s training sessions – Vol 1
How to Use Guardiola’s Attractive Way: A guide on what Positional Play is and how to train it, influenced by Pep Guardiola training concepts
- Coaches Football Quotes on the Positional Play Concept
- What is Positional Play?
- What is the Guardiola Positional Grid?
- General Principles
- Continuous Spatial Distribution
- Spatial Awareness
- Ball Circulation
- Generating Superiorities
- The Free Man
- The Half Spaces
- Exercises to train the Positional Play
Learn, practice and apply Pep Guardiola’s exact attacking combinations and patterns of play direct from his training sessions, to reproduce his magnificent style of play.
This FULL-COLOUR book gives you a rare opportunity to use Pep Guardiola’s Practices and learn from one of the best coaches in the history of football. The 88 Attacking Combinations and Attacking Positional Patterns of Play included are taken directly from Pep Guardiola’s training sessions at Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and FC BarcelonaFind out why Pep Guardiola marks out zones on the training pitch and how he uses them to practice his unique positional patterns of play, maximize space, disorganize the opposition and move the ball into dangerous attacking areas (“Half Spaces”).
Pep Guardiola Practice Topics Included:
- 60 Attacking Positional Patterns of Play in the 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 Formations
(50 Manchester City, 3 Bayern Munich & 7 FC Barcelona) - 28 Attacking Combination Practices
(8 Manchester City, 10 Bayern Munich & 10 FC Barcelona)
Pep Guardiola Practice Examples:
- Passing Combination and Aerial Pass in Behind for a Third Man Run
- Fast Combination Play with Lay-off, Overlap Run, Cross and Finish
- Switching Play for the Wing Back to Receive in Behind with Overlap Run
- Both Forwards Drop Back to Combine + Attacking Midfielder’s Third Man Run
- Fast Combination Play + Short Diagonal Aerial Pass in Behind
See below a sample of pages from the book:
5. Pep Guardiola – 85 Passing, Rondos, Possession Games & Technical Circuits directed from Pep’s Training Sessions – Vol 2
How to Use Guardiola’s Attractive Way: A guide on what Positional Play is and how to train it, influenced by Pep Guardiola training concepts
- Coaches Football Quotes on the Positional Play Concept
- What is Positional Play?
- What is the Guardiola Positional Grid?
- General Principles
- Continuous Spatial Distribution
- Spatial Awareness
- Ball Circulation
- Generating Superiorities
- The Free Man
- The Half Spaces
- Exercises to train the Positional Play
Learn, and apply Pep Guardiola’s practices direct from his training sessions, to reproduce his magnificent style of play.
After the hugely popular Volume 1, Volume 2 gives you rare insight into Pep Guardiola’s Training Sessions with another chance to learn from one of the best coaches in the history of football.
Pep Guardiola 85 Practices Include:
- Warm-ups (training and match day)
- Speed & Agility (without/with ball)
- Technical Circuits
- Passing
- Rondos
- Juego de Posición (Positional Games)
- Possession Games
- Attacking Positional Patterns of Play
- Small to Large Sided Games
Taken directly from Pep’s training sessions at Manchester City, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona.
This is your chance to practice and apply Pep Guardiola’s training sessions to develop your players’ speed, agility, technique and positional play – a unique opportunity to improve your team’s performance using practices from the highest level.
Pep Guardiola Practice Topics Include:
- Training Session Warm-up Exercises (3 Man City)
- Manchester City Pre-Match Warm-up
- Speed and Agility Exercises Without a Ball (2 Man City, 1 Bayern)
- Speed and Agility Exercises With a Ball (7 Barcelona)
- Technical Circuits (8 Man City, 10 Bayern)
- Manchester City Passing Practices (6 Man City)
- Bayern Munich Passing Practices (7 Bayern)
- FC Barcelona Passing Practices (12 Barcelona)
- Rondos (5 Man City, 1 Barcelona)
- Attacking Positional Patterns of Play (4 Man City)
- Small to Large Sided Games (2 Man City, 1 Bayern, 2 Barcelona)
See below a sample of pages from the book
6. 20 Build-Up Drills
20 Build-Up Drills in Football is your go-to guide for learning how to play out from the back with confidence and control.
Take control of your team’s game with 20 Build-Up Drills in Football, a detailed and practical guide to mastering the art of build-up play. This book is designed for coaches who want to learn how to move the ball from defense to attack with purpose, skill, and confidence.
Playing out from the back isn’t just about passing; it’s about understanding positioning, space, teamwork, and timing. This ebook breaks it all down into easy-to-follow drills and strategies that anyone can use.
What is Build-Up Play?
Build-up play is how teams progress the ball from their own defensive zone to create attacking opportunities while keeping possession. It’s a style of play that focuses on accuracy, patience, and teamwork.
Learning to play out from the back isn’t only effective—it also makes the game more exciting and enjoyable for players and fans. However, it requires training, practice, and the right mindset to execute it consistently and confidently.
What Are the Benefits?
- Control the Game: Keep possession and control the pace of the match.
- Create Scoring Opportunities: By drawing the opponent out of position, you open space for creative and attacking moves.
- Build Confidence: Players learn to make better decisions under pressure and work together as a team.
Of course, build-up play has challenges too. A single mistake can lead to losing the ball in dangerous areas. That’s why this book is packed with practical drills and tips to help teams minimize risks while maximizing the rewards.
7. Xabi Alonso training exercises
Learn and apply Xabi Alonso’s exact training methods to improve your team’s tactical understanding of positional build up play, possession, midfield control, and attacking play.
In 2022, Alonso took charge of Bayer Leverkusen when they were struggling in 17th place. Under his leadership, the team surged up the table to finish 6th and secured the DFB-Pokal German Cup.
The following season (2023-24) was historic. Leverkusen became undefeated Bundesliga champions (28 wins, 6 draws), defended their DFB-Pokal title, and reached the Europa League Final. Alonso’s innovative tactics and dynamic attacking style fueled an extraordinary 51-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.
This book features 82 training practices taken directly from Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen sessions. Additionally, you’ll gain valuable insights from 30+ pages of tactical analysis, covering Alonso’s structured build-up play, midfield dominance, and highly efficient attacking strategies.
Conclusion on best Positional Play books
The above is just a collection of the 7 best coaching and positional play books I have read and in my personal opinion can be a great guide for any coach who loves Pep Guardiola’s way of play.
Of course, the number of books, articles, and videos on the specific subject is thousands. A coach must be in a position to check the different resources and choose the most suitable for him.
Whether you’re a football fan, an aspiring modern soccer coach, or working in youth football, these books offer deep insights into soccer tactics and the ever-evolving nature of the game. By studying the methodologies of legendary minds like Johan Cruyff, coaches can refine their approach to coaching soccer and apply the principles of Total Football in today’s competitive environment.
