Tiki-taka is a style of play in football that has evolved from Total Football and is characterised by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels, and maintaining possession. The style is primarily associated with La Liga club FC Barcelona. Tiki-taka moves away from the traditional thinking of formations in football to a concept derived from zonal play.

It is a huge game of keep away, with the other team acting as the piggy in the middle. Actually, the idea is to always keep the ball away from your opponent and then to deliver that killer ball to score a goal.

Jed C.Davies, football coach and author of ‘the tiki-taka handbook’ believes that tiki-taka football is “among other things, a conceptual revolution based on the idea that the size of any football field is flexible and can be altered by the team playing on it. In possession, the formation should intend on creating space and therefore making the pitch as big as possible” and the opposite when not in possession via full pitch aggressive pressing. Pep Guardiola is famed for saying “You win the ball back when there are thirty metres to their goal not eighty”.

Barcelona make the tiki taka style of play look easy, but it’s really not. It requires that all the players on the team have the same understanding of the game, are on the same page, and always moving for one another off the ball.

It also requires that every player has exceptional touch on the ball. If the players don’t have the touch, they can’t make those short passes, usually with just one touch, and pull off those quick give and goes to escape from pressure and find space.

Barcelona Walk-through of Tiki – Taka:

 

 

Greek children score amazing tiki-taka goal:

The Tiki-Taka Handbook will be available in early 2013.