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An unbroken chain of passes before the ball is lost. Sequences can be long (tiki-taka style) or short (direct football). Teams are judged on how many long sequences they produce and what they do with them. A 15-pass sequence that ends with a sideways ball is different from one that ends with a shot. The quality of the sequence's endpoint matters as much as the length.
Spain's winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final came from a long possession sequence - patient passing, movement off the ball, and eventually Iniesta arriving to finish. The sequence itself was the tactic.
Robbie
Jan 19, 2026
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