What possession is in football and what it measures
Possession is the percentage of playing time in which a team has the ball. As a style, possession football means keeping the ball with short passes to control the match.
Possession is one of the most quoted statistics in football. If a team had 60% possession, it had the ball longer than its opponent, and many sides build their identity around that: keep the ball so the other side cannot have it. But having the ball does not guarantee winning. A counter-attacking team can have 35% and win with two quick breaks. What matters is what you do with it.
In ELDT you see possession in real time on the 2D pitch of the live match, together with the other statistics, and it stays in the report when the game ends. For a passing style, look at your midfielders' passing skill and choose a formation with a crowded midfield.
As a tactical style, the ELDT line-up offers normal, high press, counter-attack, down the wings, through the middle and long ball. There is no style called possession: keeping the ball is built from the players, the formation and the mentality you choose.
See it in the game: the manager's guide.
Related terms
More on Tactics
See also: online football manager · guides on the blog