1-1-8

noun

A football formation with 1 defender, 1 midfielder and 8 strikers sometimes played in the 19th and early 20th centuries, now a derogatory reference to a team with poor defence.

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Meanings

noun1-1-8 (uncountable)
  1. derogatoryhistoricaluncountableball gamesA football formation with 1 defender, 1 midfielder and 8 strikers sometimes played in the 19th and early 20th centuries, now a derogatory reference to a team with poor defence.

    England went even further, playing 1-1-8 (eight forwards), but crowded goalmouths saw the game end 0-0.

    2010, Clive Gifford, “Formations”, in The Kingfisher Football Encyclopedia, 2nd edition, →ISBN, page 60
    2 more examples

    Both teams employed what could be considered attacking formations—Scotland (2-2-6), and England (1-1-8) […]

    2011, Jaime Orejan, Football/Soccer: History and Tactics, →ISBN, page 31

    United made a scintillating start against Leicester […] but they seem to be sticking to a 1-1-8 formation, with Evans and then Chris Smalling playing as a sweeper-left-centre-right-back. This is why United have a defence as secure as a paper-tissue truss.

    2014 September 22, Des Kelly, “Chelsea fans add a touch of dignity and class to a world of football excess”, in Evening Standard
Cite this entry
APA

1-1-8. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/1-1-8

MLA

“1-1-8.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/1-1-8. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “1-1-8,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/1-1-8.

Source: 1-1-8 on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.