The article considers the main characteristics of the types of tactical thinking of football players.The aim of the article is empirical research and theoretical substantiation the operational elements of tactical thinking of football players in the main game roles.Differences in the main indicators of tactical thinking of football players of different game roles have been determined.Participants of the research are: 72 football players were involved as subjects.The footballers represented four teams from different regions of Ukraine: "Naftovyk-Okhtyrka" Football Club (Okhtyrka, Ukraine), "TSK Agribusiness" Football Club (Romny, Ukraine), "Romny" Football Club (Romny, Ukraine), "Crystal Football Club" (Kherson, Ukraine).The following psychodiagnostic techniques with experimental scales were used: "Study of the profile of athletes' thinking", "Prediction ability" by L. Regush.Empirical results of the research of tactical thinking are presented.According to the results of empirical research, we can state there are significant differences between the answers of football players of different game roles.The level of tactical thinking of attackers is much higher than that of other players.Defenders differ significantly from goalkeepers by more pronounced general predictability (t = 2.08) and flexibility (t = 4.51); from attackers by less analyticity (t = 2.72) and flexibility (t = 2.61).Midfielders have significantly more developed awareness (t = 2.76) and profoundness (t = 4.85) than goalkeepers, but, at the same time, less developed than the attacker's analyticity (t = 5.05), flexibility (t = 5.2), profoundness t = 5.2) and prospectiveness (t = 2.67).The attackers are significantly ahead of the defenders by the indicators of analyticity (t = 2.72) and flexibility (t = 2.61).Attackers and goalkeepers differ the most among the studied game roles, namely concerning general predictability (t = 3.28), analyticity (t = 5.67), flexibility (t = 5.26) and prospectiveness (t = 3.07).It has been found that the level of manifestation of the main properties of tactical thinking of defense is significantly lower than in other game roles.