Pressing has become an increasingly important aspect to the modern game. Some of the most successful teams in the world play a high pressing game, including Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. As a result, it has received great attention worldwide and is beginning to be implemented everywhere as a strategy, including with young players.

Pressing can be defined as the elimination of space and time by the team not in possession, through quick and immediate action.

In its definition alone, it is obvious why pressing is such a beneficial part of modern football. Quite simply, pressing ensures that the attacking team has a limited amount of time on the ball and is forced to make poor decisions.

The goal of pressing is to win the ball back as soon as possible after losing it and it is a great mechanism for stopping teams in their quest to play out from the back.

But believe it or not, pressing is something that might not always come as a first instinct to young players. Young players might think it is best to hold their position and wait to intercept a pass instead of shutting it down immediately.

As a result, they may be reluctant to press. So how do you coach pressing? How do you instill a pressing mindset in young players?

That is the question.

 

PRESSING TRIGGERS 

To help young players understand when and how to press an opponent, the concept of “pressing triggers” can be introduced.

These are a set of circumstances that should prompt youngsters to go and press their opponents. A lot of these will seem obvious and intuitive, however it is important to find the right ways in which to communicate these triggers to your audience, which may include children and youth.

The most obvious of these triggers is when a player is closest to the ball. If a player is closest to the ball, chances are they should press their opponent and try to force a mistake.

 

Other pressing triggers include:

BAD TOUCH 

When a player makes a bad touch, they may be off-balance and they may be struggling to sort their feet out. This makes it the perfect time for the opponent to try and win the ball back either individually or as a collective unit.

WEAK FOOT

Although this can often be hard to tell, when it is obvious that a player is carrying the ball with their weaker foot, a press can be an effective way to force them into a mistake.

If a player consistently looks very weak on their left-foot, players can try to force them onto that foot through the angle of their approach.

BACK TO GOAL

When a player has their back to goal, there is a very limited chance that they are going to be able to progress forward.

In order to ensure they have no time to turn their body shape around and make a forward pass, a quick press should be conducted by the closest to the ball with a supporting player coming in to cut off a backwards or sideways pass that is likely to ensue.

HESITATION

When a player hesitates to make a pass, they are usually uncertain about what choice they are going to make.

As a result, if the defending team can force a player to make a decision through quick and immediate action, the wrong decision might be made.

If a player isn’t pressed and is allowed to make any decision they like, they are far more likely to make a correct choice and execute it too.

LOOSE/SLOW PASS

One of the more naturally intuitive triggers, a slow or loose sideways, backwards or even forwards pass, should always be pressed.

If the defending team can’t win and intercept the ball on the pass alone, they can limit the options of the receiver and slow play down even more.

EDGE OF THE FIELD

There is a certain amount of debate in the football world about when to show a player inside vs. outside, which is another article all on its own.

However, when a player is already at the edge of the field, a pressing player has two options, both of which can be good options.

First, they can force the player out of bounds by angling their body in that direction, wining a throw-in. But perhaps an even better option, they can force the player to the inside (especially in their opponent’s defensive third), in order to get closer to goal and try to intercept the ball in a more dangerous area. Both can be good options, but either way it is important to press a player on the edge of the field.

WHERE ELSE ON THE FIELD?

Pressing can take place anywhere on the field, but it is usually done by teams high up the field, in the opponent’s defensive third.

This is otherwise known as defending from the front, where a team tries to win the ball back immediately after a goal kick or after a reset of possession.

A massive shift has occurred in the past twenty or so years as more and more teams are playing out from the back.

Pressing high up the field is the best way to stop a team from playing out from the back, so it’s a mystery why more teams don’t implement a high-pressing system.

If pressing is conducted in a team’s own defensive third, it is almost always better to force a player to the outside, rather than inside where they have a better chance of scoring.

If pressing is conducted in an opponent’s defensive third, it may be advantageous to force the player to play back inside.

​

DIAMOND SHAPE

According to gegenpressing guru Jurgen Klopp, the best shape for a high pressing game is the diamond formation. Klopp articulates that even when his team are playing in a 4-3-3, one of his central midfielders (likely the closest to the ball) has a crucial role in the diamond press and shutting down the opposition.

 

The diamond shape is fantastic for pressing.

It provides balance on the far side, cover or pressure on the near side and top of the diamond and cover in behind.

​

Triangles are very effective for many aspects of the game, but a diamond shape is likely the best shape for pressing. Without the nearest (to the ball) in the diamond pressuring the ball carrier, the player on the ball has far more time to make a decision. As a result a 4-4-2 diamond formation or a 4-2-3-1 may be most rooted in a pressing style game. Borussia Dortmund have been one of the best pressing teams around this season, utilizing the 4-2-3-1, while RB Leipzig have implemented the tactic well in a 4-4-2 diamond. That being said any formation can be used to create this diamond shape and teams in recent years like Liverpool (4-3-3) and Manchester City/Bayern Munich (4-1-4-1) have been very effective in defending from the front using other formations.

So there it is! How to coach pressing to your players.

 

WHAT ACTUALLY IS "PRESSING"

• Pressing is when pressure is applied by the defending team on a player or team that has possession of the ball.

• Pressing is used to rush the opponent’s next action and limit the time and space available for good decision making .

• The aim is to force the ball away from dangerous areas and win the ball from your opponents .

• However, pressing is not only a defensive tactic used to stop your opponent from creating chances and scoring goals .

• Pressing, counter-pressing and counter attacks provide defending and attacking tactics for a team, with the aim to apply pressure, win the ball and then launch a quick counter attack to score .

• The higher a team recovers possession, the nearer the opposition goal is and the faster the ball is recovered after its loss .

• In addition, the opposition may be unbalanced with limited time to cover space, which leaves gaps and lines available . In this way, counter attacks become a natural consequence of ball recovery .

 

COUNTER-PRESSING

Immediate pressing around the ball area just after losing possession to win the ball back as quickly as possible.

By using counter-pressing, your team are pressing a transition from defence to attack or counter attack from the opposition without retreating back, thus stopping their attack before it starts .

Counter-pressing Tactics

1. Overload the space around the ball.

2. Press the ball carrier while he is receiving and/or controlling the ball with one or two players.

3. Block passing lines for potential receivers.

4. Be compact around the ball area.

5. Try to force a mistake or at least force the play wide.

​

PRESSING AND COUNTER-PRESSING FOCUS IN LIVERPOOL’S TRAINING

Jürgen Klopp: “We want to attack the opponent non-stop when we have the ball, when we lose it and when the opposition have it.”

 

RONDOS

The emphasis of Rondos is normally expected to be about possession, but at Klopp’s Liverpool the focus is on pressing and counter-pressing.

As Klopp talked about, defending is Liverpool’s first attacking action . Their playing style is with a high line and pressing with high intensity to win the ball as quickly as possible .

Klopp’s Assistant Coach Pep Lijnders has explained how rondos and possession games are all about pressing in Liverpool training sessions, explaining that they must “stimulate our counter-pressing vision where we try to disrupt the build-up of the opponent inside their first few touches.“

​

When referring to the Rondos which are part of all of Liverpool’s training sessions, Pep Lijnders remarks that the 5v2 rondo is a Pressing Rondo .

He goes on to say:

“Our game is about movement and speed, and with only five players, those five have to run non-stop.”

“The two guys in the middle are encouraged to intercept within the first six passes. If they succeed, they can both go out at the same time. Otherwise, only the player who intervened is allowed to leave the middle.”

POSSESSION GAMES

Liverpool’s possession games are focused on immediate fast transitions and making sure to never pause or delay after losing the ball, even for a second.

Pep Lijnders explains that “The players first have to understand the importance of counter-pressing to our team - that element comes back in every exercise.”

“When a team lose the ball in training, you will hear me, Jürgen or Pete (Krawietz) screaming: ‘Go! Get it back! Don’t stop!”

​

When observing Liverpool’s rondos and possession games in their training sessions, the following is clear:

• The players keep count of the passes to maintain a high level of competition.

• In the rondos, the motivation to win the ball within 6 passes increases the speed and intensity of the pressing to replicate Liverpool’s non-stop running counter- pressing philosophy.

• The Liverpool players react immediately to press the new ball carrier.

• The Liverpool coaches and players really focus on the counter-press, to act collectively as a team and try to win the ball back immediately after losing possession.

    

• 4-Team 2+2+2 v 2 Rondo with Fast Pressing and Transitions

 Practice Drill

• In this 6v2 Rondo (2+2+2 v 2), the players work in groups of 8 in a 10 yard square . There are 4 teams of 2 players

• There are 2 players on 2 sides of the square and 1 player on the other 2 sides . They are positioned on the outsides but must still play within the area .

• The 6 outside players (3 teams of 2) aim to keep possession of the ball and are only allowed to use 1 touch .

• The 2 inside players work together to press, close the angles for the potential passing lines and win the ball .

RULE: If the defending team win the ball, they switch roles with the team that lost it and move to the outside. The team that lost the ball become the defending team in the middle.

​

THE TEAM ACTIVITY

Pressing is the elimination of space and time by the team not in possession, through quick and immediate action as a group, not individually!

Pressing means that the attacking team (the team WITH the ball) has a limited amount of time on the ball and is forced to make poor decisions. 

The aim of pressing is to win the ball back as soon as possible after losing it and it is great for stopping teams playing out from the back, but works equally well all over the pitch!

 

Many players (as told by coaches) might think it is best to hold their position and wait to intercept a pass instead of shutting it down immediately. 

As a result, they may be reluctant to press.

​

Also pressing should NEVER be done by an individual, it should always be done in units! (Units being the forwards, the midfield and even the defence)

It also means the defence playing a high line to squeeze the space!

So, firstly, what are the triggers to do a press - if you all just charge forward you leave yourself exposed!

​

PLAYING A PRESS IN A 4-2-3-1

The 4-2-3-1 shape is fantastic for pressing. 

It provides balance on the far side, cover or pressure on the near side and top of the diamond and cover in behind.

Triangles are very effective for many aspects of the game, but this shape is likely the best shape for pressing. Without the CAM pressuring the ball carrier, the player on the ball has far more time to make a decision. 

​

But dont get "hung up" on formations as all formations are basically one player shift from each other AND they are just starting positions "out of possession"

The right wing in this pressing style

It is a role that cannot act on its own and relies on other players to react to your activity

Psychologically it’s important to keep a full back (who wants to get forward) penned in his own half as that way you “win the battle” - so it’s vital your team dominates possession and keeps them on the back foot!! 

They will then get frustrated and make bad decisions!

So, when the left full back has possession it is your job to set the “agenda” for your team by forcing them to pass it where YOUR team wants it played, so your first actions should be 

• Try to get on their strong foot and make them play the ball with their weaker foot

• Find out from players behind you if they want them to pass down the line or inside (then make them do that, by your approach angle!)

• Make a tackle, but only if 100% certain of winning the ball in some way, otherwise just stand your ground and block the passing route they WANT to use!

​

When the ball is on the other flank, you become a much more narrow midfield player, as the left winger should do all of the above! 

And you are there to fill space in the centre of the park and deny the opposition a way out!

​

Like I say, this has to be a team effort, not just a group of individuals and the things to make it most effective are;

• Communication - so everyone knows where to go positionally

• Fitness - to get there

Once you are in position, decision making is crucial as, if you “dive in” and don’t get the ball, you are out of the game and your team is exposed!!

​​