Team Pressing

The following session was presented by Schellas Hyndman at the Soccer Champions Coaches’ Clinic.

What is Team Pressing?

Pressing means having the mentality to attack with and without the ball.

Three Elements are necessary to employ this sophisticated defending strategy:

  1. Physical conditioning equal to demand.

  2. Knowledge of how to press (angles or pressure and positions of supporting players).

  3. Key individuals within the team to lead the press.

Advantages to Pressing:

  1. 1) Stops opponents to dictate the game.

  2. 2) Stops teams from playing their style.

  3. 3) Encourages team and develops courage.

  4. 4) Helps weaker players on the team to develop confidence.

  5. 5) Encourages personality and determination.

  6. 6) Helps counter-attack.

Grid A - 6 v 3 (Players stay outside and play two-touch, 1 minute change).

Grid B - 6 v 3 (Players can move into the center, 1 - 2 touch, 1 minute change).

Team Pressing

Several factors that will determine a team's decision to press

  1. Climate, field size and field conditions.

  2. Time in the game and score in the game.

  3. Playing at home vs. playing on the road.

  4. Ability of you team vs. the ability of the opponents.

  5. Opponents playing with fewer than 11 players.

  6. Playing against a particular style.

  7. Ability to play man-to-man - even numbers on defense.

C - 7 v 7 + 2 GK

1) Man-to-man defending.

Team Pressing

When to press in the game.

  1. When the ball is played back to the GK>

  2. When the ball is played over the top of the opponents defense.

  3. When the ball is played back to a defender who either lacks technical ability or lacks support.

  4. After a lost of possession the nearest player to the ball immediately initiates the press.

  5. Once the opponents enter the target area.

D - 11 v 11 PRESS:

  1. Players are restricted to maximum 3 touches.

  2. Red Team must make 7 passes before crossing the center line to score.

  3. Blue Team must make a maximum of 4 passes before taking shot.

Team Pressing

E - 11 v 11 Team Press

  1. Free play, no restrictions.

  2. Blue team will play a 4-4-2, will press in level 1 in the designed trap area and counter.

  3. Red team will play 4-3-3- and will try to score.

Team Pressing

See more like this at Soccer Champions Coaches’ Clinics

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Team Pressing Developing Your Team to Be Able to Press & Trap

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The modern game is one of flexibility. The game is more fluid than ever and the top teams now deploy “inverted full-backs and wingers”, false number 9s and ball-playing goalkeepers to deal more effectively with retaining possession and winning it back quickly. The game today resembles more and more the sport of basketball where the winning team typically is the one that has managed transitions between attack/defence better.