Tactics / Out of possession
Press on a trigger
Wait, stay compact, and press all together when something tells you to: a pass to the touchline, a bad touch, a pass backwards.
Why it works
One player pressing on their own is easy to play round. A press only works if everyone goes at the same moment, so the team needs a shared signal.
What players do
- Agree the triggers before the game. A pass to the full-back is a common one.
- The nearest player presses, curving the run to block the pass back inside.
- Everyone else steps up to mark the nearest passing option.
With young players
For older groups. Younger players learn more from simply winning the ball 1v1.
Drawn on a 105 × 68 m pitch. Orange attacks left to right; numbers are the usual shirt numbers for each position.