The Debrief · Football explained
How to read a team’s pressure
Who goes first, what sets them off, and where the ball goes next.
By Harry Lowe · 7 min read
Read the article →
Introduction
Pressure is one of the first things I look at when a team does not have the ball. It tells you how the team wants to defend: how high up the pitch, how quickly and with how many players.
It is also easy to describe badly. “They pressed well” says very little. The useful questions are what set it off, who went first, who followed and where the ball ended up.
Here are six things to watch for, in the order they usually happen. In every board, Blue is the team pressing.
01 · The trigger
Find what sets the press off
- What you see
- The team waits, then suddenly goes. Several players move forward at the same moment, all at once rather than one by one.
- How the team does it
- They press on a signal: a pass back to the goalkeeper, a heavy touch, a pass out to the touchline or a player receiving with their back to goal.
- Why the team does it
- A press that goes at the right moment catches the opponent with less time and fewer options. A press that goes all the time runs out of legs.
- What is the benefit
- For an analyst, the trigger is what makes the press predictable. Write it as one sentence a coach could use: “When the ball goes back to the goalkeeper, the 9 goes.”
02 · The first player
Who goes first, and how
- What you see
- One player always leads. Watch their run: it usually curves rather than going straight at the ball.
- How the team does it
- The first presser closes the ball while keeping a pass behind them, often the one into midfield, blocked by their own body.
- Why the team does it
- Their angle decides which way the opponent can play. It pushes the ball towards the side the pressing team wants.
- What is the benefit
- A good first run does the work of two players. It pressures the ball and closes a pass at the same time.
03 · The number ten
Where does the ten start?
- What you see
- Out of possession, the number ten moves from behind the striker to level with them.
- How the team does it
- The ten and the striker go together, one on each centre-back, so neither has a free pass to the other.
- Why the team does it
- Against a team that builds with two centre-backs, two pressers match them player for player.
- What is the benefit
- The opponent cannot pass across the back line to escape, so the ball goes back to the goalkeeper, out to a full-back or long.
04 · The man-marker
Find the player following one opponent
- What you see
- In midfield, one player goes wherever a particular opponent goes, even out wide.
- How the team does it
- Instead of holding a zone, the midfielder stays tight to their player and follows them across the pitch.
- Why the team does it
- It takes away the opponent’s best passer or the player who links the build-up.
- What is the benefit
- The press can go higher, because the free player the opponent is looking for has someone attached to them.
05 · The back line
Check the players behind the press
- What you see
- When the front players press, the defenders move up the pitch at the same time, sometimes as far as halfway.
- How the team does it
- The back four step up together and keep the gap between them and the midfield small.
- Why the team does it
- One player pressing alone is easy to play around. If the team behind stays deep, a gap opens between the lines for the opponent to play into.
- What is the benefit
- The team stays short, so the opponent has less space to play through, and a forward chasing a long ball is often caught offside or still far from goal.
06 · The trap
Watch for the touchline trap
- What you see
- The team lets the opponent pass out wide, then closes in on the player near the touchline with three players.
- How the team does it
- The pass to the full-back is the trigger. The winger, a midfielder and the full-back close in together while others block the pass back inside.
- Why the team does it
- The touchline works as an extra defender. The player on the ball has half the pitch they would have in the middle.
- What is the benefit
- Winning the ball high and wide often leads straight to a chance, because the opponent’s defence is spread out and moving the wrong way.
07 · Put it into practice
Try it on a match
Pick one team and watch the first 20 minutes when they do not have the ball. Every time they press, write down the time, the trigger, who went first and where the ball went next.
After five or six examples, look for the pattern. Is it the same trigger each time? The same first player? Does the ball usually go long, out wide or back to the goalkeeper?
Then use What? How? Why? to explain one example: what the team did, how they did it and why it worked, or did not. Width and pressure are linked, so read Why teams use width next.
The Debrief · Football explained
How to read a team’s pressure
Who goes first, what sets them off, and where the ball goes next.
By Harry Lowe · 7 min read
Read the article →Introduction
Pressure is one of the first things I look at when a team does not have the ball. It tells you how the team wants to defend: how high up the pitch, how quickly and with how many players.
It is also easy to describe badly. “They pressed well” says very little. The useful questions are what set it off, who went first, who followed and where the ball ended up.
Here are six things to watch for, in the order they usually happen. In every board, Blue is the team pressing.
01 · The trigger
Find what sets the press off
- What you see
- The team waits, then suddenly goes. Several players move forward at the same moment, all at once rather than one by one.
- How the team does it
- They press on a signal: a pass back to the goalkeeper, a heavy touch, a pass out to the touchline or a player receiving with their back to goal.
- Why the team does it
- A press that goes at the right moment catches the opponent with less time and fewer options. A press that goes all the time runs out of legs.
- What is the benefit
- For an analyst, the trigger is what makes the press predictable. Write it as one sentence a coach could use: “When the ball goes back to the goalkeeper, the 9 goes.”
02 · The first player
Who goes first, and how
- What you see
- One player always leads. Watch their run: it usually curves rather than going straight at the ball.
- How the team does it
- The first presser closes the ball while keeping a pass behind them, often the one into midfield, blocked by their own body.
- Why the team does it
- Their angle decides which way the opponent can play. It pushes the ball towards the side the pressing team wants.
- What is the benefit
- A good first run does the work of two players. It pressures the ball and closes a pass at the same time.
03 · The number ten
Where does the ten start?
- What you see
- Out of possession, the number ten moves from behind the striker to level with them.
- How the team does it
- The ten and the striker go together, one on each centre-back, so neither has a free pass to the other.
- Why the team does it
- Against a team that builds with two centre-backs, two pressers match them player for player.
- What is the benefit
- The opponent cannot pass across the back line to escape, so the ball goes back to the goalkeeper, out to a full-back or long.
04 · The man-marker
Find the player following one opponent
- What you see
- In midfield, one player goes wherever a particular opponent goes, even out wide.
- How the team does it
- Instead of holding a zone, the midfielder stays tight to their player and follows them across the pitch.
- Why the team does it
- It takes away the opponent’s best passer or the player who links the build-up.
- What is the benefit
- The press can go higher, because the free player the opponent is looking for has someone attached to them.
05 · The back line
Check the players behind the press
- What you see
- When the front players press, the defenders move up the pitch at the same time, sometimes as far as halfway.
- How the team does it
- The back four step up together and keep the gap between them and the midfield small.
- Why the team does it
- One player pressing alone is easy to play around. If the team behind stays deep, a gap opens between the lines for the opponent to play into.
- What is the benefit
- The team stays short, so the opponent has less space to play through, and a forward chasing a long ball is often caught offside or still far from goal.
06 · The trap
Watch for the touchline trap
- What you see
- The team lets the opponent pass out wide, then closes in on the player near the touchline with three players.
- How the team does it
- The pass to the full-back is the trigger. The winger, a midfielder and the full-back close in together while others block the pass back inside.
- Why the team does it
- The touchline works as an extra defender. The player on the ball has half the pitch they would have in the middle.
- What is the benefit
- Winning the ball high and wide often leads straight to a chance, because the opponent’s defence is spread out and moving the wrong way.
07 · Put it into practice
Try it on a match
Pick one team and watch the first 20 minutes when they do not have the ball. Every time they press, write down the time, the trigger, who went first and where the ball went next.
After five or six examples, look for the pattern. Is it the same trigger each time? The same first player? Does the ball usually go long, out wide or back to the goalkeeper?
Then use What? How? Why? to explain one example: what the team did, how they did it and why it worked, or did not. Width and pressure are linked, so read Why teams use width next.