Full High-Tempo Pressing Session
Pressing sessions can easily become exercises where players simply run harder and faster. But effective pressing is much more than intensity. Players have to recognize when to press, understand what spaces they are protecting, work collectively, and be prepared for how the opposition will respond. In this session, the specific objective is pressing against a team that wants to progress centrally, rather than simply working on “pressing” as a broad topic.
The session progresses through three exercises, with the space and game complexity increasing each time. The players first develop the pressing pictures in a controlled environment before moving towards a more realistic game. One important theme runs throughout: if your press is successful, opponents will often respond by playing longer. The pressing team therefore has to be ready to recover underneath the press, support the back line and compete for second balls.
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Exercise 1 – Pressing Central Progression Warm-Up
The possession team are organized to replicate a team looking to progress centrally, including two holding midfielders and a number 10. Two groups of five alternate as the pressing team.
As soon as possession begins, the pressing group enters and looks to prevent the ball being played into the advanced central player. If they regain possession, the objective is to attack and score immediately in transition.
Keep the games short and intense, rotating the pressing groups regularly. The shape of the possession team can also be changed to create different passing lanes and challenge the pressing players to continually recognize and solve new pictures.
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Exercise 2 – High-Tempo Pressing Game
The second exercise moves into a larger space with a 6v6 game. Both teams play under the same conditions, with the scoring system designed to reward aggressive pressing higher up the pitch.
Winning possession in Zone One is worth three points, Zone Two is worth two points, while regains in Zones Three and Four are worth one point. This encourages players to recognize opportunities to press aggressively rather than simply dropping and protecting space.
As the press becomes more successful, encourage the possession team to play longer. This creates another important defensive picture, with players underneath the press having to react, recover and provide support around the second ball.
Exercise 3 – Pressing in a Game-Realistic Environment
The final exercise moves into a bigger and more realistic game. The possession team are again set up with central progression tendencies, while the pressing team works with a more man-to-man approach.
The outside-middle areas are restricted so the ball can travel through them, but players cannot enter them. This encourages the possession team to search for central solutions and repeatedly exposes the pressing team to the movements, triggers and decisions required to step in and regain possession.
If the possession team responds to the press by playing longer, the pressing team must adapt. Players underneath and alongside the press recover towards the ball, support the back line and compete for second balls. On regaining possession, they should then look to exploit the spaces available in transition.
