Match moments / We have the ball
Beat the press
Our goal kick, and their forwards are pressing. Three good decisions in a row, from the keeper, a centre-back and the holding midfielder, take their whole front line out of the game.
In the match
- Decision 1Keeper
- Decision 2Centre-back
- Decision 3Holding mid
You are our goalkeeper, with the ball.
Their two forwards are pressing. Who gets your first pass?
Play the build-up, then choose.
Best choice
5 is wide and facing the pitch. Their striker can press 5 or stay near you, not both, so one of you is always free.
Costly
Through the middle, between two pressers, to a player with their back to them, is the riskiest pass on the pitch. Lose it there and they score.
It can work
Sometimes right, when every short pass is marked. Here 5 was free, and a long kick is a 50-50 at best.
In the match, play carries on from the best choice.
You are 5, our right centre-back.
Their striker is running at you. Where does the ball go?
Play what happened next, then choose.
Best choice
The striker has run past 6 to get to you, so 6 is free and facing the pitch. One pass and their forwards are out of the game.
It can work
It keeps the ball, but 2 receives next to the touchline with their winger close, so the next pass is harder. Fine if 6 is marked.
Costly
Lose a dribble here and they are through on goal. With 6 free, there is no reason to take the risk.
In the match, play carries on from the best choice.
You are 6, our holding midfielder.
You have it, facing forward. Their midfielder is coming at you. What next?
Play what happened next, then choose.
Best choice
Their midfielder has left the space behind them. One pass and three of their players are behind the ball.
It can work
Safe, and you keep the ball. But the work is undone and they get another go at pressing.
Costly
Every second you wait, the pass to 8 closes. Under pressure, the first good pass is the one to play.
How you know it is happening
- Their forward runs at you in a straight line or curves to block one pass.
- A teammate is on the other side of the forward, facing the pitch.
- The space behind the forward is empty.
Why it works
Pressing works by matching their players against ours. Every pass that goes past a presser takes them out of the game, and each extra pass gives us more space. A calm first pass is worth more than a big kick.
The tactics behind it
Your job, by position
- GKGoalkeeper
- Pass to the centre-back the striker is not standing on.
- After passing, move so you are always a pass back.
- If both are marked, kick it long and tell the team early.
- CBCentre-back
- Split to the edge of the box, half-turned to face the pitch.
- Look before the ball arrives: where is the presser, who have they left?
- Pass to the player the striker has left, usually inside to 6.
- DMHolding midfielder
- Drop into the gap between the centre-backs, facing forward.
- Show on the side away from the presser.
- When you get it, play forward first: into 8 or 10 between their lines.
- FBFull-back and wing-back
- Push high and wide, so their winger has to choose between you and the centre-back.
- If the winger stays with you, the centre-back is free.
- CMCentral midfielder
- Stand in the space behind their midfielder, not in front of them.
- Check your shoulder before 6 passes, so you can turn.
- STStriker
- Stay high and pin their centre-backs, so their press is short of players.
- Be ready for the long kick if the short one is closed.
How to explain it
- Say "who has he left?": the presser can only cover one pass, so find the one he left.
- Freeze the game when a forward presses and ask the centre-back to point at the free player.
- Praise the brave pass that went wrong more than the long kick that went out.
On the training pitch
- With a friendReceive on the half-turnThe technique underneath it, with one friend.
- The practiceRondo: 5 against 2The same decision, over and over, with a little pressure.
- The gamePlaying out from the goalkeeperA small-sided game set up so the moment keeps happening.
Set the game up so it keeps happening
- Goal kicks must be played short, and the other team must start behind the retreat line.
- A goal counts double if it starts with a pass from the keeper.
- Allow one "free" pass back to the keeper each attack.
Three things to say
- Look before you receive.
- Pass to the side away from the presser.
- If nothing is on, the keeper is always free.
On Saturday
Tick them off on the day. Nothing is saved: print the page if you want to keep it.
After the whistle
Ask yourself
- How many times did you find the free player?
- When you lost it, were you looking before the ball came?
- Did you ever have a pass you did not see?
What to look back on
- How many goal kicks did we keep?
- Where did we lose it: first pass, second, or third?
- Did the holding midfielder drop in at the right moments?