12-1 9v9 plus 1 team game: Pressing high as a team - FIFA Training Centre

The wheel symbolises the game, with each segment representing a specific aspect of it. The lightly coloured segments are included in the practice. The darkly coloured segments are emphasised. Lastly, the grey segments represent areas that are not practised.

The intention: What is practised?
This team game works on a team’s coordination and communication when pressing high against opposition building from the back. The members of the team are asked to signal and communicate to each other to establish who initiates the press and which players provide cover. When pressing high, the team must maintain a compact shape and decide when to jump out to press if the opposition manage to overcome the first line of press. Players must quickly identify if space or opposing players become free and cover-press for their team-mates. The team are asked to prevent the opposition from breaking lines and to limit their ability to progress play by focusing on closing off inside passing lanes.

The scale: For whom is this relevant?
This game revolves around the team scale, with a particular focus on encouraging the team to press intelligently and collectively. The exercise is particularly relevant to a team that apply a high press and look to prevent the opposition from playing through central areas. The game should help the members of the team to recognise how their pressing actions are connected. If an attacker presses the ball carrier, the midfielders should anticipate the possibility that the opposition will progress play and therefore step forwards. The game also allows the defensive backline to practise anticipating the right moment to step up, shift across or hold their position when set up in a high line.

The practice type: How is the practice designed?
The exercise involves a team game contested in one half of a full-size pitch. The game replicates a high press against the opposition’s build-up. The reduced-sized pitch encourages pressing players to squeeze high up and to focus on their off-the-ball actions in the opposition’s half. The two mini-goals provide direction and challenge the team to decide which way to progress play, bearing in mind which side of the exercise area is most congested. The neutral player provides the in-possession team with a numerical advantage in central areas, which increases the level of difficulty for pressing players, requiring them to react quickly to prevent lines being broken.

Basic sequence: The oranges press high and try to dispossess the blues as they build up from the back.

Organisation

Use just over half of a full-size pitch as the exercise area.
Place 2 mini-goals at either end of the exercise area.
Reduce the width of the exercise area by 10m on each side.
Use cones to divide the exercise area in half lengthways.
Split the group into 2 teams of 9 (blues v. oranges).
Assign 1 neutral player (grey).

Explanation

The in-possession team look to build up from the back, play through the opposition and score in either mini-goal.
The out-of-possession side press as a team to win the ball and score in either mini-goal.
If a goal is scored or the ball goes out of play, 1 of the 2 coaches positioned at the ends of the exercise area restarts play by feeding a ball to a player whose team have scored/gained possession by virtue of the opposition having put the ball out of play.
At least 2 players from each team must be in the opposite half (lengthways) of the exercise area to the ball at all times.
The neutral player supports the in-possession team and operates in central areas. The in-possession team should use them as much as possible to play through the press.

Key coaching points

(1/4) Successful pressing requires coordination and teamwork. As one player jumps out to press, players must communicate and synchronise their movements to press as a cohesive unit.

(2/4) By pressing as a unit, the defending team can block passing lanes as well as deny the opponent time and space to organise their attacks. This proactive approach not only facilitates quick transitions from defence to attack but also helps generate scoring opportunities in the final third.

(3/4) The defending should avoid opening passing lanes on the inside by jumping out too early to press their direct opponent and allowing the ball-carrier to break lines and progress play forward.

(4/4) The defending team should prioritise closing spaces on the inside to force the opponent to play wide, then as the ball travels, be quick to press the player receiving out wide.

Roles of coaches

First coach: leads the exercise and coaches the pressing team to apply a coordinated press.
Second coach: feeds balls into the exercise area from their position at one end of the exercise area whilst encouraging the team playing out.
Third coach: feeds balls into the exercise area from their position at the opposite end of the exercise area to the second coach whilst encouraging the team playing out.