What are pressing traps and pressing triggers?

Summary

Pressing is a tactical strategy in football where players actively pressure opponents to regain possession. Teams like those coached by Klopp, Guardiola, and Bielsa excel at this, requiring coordination, rehearsal, and communication. Pressing involves recognizing triggers, such as bad passes or certain players receiving the ball, to launch the press. Structured pressing strategies also include traps, where the defending team forces the ball into vulnerable zones. These tactics are physically and mentally demanding but key to modern football, allowing teams to transition swiftly into attack after regaining possession.

Takeaways

• ⚽ Pressing involves applying pressure on the player in possession, the one about to receive it, or the ball, with the goal of regaining possession.
• 🤝 Effective pressing is a coordinated team effort; a lone presser is ineffective without support from teammates taking proper positions.
• 💪 Pressing is both physically and mentally demanding, and players need time to adapt to a high-intensity pressing style.
• 🧠 Teams rely on two key strategies for pressing: pressing triggers and pressing traps.
• ⚡ Pressing triggers are specific actions or circumstances (such as bad passes, difficult receptions, or situational factors) that prompt the team to press.
• 📍 Situational pressing triggers can include passes into the final third or the full-back zone, which naturally limit the options of the player receiving the ball.
• 🧲 Pressing traps are deliberately created situations where the defending team encourages the ball to go into a certain area or to a certain player, facilitating an effective press.
• 🎯 Teams may block central passes to force play wide, then press aggressively to cut off options and win the ball back.
• ⏱ Teams must know how to transition quickly from pressing to attacking once they regain possession.
• 🛠 Pressing strategies vary by team and opposition, with consistent pressing triggers and customized pressing traps being essential for modern football tactics.

Q & A

What is pressing in football?

Pressing is when players put pressure on the player in possession, the player about to receive possession, or the ball, with the intention of regaining the ball. It is an active movement by several players at once to squeeze space, deny options, and win back the ball.

How is pressing different from blocking?

Pressing is active and involves multiple players moving to regain possession, while blocking is more passive, focused on maintaining defensive positions rather than directly trying to win back the ball.

Why is teamwork important in pressing?

Pressing requires coordination across the entire team. If only one player presses without the support of the team, it becomes ineffective, as the lone presser will expend energy without regaining the ball and could be pulled out of position.

What are pressing triggers?

Pressing triggers are specific opposition actions or game situations that prompt a team to begin pressing. Examples include bad passes, poor receptions, or situational triggers like losing possession in the final third.

What are pressing traps?

Pressing traps are defensive strategies where the pressing team intentionally creates situations to make pressing more effective, such as guiding the ball into certain zones or towards specific players to set up a pressing situation.

How do pressing teams manage physically and mentally demanding play?

Pressing is physically and mentally demanding, which is why teams need structured and directed pressing tactics. Teams may take time to adjust to an intense pressing style, and training and communication between teammates are essential.

What role does rehearsal play in pressing?

Rehearsal is key to effective pressing because it ensures that players are in the right positions to support the press. Without preparation, pressing can become disorganized, and players may lose their defensive shape.

How have teams adapted to counter pressing strategies?

As pressing has become more common, teams have improved at playing through or over the press. This has made older, more chaotic pressing styles, like the Dutch press from 1970s Total Football, less effective today.

What are some common pressing triggers related to player actions?

Common pressing triggers include bad passes, difficult receptions, a player receiving a pass on their weaker foot, or a player looking down and being less aware of their surroundings.

How do pressing traps vary between teams?

Pressing traps differ based on the team and the opposition. While pressing triggers tend to be more consistent across teams, pressing traps are customized by each team to suit their strategy and exploit weaknesses in the opposition's play.

Outlines

00:00

⚽ Pressing in Football Explained

Pressing is a coordinated effort by players to regain possession of the ball by pressuring the player in possession, those about to receive it, or even the ball itself. It's an active tactic, involving multiple players, that squeezes space and denies passing options, eventually leading to a quick transition to attack. Famous teams led by coaches like Bielsa, Klopp, and Guardiola excel at pressing, but it requires the entire team to move cohesively. Without this coordination, a lone player pressing is ineffective and risks wasting energy or leaving open spaces. Practice and communication are crucial to successful pressing.

🚶 Challenges of Pressing and Team Coordination

Pressing is both physically and mentally exhausting, which is why some teams take time to adapt to a high-intensity pressing style, as seen at clubs like Liverpool under Klopp. Structured and organized pressing is essential, especially as teams have become better at countering or bypassing a press. Modern football requires more than just swarming the ball as seen in the Dutch Total Football era; it involves smart planning and execution.

🔑 Key Tactics: Pressing Triggers

Pressing triggers refer to specific actions or situations by the opponent that signal the pressing team to initiate pressure. These triggers might come from an error, like a poorly controlled pass or a pass received awkwardly. Sometimes, pressing is triggered situationally, such as immediately after losing possession in the final third, or when the ball is played to a vulnerable position, like to a full-back along the byline. These decisions are determined by how well the pressing team is positioned to capitalize on such moments.

🧠 Common Mistakes as Pressing Triggers

Pressing triggers can emerge from the opposition's mistakes, such as a pass that is too hard to control or a player receiving the ball in an awkward manner. Miscontrolled balls, bad receptions, and passes into difficult spaces offer prime opportunities for pressing. Pressing can also be triggered by specific players receiving the ball, particularly when they are less capable passers compared to their teammates, allowing the pressing team to exploit this weakness.

📊 Situational Triggers and Gegenpressing

Some pressing teams use situational triggers, like gegenpressing after losing possession in the final third. Another example is pressing full-backs when they receive a pass near the byline, using the sideline as an additional defensive tool. Pressing could also be initiated based on the strength or weaknesses of specific players, forcing the ball to less skilled players, making them more vulnerable to losing possession.

🪤 Pressing Traps: Strategic Planning for Effective Pressing

A pressing trap is a deliberate tactic where the defending team manipulates play to create pressing opportunities. This might involve positioning in such a way that the opponent is encouraged to pass into vulnerable zones or to weaker players. Once the ball enters this targeted area, the pressing team springs into action, isolating the receiver and cutting off passing options to quickly win back the ball. Examples include narrowing the front line to push passes wide or pressing around the goalkeeper to trap the ball near the center-backs.

🎯 Combining Pressing Triggers and Traps

Effective pressing often involves multiple stages, such as blocking passing lanes, applying light pressure, and then escalating into a full press. Teams adept at pressing also plan their next steps after regaining possession, transitioning quickly into attack. While pressing triggers are more universal, pressing traps vary depending on the team and opponent, both being essential to a team's pressing strategy in modern football.

Keywords

💡Pressing

Pressing is a defensive tactic in football where players apply pressure on the opposition to regain possession. It involves active movement, often by multiple players, to close down space and force mistakes. This tactic contrasts with a more passive approach like a defensive block. Pressing is highlighted as a core strategy used by successful teams like those coached by Bielsa, Klopp, and Guardiola.

💡Pressing Triggers

Pressing triggers are specific moments or actions by the opposing team that prompt a team to start pressing. These could include bad passes, poor control, or specific players receiving the ball. Pressing triggers are essential for ensuring that a press is timely and effective. For instance, pressing might begin when a player receives the ball with their weaker foot or when they are unaware of their surroundings.

💡Pressing Traps

A pressing trap is a planned defensive tactic designed to lure the opposition into making a pass or movement that makes them vulnerable to a press. By forcing the ball into specific zones or towards certain players, the defending team can surround the ball and regain possession. This concept is important for teams to create opportunities to win the ball back in advantageous positions.

💡Gegenpressing

Gegenpressing is a high-intensity pressing style where a team immediately applies pressure after losing possession, often in the final third. This tactic prevents the opposition from counterattacking and can quickly transition into an offensive play. The video mentions that teams like Liverpool under Klopp use this approach effectively.

💡Team Cohesion

Pressing works best when done as a coordinated team effort. Individual players may initiate pressure, but if the rest of the team does not take up supportive positions, the press will fail, and the player pressing could be pulled out of position. Cohesion ensures that pressing is not just physically demanding but also strategically organized.

💡Total Football

Total Football is a football philosophy originating from the Dutch teams in the 1970s, known for its fluidity and high-pressure tactics. The video contrasts the chaotic, swarm-like pressing of 1970s Total Football with modern, more structured pressing styles. It points out that the less organized pressing of that era would not work against today's well-coached teams.

💡Full-Back Press

A full-back press refers to targeting an opposition's full-back with a press, especially when the ball is passed to them near the by-line. The by-line acts as a 'defender,' limiting the full-back's options and making them easier to trap and pressure. This is cited as a common situational pressing trigger.

💡Transition to Attack

Once a team wins back the ball through pressing, they must quickly transition to attack. This transition is crucial for capitalizing on the opposition's momentary disorganization. The best pressing teams are also effective in rapidly switching from defense to offense, making pressing a powerful offensive tool.

💡Energy Management

Pressing is physically and mentally demanding. Teams need to manage their energy to sustain pressing throughout the match. The video mentions how teams can struggle to adapt to an intense pressing style, as seen with Liverpool under Klopp or Southampton under Hassenhuttl, due to the high physical demands of pressing.

💡Blocking Passing Lanes

Blocking passing lanes is a defensive tactic that involves positioning players to cut off the opposition's passing options. It often works in conjunction with pressing, as limiting passing lanes forces the ball carrier to make a mistake, allowing the pressing team to regain possession. This is essential in creating pressing traps and triggers.

Highlights

Pressing is an active movement aimed at regaining the ball, not just blocking space.

Pressing requires multiple players working together to squeeze space and deny options.

Good pressing teams act cohesively; if only one player presses without support, it fails.

Pressing is physically and mentally demanding, requiring time for teams to adjust.

Structured and directed pressing is essential, as teams have become better at bypassing it.

Pressing traps and pressing triggers are key strategies in effective pressing.

Pressing triggers occur when the opposing team makes a mistake, like a bad pass or poor ball control.

A situational trigger could be when possession is lost in the final third, leading to immediate pressing.

Pressing triggers can involve certain players, such as when a weaker passer receives the ball.

Pressing traps are deliberate actions by the defending team to force the ball into certain areas.

An example of a pressing trap is setting up a block to funnel the ball into midfield before surrounding the player.

Another pressing trap involves positioning narrowly to force a pass wide, before pressing the receiver.

A third pressing trap could involve pressing the goalkeeper to force a turnover between defenders.

Pressing often requires several phases, combining light pressure before a full team press.

Once the ball is regained, top pressing teams are prepared to transition quickly into attack.

Transcripts

Many of the world’s top teams now employ a  press. Pressing is when players put pressure  

on the player in possession, the player  about to receive possession, or the ball,  

but with the express intention of regaining the  ball. It’s not passive, like a block – it’s an  

active movement, usually by several players  at once, to squeeze space, deny options, and,  

having won back the ball, either reset  or immediately transition to an attack.

We know what pressing looks like, especially  when enacted by its best exponents – the teams  

of Bielsa, Klopp, Guardiola, Nagelsmann  – but how do teams know when to press?

Any good pressing team does so *as a team*.  

While a single player might actively  engage a press by chasing down a pass to  

a goalkeeper, for example, without the rest of  the team taking up sensible positions, this is  

useless. If a team is too passive, the lone  presser will just end up expending energy and,  

worse, being pulled out of position. So, the  rest of the team need to move into positions  

to help that press. This means that rehearsal  is key, as is communication between teammates.

But pressing is hard. It’s both physically  and mentally demanding – that’s why teams  

can take time to adjust to  an intense pressing style,  

as was seen at Liverpool when Klopp arrived,  or at Southampton under Ralph Hassenhuttl.

Because of this, pressing needs  to be structured and directed.  

Teams have got better at playing through or  over the press as it’s become more popular,  

and so the Dutch press of 1970s Total  Football, which was far more helter-skelter  

and largely involved swarming forwards  towards the ball, would not work now.

Teams who press therefore rely on two  things: pressing traps and pressing triggers.

Pressing triggers are opposition actions or game  circumstances that inform a team’s decision to  

begin pressing. They will be determined in part  by how well the pressing team are set up – if  

they don’t have enough players nearby to engage a  press, even if there is a trigger, then they team  

may decide to regain a better defensive position  instead, rather than further disrupt their shape.

Some of the most common pressing triggers arise  from the attacking team’s errors. These include  

hitting a pass that is too hard, or when the ball  is bouncing and therefore difficult to control.

Bad passes and bad receptions  are also good triggers.  

This could be where a right-footed player is  having to receive a pass on their left foot,  

or where a pass is into the space behind a  player, so they have to turn back to retrieve it.

Or it could be where the player receiving the  

ball is looking down and therefore less  aware of what’s happening around them.

Other pressing triggers are situational.  Some intense gegenpressing teams will  

press immediately on losing  possession in the final third.  

Another common situational trigger  is a pass into the full back – this  

is because the by-line effectively acts as  another defender, hemming the full back in.

Lastly, a pressing trigger could just be a certain  player receiving the ball. Perhaps the opposition  

team have a back three with two strong passers and  a weaker one. Cutting off other passing options  

for the two strong passers means the ball goes  to the weaker player, and that is the trigger.

That last example could also be described as  a pressing trap, though, because it relies on  

actions by the defending team that will then  lead to a more effective pressing situation.

A pressing trap, then, is a plan by the  defending team to create conditions in  

the game that will facilitate a press.  This could mean encouraging or forcing  

the ball into certain zones of the  pitch, or towards certain players.

Examples of this might be setting up  a passive block that encourages a pass  

into the central midfield zone, before  engaging a press by surrounding a player,  

cutting off their options  and winning back the ball.

Or it could be setting up quite narrowly with  the front line, blocking such central passes  

to encourage a pass wide, before sending  two players out towards the receiver  

who also block off options, while one of the  forwards goes to press the return pass option.

Or it could be a press around the goalkeeper,  forcing a pass towards one centre back, who  

is then pressed into passing quickly to another,  who is then pressed hard to achieve the turnover.  

Pressing triggers may involve a couple of phases  like this, with a combination of marking passing  

lanes and applying light pressure to one player  before rapidly moving into a wholesale press.

The best teams will also know what  to do once they’ve won back the ball,  

and how to transition immediately into attack.

Pressing triggers are more consistent  across teams; pressing traps will vary  

team to team and by opposition. Both  are key to understanding how and why  

teams press though, and therefore key to  understanding a prominent part of modern football.