Pressing session: press together to win

Session

England Football Learning

2 mins - Nov 18, 2024

Session intentions

This is week three of the pressing and tackling to win the ball session programme. Check out the whole six-week programme here.

This session aims to help players gain confidence in their ability to win the ball from opponents. It will also support the development of decision-making on how and when to press as an individual and a team.

It will help players:

work together to press the ball
improve fundamental movement skills
learn how to use their body to not be beaten.

If you like this idea, download the session plan and give it a go. And don't forget to share your experience on the England Football Community. We'd love to know how you got on.

Session setup

In our example, this is what we’ve used to set up this session. But adapt it to suit your team and the space available to you.

Half a pitch

12 players

Flat cones

Bibs

Press together to win

Three teams have different coloured bibs tucked into their side. Each team protects a ball and chases another team. Tagging their ball earns a point. Players can defend their ball by stealing an opponent's bib. The opponent then has to balance on one leg for the same amount of seconds as their age.
Set up two pitches with a goal at each end. Have an even-sided game of handball on both. The aim of the game is to throw the ball into the opposition's goal. The players can pass to their teammates and run with the ball. The ball can be won back by intercepting the pass or by tagging it.
Move on to regular football. If you win the ball in the opposition half and score, it's worth three goals. Then, add a rule: if you win the ball and score within five seconds, roll a dice to determine how many goals it is worth. Finish where each player is responsible for one opposition player.

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Tactics board

Looking for a bit more detail? Check out Matt's tactics board video for this session.

How to make it easier

Using the STEP framework (Youth Sports Trust, 2002) can help keep things fun, engaging, and appropriate. Add safety zones to create an area where players can get a few moments to think. Change your pitch size if your players find it too hard to press the ball. You could reduce the size of the pitch to reduce the area in which the players have to go to press the ball.

How to make it harder

To make this session harder, make the pitch wider, making pressing as a team more difficult. Also, try overloading or underloading teams. To create this scenario, you could have a player join the opposition if they score.

You could add a progression to the arrival activity, where the ball can be passed to teammates. This would add a different element for the chasing team to consider.

Coaching points

In the arrival activity, get your players to think about who is helping to defend the ball and who is brave enough to tag the opposition's ball. This will help them start thinking about how best to work as a team.

Encourage the nearest player to the ball to close down the opponent with speed. This will help disrupt the person with the ball and help to win the ball cleanly.

Get your players to use their body to get their opponent off balance or to force them backwards or sideways.

Emphasise supporting teammates who are already pressing the ball. This will help them to "hunt in packs" to win the ball back.