Pressing
Finishing Counter Press Box
Win the ball back within seconds of losing it
Pressing
Transition
Possession
Finishing Counter Press Box is a 20-minute pressing drill for 8-16 players, suitable for Under 11 to Adults at intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs, mini goals. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryPressing
Transition
Possession
Small-Sided Game
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Finishing
Duration
20 min
Players
8-16
Pitch size
34 x 28 yards
Ability levels
Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Finishing Counter Press Box — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · 34 x 28 yards
Step 1 of 5Normal small-sided rules with a six-second counter-press window.
- 1. Normal small-sided rules with a six-second counter-press window.
- 2. Winning the ball back inside six seconds scores a point.
- 3. If the window passes, the team must drop into shape.
- 4. Every sequence starts with a pass out and ends with a strike on goal.
- 5. Goals score one, first-time finishes score two, and rebounds must be followed in.
- Cones mark the area
- Full goal
- GK = goalkeeper
- C = coach serving, S = second server
- Ball
- Cones mark the keeper's starting positions
- Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
- Keeper distributes back to the server
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Win the ball back within seconds of losing it
- -Coach the reaction of the closest players
- -Prevent the opposition's first forward pass
Setup
- 1A compact box with mini goals at each end in a 34 x 28 yards area.
- 2Set a goal at the end of the area with a keeper or a target zone if no keeper is available.
- 3Balls with the coach, two sets of bibs.
Coaching instructions
- 1Normal small-sided rules with a six-second counter-press window.
- 2Winning the ball back inside six seconds scores a point.
- 3If the window passes, the team must drop into shape.
- 4Every sequence starts with a pass out and ends with a strike on goal.
- 5Goals score one, first-time finishes score two, and rebounds must be followed in.
Coaching points
- -Nearest player presses instantly
- -Block the forward pass first
- -Recognise when to stop pressing and drop
- -Head up before the strike — pick the side, then commit
Common mistakes
- -Standing and complaining after losing the ball
- -Everybody pressing the same player
- -Rushing the shot and leaning back over the ball
Where this drill fits
- More football pressing drills
- More football transition drills
- More football possession drills
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme