Pressure Pressure Ring Receiving

Objective

• -Receive cleanly with pressure arriving from any angle
• -Improve awareness of space before the touch
• -Play out quickly under pressure

Setup

1. 1A ring of servers with two receivers working inside in a 16 x 16 yards area.
2. 2Position a recovering defender behind each working player, starting two yards back.
3. 3Balls with alternate servers, bibs for the chasers.

How to play

1. 1A server plays in and calls the receiver's name at the same time.
2. 2The receiver must take a controlled touch and return the ball to a different server.
3. 3Working players rotate out every 45 seconds.
4. 4The defender is released the moment the ball leaves the server's foot.
5. 5The working player scores by completing the action before pressure arrives; the defender scores by blocking it.

Progressions

• +Defender starts level rather than behind
• +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful

Regressions

• -Defender presses at jogging pace only
• -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

• -Two defenders alternate so pressure is constant
• -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

• -Receiving flat-footed
• -Returning to the same server every time
• -Facing your own goal and getting trapped by the press