Pressing
Pressing Trigger Practice: Target Zone Bonus
Recognise pressing triggers
Pressing
Defending
Transition
Premium
Pressing Trigger Practice: Target Zone Bonus is a 18-minute pressing drill for 8-18 players, suitable for Under 11 to Adults at intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs. 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
Defending
Transition
Skill Practice
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Playing Through The Thirds
Positioning
Combination Play
Duration
18 min
Players
8-18
Pitch size
Half pitch
Ability levels
Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Pressing Trigger Practice: Target Zone Bonus — Marked area · Half pitch
Step 1 of 4Keeper starts play; the pressing team presses on the trigger — a back pass, heavy touch or pass to a wide player.
- 1. Keeper starts play; the pressing team presses on the trigger — a back pass, heavy touch or pass to a wide player.
- 2. Pressing team scores by winning the ball in the trap zone.
- 3. Ten build-ups then swap.
- 4. Extra points for playing into marked pockets between the lines before finishing.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Recognise pressing triggers
- -Press as a unit not as individuals
- -Force play into pressing traps
Setup
- 1Build-up team of five plus a keeper in their own third.
- 2Pressing unit of five with cones marking the trap zones.
- 3Balls with the keeper.
Coaching instructions
- 1Keeper starts play; the pressing team presses on the trigger — a back pass, heavy touch or pass to a wide player.
- 2Pressing team scores by winning the ball in the trap zone.
- 3Ten build-ups then swap.
- 4Extra points for playing into marked pockets between the lines before finishing.
Coaching points
- -First presser curves their run to block the switch
- -Press when the ball travels, not before
- -Squeeze the whole unit up together
- -Find the pocket on the back foot of the defender
- -Support the receiver quickly on both sides
Common mistakes
- -Pressing alone and getting bypassed
- -Straight run allowing the switch
- -Unit not squeezing behind the presser