Playing Out vs. High Press What I have noticed is that a lot of coach education courses and materials (online) will give indepth advice on how to play out from your Goalkeeper, but not against a high press. I high press is a difficult tactic to combat (if it is done well), and eliminates a lot of those possible theories about playing out when you have less space and time on the ball. There are many different ways to press, and it ultimately comes down to how the team with the ball position themselves. If I were to go through every scenario vs multiple systems it would take too long, so I will give a couple of examples. With each example I will use a 4-2-3-1 system to play out with.
Example #1: Playing Out vs a 4-3-3, with Wingers closing down your Centre Back s: i) To start, can your CB s drop down in line with the ball if the opposition have pushed high? Ensure that your GK has positioned the ball centrally, not allowing our first pass to be predictable. ii) How the first pass will be pressed:
Solution (i): If the Winger hasn t closed off the angle sufficiently, the CB should look to quickly open up and zip the ball into the Full Back s feet (FB must drop a few yards to create a good angle). First pass from the GK must be quick as well.
Solution (ii): Can your CB bounce the ball back to the GK! Doing this eliminates the planned trap that the press looked to force the team into. The GK now has two options: 1) Quickly pass the ball out to the far CB, who then at speed finds the free player in the LB. 2) A direct clipped pass into the Full Back
But what if the opposition RB goes half and half on our LB and LW? Now, clearly this is for a team that is adamant on playing out against a press. However, some teams will push their FB on to cover any clipped balls, whilst their covering CB steps out to cover. In that case, look to push your Attacking Midfielder up alongside your Striker, with the farside Winger coming inside too. This will create an overload or the oppo. DM will have to drop into the backline, leaving you 2v2 in midfield. As the ball is being played across to the CB, can your CM s rotate, before combining with the Full Back who receives?
iii) Playing into the pressure: For this, quick combination play is required to find the free player that the opposition press creates. - Here we see the importance of the #8 starting behind his marker, looking to make a blindside run to get in front and receive from the CB. With the RB in this picture as the free man, a quick combination breaks the line of pressure. Regarding technique, it is *essential that the GK s pass into the CB is fast and on the ground. The CB must receive with an open stance, quickly playing a penetrating pass into the CM. *Any slow passes will allow the opposition time to press and close off any angles to play through,
Playing out vs 4-2-3-1: Opposition Wingers Showing Your Full Back s Inside This is quite a standard pressing trap, however if it is done well then it is effective. How does it work? -The Striker presses on the first pass, forcing the Full Back outside. Opposition CM s go man-toman in midfield, whilst the Winger forces your Full Back inside where all options are cut off. How it looks:
How do we play out of it? Option #1: - Rotation Between Full Back and Winger By rotating the Full Back and Winger it means that, naturally, the opposition Winger must track the Full Back. If he/she doesn t, then it will simply allow the CB to clip the ball into the Winger and for the FB to create a 2v1.
Option #2: - Using the GK to switch the point of attack.
What is important here is the starting positions of your team; the idea behind it being to overload one side of the pitch and in turn causing an imbalance in the oppositions structure. As the Striker goes to press, the CB needs to quickly bounce the ball backplaying the ball with pace and precision to the GK s back foot; ideally the GK now only needs to take a maximum of 2 touches before playing to the opposite CB. As this is happening, a rotation occurs between the Right Back, Attacking Midfielder, and Right Winger. Notice: To start, the CB s start on the same line, however one drops deep (in line with the ball) to receive from the GK- but the farside CB stays higher so to be in a better position once the ball arrives to him/her to quickly play forward.
Option #3: Full Back drops to receive A very basic movement, but at times can be useful. In this scenario, the Winger receives before quickly combining with the supporting CM, who can then play into the Attacking Midfielder who enters the space vacated by the Full Back to go and press the Winger who has dropped to receive from the Full Back. Passes must be quick.
Option #4: Using spare man (GK) to allow for CM to drop in between the Centre Back s.
What if the Striker and Attacking Midfielder don t rotate? If the Striker and AM for the opposition don t perform a rotating press, then this will give your receiving Centre Back a number of options: Option #1: The CB can carry the ball forward in to space. In this scenario, the AM makes a run from in behind his opponent to receive. If the CB carries the ball, the FB should look to push on as well, to drag the opposition Winger, but to also create space for rotation.
Option #2: If the CB carries and attracts a press from the Winger, then it is a 2v1 between the Winger and the CB/FB. The FB must offer the correct angle to receive.
Option 3: The opposition decide to drop off. Here, the CB can decide to travel into space with the ball as there is too much space to cover for the lone Striker (3v1 between him/her and the CB s + GK). If this happens, the CM s can rotate, with the more defensive (or assigned) of the two CM s dropping in between the CB s. With this happening, the Full Back s should look to push high, giving the Wingers an option to drop in more centrally (in between the opposition FB & CB). If the AM looks to push on, this can potentially create a 4v4 against the opponents backline, but in this situation the FB s retain the teams width.
If the opposition backline decide to drop deep because they can t get pressure on the ball, it allows the team to move further up the pitch, whilst also creating more space for the AM to receive in between their units (or lines). If the opposition don t drop off, this would be an opportunity for the Wingers and the Striker to make a run in behind in which the CB should be encouraged to play a ball over the top and into space behind the opposition back four. The GK must remain active, pushing higher and creating an angle to receive.
Key Points: If the opposition place their Striker high up, your Centre Back s will need to drop deeper (reference point could be in line with the ball). Your GK should look to place the ball centrally so to make the first pass unpredictable. Quality of pass must be high; quick and firm. - Can the receiving CB get it straight onto his/her back foot and play forward? - If the opposition are looking to press your CB with their Winger coming inside, can you play through them and combine with a CM to find the free player (Full Back)? Teams that want to force play onto your Full Back (pressing trap) may provide an opportunity to unbalance them by the CB bouncing the ball back across the GK (technically, can the GK let the ball roll across his/her body to play to opposite CB first time, or control with back foot and then zip it back across). - If we can get the far CB free, can he/she carry the ball forward and commit an opponent or break the midfield line? Starting position, movements to receive, and rotation are all crucial between the CM s. - The AM ( #10 ) should look to position themselves behind lines of pressure (ie behind the opposition midfielders). If possible, retaining the ball across the back four (+ GK) can allow for a CM to drop in between the CB s and form a temporary back three, which naturally forces the opposition deeper as an overload is created in the backline (and centrally if the Wingers tuck inside). Ultimately, beating a high press is about moving the ball as quickly as possible; whether it be forward (to break opposition midfield line) or to unbalance the opposition by using your GK to switch the point of attack at speed. The GK will always be the free man- if the opposition decide to close him/her down, it
leaves a new free man- and educating your players that no matter how high they are pressed, they always have a numerical advantage is important.