35-P1 · Skill practice
Compactness and Transfer Game
Improve your team’s defensive compactness and collective movement with this competitive possession-based practice.
Pressing
Pressing drills. Press together. Cover each other.
Pressing practices (Club tags them "Press and Cover") for closing down the ball, covering the passing options and winning it back as a unit. Each outline lists the age, numbers, area and key coaching points.
Touchtight Club has 123 practices for this page (as of October 2026). Below: 6 with a free full video and 21 practice outlines.
Age
TopicPressing
Practices
Pressing drills and practices
27 of 27 shown
11-P13 · Advanced lead-in to 11 v 11
Compress the Midfield to Win Possession
This advanced lead practice develops the midfield three’s ability to regain possession centrally in a 433.
88-P14 · 11 v 11
Press to Win Possession (11 v 11)
Develop your team’s ability to press aggressively and win the ball in dangerous areas with this full-pitch 11v11 game.
70-P2 · Rondo
Press and Steal Rondo
Increase the intensity of your session with this competitive rondo!
70-P3 · Small-sided game
3 v 3 Defend and Attack Game (SSG)
Increase the tempo of your sessions with this high-energy game that sharpens pressing, reactions, and attacking transitions.
69-P6 · Small-sided game
Midfield Compactness to Win Possession
Develop your team’s midfield organisation and defensive understanding with this game-realistic compactness practice.
59-P3 · Rondo
2 v 2 + 2 Rondo
This rondo practice challenges players to keep possession under pressure, work through compact defences, and react instantly in transition.
25-P1 · Skill practice
3 v 3 High Pressing Game
This skill practice takes place in a 25 by 28-yard area and focuses on developing the high press.
88-P8 · Rondo
5 v 3 Press & Switch Rondos
This high-intensity wave rondo sharpens defenders' pressing skills, collective movement, and quick transitions.
31-P10 · Phase of play
Beat The Press to Attack (433)
This phase of play practice focuses on breaking through a press with structured build-up play and quick combinations to finish.
78-P10 · Phase of play
Defend as a Back 4-Phase of Play
This practice challenges the back four to work as a unit, limiting space and forcing play into less dangerous areas.
78-P7 · Pattern of play
Defend as a Compact Back 4
This practice sharpens our back 4's defensive organisation, teaching players to stay tight, shift as a unit, and force play wide.
78-P3 · Skill practice
Defend the Edge of the Box (Back 4)
This defensive practice challenges your team to maintain organisation in the final third while facing an attacking front four.
69-P10 · Phase of play
Defending as a Midfield Three
This phase of play sharpens the defensive awareness of a midfield three, focusing on staying compact and protecting central spaces.
59-P2 · Rondo
Defending as a Pair
Develop your players’ defensive awareness and coordination with this dynamic rondo.
10-P1 · Rondo
Defensive Pressure: Rondo Based
This 7 v 2 rondo is aimed at recognising moments to press as a pair.
77-P3 · Rondo
Heads Up Rondo
This engaging 3-team practice challenges players to scan and identify teammates before receiving, using visual cues on players heads.
10-P10 · Rondo
High Press Rondos
This practice takes place in a 30 by 45 -yard area and focuses on developing the high press.
10-P11 · Medium-sided game
High Press to Win Possession
This medium sided game takes place on half of a pitch and develops attackers ability to press high and win possession in the final 3rd.
25-P8 · Wave of play
High Press Wave Game
This wave practice takes place in a 20 by 25-yard area and focuses on developing teams ability to press as a unit, win possession & counter.
89-P7 · Pattern of play
Midfield Shape to Stop Penetration (CDM)
This practice takes place in a 24 by 30-yard area and focuses on developing a compact midfield to stop penetrating passes.
WU-34 · Warm-up
Pass and Press Activation
This practice takes place in a small 10 by 10-yard area and focuses on activating players passing and pressing for the upcoming session.
80-P5 · Rondo
Possession to Penetrate
This high-intensity possession rondo challenges players to find and exploit central spaces under pressure.
71-P5 · Rondo
Possession to Penetrate Rondo
This possession-based rondo challenges players to control the game with the ball while identifying the right moments to penetrate.
89-P12 · Lead-in to 11 v 11
Protect the Back Line-CDM
Develop your central defensive midfielder’s ability to block forward passes and transition effectively in this breakout possession practice.
37-P9 · Functional practice
Quick Transitions to Defend
This functional practice takes place in a full half of a pitch and focuses on developing quick defensive transitions.
11-P12 · Lead-in to 11 v 11
Win Possession Centrally and Counter
Train your midfielders to regain, scan, and strike fast in this high-intensity transition practice built for game-changing counter-attacks.
These are 27 of the 123 practices in Club for this page. Start a free trial to see them all ↗
Coaching it
How to get more from these practices.
One presses, the rest cover
A press only works if the players around the pressing player take away the easy pass. Coach the cover as much as the player on the ball.
Agree the trigger
Decide when the team presses: a poor touch, a pass back, a pass to the sideline. A clear trigger keeps everyone moving at the same moment.
Start in small areas
Rondos and small-sided games give lots of repetitions of pressing and covering before you ask for it across the whole pitch.
Questions
What coaches ask.
- What is pressing in football?
- Pressing is when a team closes down the opposition as soon as they have the ball, aiming to win it back quickly or force a poor pass. It works best when the players nearest the ball press together and the others cover the passing options.
- Are these practices free?
- The practice outlines on this page are free to read, with the setup and key coaching points for each practice. The full coaching videos, progressions and player questions are in the Touchtight Club library, which you can try free for 14 days (card required).