•Counterpressing
Known to many as the German equivalent - "gegenpressing"; counterpressing is a tactical concept in football, which refers to the immediate moments which possession is lost & the team tries to recover possession as quickly as possible.
🧵THREAD
Though counterpressing is a sub-principle of the phase of play "defensive transitions", they are not the same. Defensive transitions can also occur when the team losing possession prioritises defensive balance & simply drops back into their def. shape instead of closing down.
Keys to effective counterpressing
•Prepare to defend during the attack (maintain short distances between players)
•Press as a unit
•Continuous movement towards the ball
•Quick reactions & aggressive mentality
•Recover the ball as quickly as possible upon losing possession
Prepare to defend during the attack
To ensure optimal effectiveness when counterpressing, by maintaining short distances amongst players in possession, they will in theory be closer to the ball upon losing possession. This of course means they´ll have shorter distances to cover.
Press as a unit
Counterpressing is MUCH more effective when done as a unit. 1 player pressing alone will most likely mean the opposition will be able to find an open player to pass to, & easily play out of pressure & begin their possession unopposed.
Continuous movement towards the ball
When losing possession, the side attempting to counterpress should continuously be on the front foot & move towards the ball. Simultaneously while pressing the ball carrier, immediate passing options should also be covered.
Quick reactions & aggressive mentality
Counterpressing should be done at extreme tempo, meaning the timing of the reactions upon losing possession is critical. In addition to the reaction, the aggressive mentality & desire to recover possession is also vital.
When the possession is initially lost, the closest player to the ball should be one to initiate the counterpress. Their goal is not always to win the ball themselves, but to pressure the carrier & potentially force them into an error.
According to Pirlo, the best teams in the world attempt between 30-35 counterpresses per match, with a success rate of approximately 70%. Meaning they are able to immediately recover possession.
Typically the duration of a counterpress will last about 5 seconds, anything longer than that the opposition will have most likely beat the press & the defensive shape & balance will no longer be satisfactory.
The areas of the pitch where counterpressing is typically most effective, is the half-space & wide areas within the final third pitch.
When counterpressing in the central areas, the opposition will have more options to play out of pressure to either side, and in theory it should be easier to lock them in to certain areas & prevent them from playing out with more options.
Possession which is lost in the opposition penalty area right in front of the goal is often simply cleared away before the transition moment can even begin as well.
Also, when counterpressing in deeper territory, the opposition will also have more options to play out of the pressure by using support options behind the ball, as opposed to only having forward options, when in their own third.
Counterpressing is all about controlling the spaces & choosing the right moments to take chances. Jesse Marsch often refers to his sides counterpressing scheme as "the net". A reference to his sides shape when countpressing & their ability to catch & cover the immediate options.
The net is a nice way to visualize what the nearest defenders are trying to achieve. It also attempts to describe the defenders ability to press as a unit since they should theoretically be linked together when pressing.
Typically when counterpressing, it should be the 3-4 nearest players who initiate the pressure and the cover. Other players should have more focus on maintaining the balance in behind the press.
Other key "words" or "concepts" when counterpressing are often: attacking the ball, transitions, reactions, togetherness.
Counterpress Example as from Pirlo
Match Example
•Final third & Half-space counterpress
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