Transition Defending

Counter Pressing Drill: Win It Back in Five Seconds

This counter pressing drill is a 5v4 keep-ball game with one rule that changes everything: when the Reds lose the ball, they have five seconds to win it back. Players learn to see losing the ball as the trigger to press, not the moment to switch off.

AgesU10 to adult
Players7 to 13
Space30 × 30 m
Time15 min
IntensityHigh

Animate it in DrawTactics

It builds the reaction speed, the nearest-player-goes habit, and the shape needed to cut off passing lanes around the ball. Use it once players are comfortable keeping possession, and pair it with the "what is pressing" guide if your team is new to the idea.

Setup

Mark a 30 × 30 m square with a disc on each corner. Five Reds keep the ball from four Blues, spread across the square. When the Reds lose it, they have five seconds to win it back. The Reds score a point every time they win it back inside five seconds; the Blues score a point for every five passes in a row.

Equipment4 discs for the corners, Bibs in two colors, A supply of balls

How it works

A Red plays a pass to a teammate and the nearest Blue presses the receiver.
The Blue wins the ball.
The two closest Reds press the Blue straight away while a third Red runs in to cut off the nearest pass.
A Red wins the ball back within the five seconds.

Diagram of the counter pressing drill: win it back in five seconds with every pass and run — Every step of the drill on one diagram.

Coaching points

React the moment it's lost: the nearest player goes straight to the ball
The next two players cut off the closest passes
Press for five seconds, then drop off and get compact
Use a trigger word so the team presses together
Press at an angle that pushes the ball carrier toward a teammate or the touchline

Make it harder

The Reds also score a point for eight passes in a row
Make the area bigger
Only the three nearest Reds may press; the rest must cut off passes

Make it easier

Limit the Blues to two touches
Make the area smaller

Adapting it by age

U8–U10

Play 4v3 in a 20 × 20 m square. Count the five seconds out loud as a coach so players hear the window close, and keep rounds to 60 seconds.

U12–U14

Play the default 5v4 in 30 × 30 m. Give Reds a point for every regain inside five seconds and Blues a point for every five passes, and swap roles every three minutes.

U15 to adult

Go 6v5 or 7v6 in a 35 × 35 m area and let Blues score by dribbling over any line after five passes. Regains must come within four seconds to count.

Common mistakes

Only one player presses and the Blues pass around them. Name the jobs: first player to the ball, next two onto the nearest passes. Freeze the play to show where they should be.

Reds keep chasing long after the five seconds are up. Shout "drop" at five and reward them for getting compact, not for running.

Players stop to complain after losing the ball. Make the first second after a turnover the thing you praise most, whether or not they win it back.

Rest periods are too short and the press turns into jogging. Work in 90-second rounds with equal rest; counter-pressing only works at full intensity.

FAQ

What is the five-second rule in counter-pressing?
A team that loses the ball presses hard for about five seconds to win it back. If it hasn't regained the ball by then, it drops off into a compact defensive shape.

Why give the Reds an extra player?
With five against four the Reds keep the ball long enough to lose it in good areas, and they have numbers close to the ball to press when they do.

Make this drill your own

Open the counter pressing drill: win it back in five seconds in DrawTactics to change the numbers and the size of the area, move the players, and export your own animation or diagram for your team. Or add it to a free session plan and print it.

Animate it in DrawTactics