Stand off the opposition and they’ll play right through. Get in their face and harass them and they’ll make mistakes.
The pressing game wears the opposition down and wins you back possession of the ball. To execute this tactic effectively you can’t just rely on having bundles of energy, aggression and physicality.
You’ve got to work as a team and hassle at the right time – forcing the opposition to play in areas of the pitch you want them to go and they don’t.
Want to learn how to do this? Great. The Nike Academy’s assistant coach, Edu Rubio, has the perfect drill.
Watch this video, learn the session and educate your team in the art of pressing.
You can find out more about how you can get involved with the Nike Academy, and watch the players’ progress this season, by visiting facebook and NikeFootball.com.
For more tactical tips see:
How to play the pressing game
Stuart Pearce: How to defend from the front
How to make the opposition play the long ball game
Dion Dublin: Defending from the front
Chris Hughton: Stop the opposition's passing game
