Soccer Pressure

There must be pressure on the ball any time it is in scoring range or close enough to your goal that it could be centered (or crossed) to the front of the goal. Over 50% of goals scored occur when there is a lack of pressure on the ball. Pressure slows down the attack & makes it much more difficult to get a clear shot on goal or to deliver a good pass into the center. You should also teach your forwards & MF's to pressure the ball to try to win it back any time it is near the other team's goal. For example, they should aggressively double-team the ballhandler to try to win the ball back after a turnover near the other team's goal. This can be a great scoring opportunity if you can win the ball &, if you accidentally foul, a free kick is too far away from your goal to score. (See "Zone Defense", "Mark The Ball" & "First Defender").