Coach Central

Library / Coach's Library

Coach's Library · Defending

Two Reasons to Counterpress: Safety and the Kill

Analytics FC separates the De Zerbi counterpress from the Klopp counterpress.

Cam Jolley

Cam Jolley

Co-Founder & Academy Coach, Coach Central

I like this piece because it points out that not all counterpressing has the same goal — some teams counterpress to be safe, and some counterpress to hunt — and knowing which one you're teaching changes everything about how you set it up.

The distinction

Defensive counterpressing is about safety — a compact rest-defense structure that lets you win the ball straight back and avoid a dangerous transition. Think De Zerbi or Guardiola: the structure is there so players can take risks. Attacking counterpressing is about the kill — you deliberately load athletic players high, invite chaos, and win loose balls in dangerous areas. Think Klopp's Liverpool. The article notes the line between them blurs, and elite teams do both, but the intent is different.

Why the intent matters to me

Because I have to know what I'm asking of my players. If my counterpress is about safety, I'm coaching structure and discipline and trusting the shape. If it's about hunting, I'm coaching aggression, athletic reactions, and accepting that we'll sometimes get burned for the reward. Those are different sessions and, honestly, they fit different groups. A team built on grit and energy might live on the hunting press. A more technical group might counterpress to protect their possession. There's no single right way — there's the right way for these players and this game.

How I'd use it this week

Decide, before your next session, which counterpress you're actually coaching — safety or the hunt — and design the rest-defense shape (or the high traps) to match that one intent. Don't blur them.

Takeaways

  • Defensive counterpressing seeks safety through structure; attacking counterpressing hunts in dangerous areas.
  • Knowing your intent changes what you coach — discipline and shape versus aggression and reactions.
  • Match the counterpress to your group and game; there's no single right version.

Read the original

Coach Central is an independent educational resource. Linked works belong to their respective authors and publishers; we cite and recommend them, and the commentary here is our own.

More in Defending

Controlling the Game Without the Ball

FIFA's World Cup analysis of the mid-block — defending as an organized, collective decision.

Rest Defense: Defending Starts Before You Lose the Ball

Spielverlagerung on the shape behind your attack — and why it belongs in attacking practice.

When Attacking Well Is Your Best Defense

Spielverlagerung on how the 3-2-2-3 blurs the line between having the ball and defending.

Pressing, Counterpressing, Counterattacking: One Connected Cycle

Spielverlagerung ties the transition phases together — and names the triggers.

The Centre-Back Who Steps Out: Brave Defending in a Back Three

The FA on defenders following the game into midfield — high reward, real risk.

Triggers, Traps, and Tempo: The Mechanics of a Real Press

The Athletic breaks down how coordinated pressing actually works.

The High Line: A Bet You Make With Your Whole Team

The Athletic on the risk and reward of defending high up the pitch.

Hybrid Pressing: Why Man-vs-Zone Was Always a False Choice

Jon Mackenzie on the press that mixes man-marking and zonal ideas — the modern default.

← All library resourcesLibrary