Press & Cover Partners

Teach the first defender/second defender relationship: who presses, who covers, and how the cover angle shifts as the ball travels between attackers.

Mark a 20x18 yard box. Two attackers stand on one end line with a ball; two defenders start centrally inside. A 6-yard cone gate sits on the defenders' end line as the attackers' target.

1. The two attackers pass the ball between them along their line, then attack 2v2 when they choose, trying to dribble through the end gate.
2. Every time the ball travels, the nearest defender sprints to press while the other drops to a covering position behind and inside.
3. Defenders call it loudly: presser shouts 'ball', cover shouts 'cover left' or 'cover right'.
4. If the defenders win it, they score by dribbling over the attackers' start line before the attackers recover.
5. Play first to 3 points, then rotate pairs: attackers become defenders, the waiting pair comes on.

• Press while the ball travels — arrive as the touch is taken, not after.
• Cover at 45 degrees behind your partner, never flat alongside.
• Slow them down: angle the press to show one way.
• Talk every pass — 'ball' and 'cover' on every switch.

• Both defenders rush the ball and one pass beats them — freeze the picture and reset one presser, one cover.
• The cover defender stands flat beside the presser — re-position them deeper and inside at 45 degrees.
• The press arrives flat-out and gets rolled — final three steps are short and the body angles to show one side.

• Add a third attacker (2v3) so the cover defender must protect two passes.
• Attackers score extra for splitting both defenders with one pass.
• Limit attackers to 5 seconds to attack once they cross halfway.

• Attackers walk the first phase so defenders can rehearse the rotation.
• Narrow the box to 15 yards so the cover distance is shorter.
• Play 2v1 plus a recovering defender to simplify roles.

• Defenders must swap press/cover roles every time the ball travels between attackers.