Introduction
When an opponent sprints forward to steal the ball near your penalty area, you face a tactical split second: how do you get out? You can kick the ball long over their heads, force a line-breaking pass through the middle, or shift the ball wide to slide past their defensive block.
That third option—moving the ball wide into touchline channels to evade high-pressing forwards—is called playing around the press. It is one of the most reliable ways for modern teams to progress the ball from the back without taking extreme central risks.
Understanding how teams play around pressure gives you a fresh lens for watching build-up play. Instead of seeing simple sideways passing, you will start noticing how teams lure aggressive defenders inside before carving open space along the sidelines.
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What it means
Playing around the press is a build-up strategy where the team in possession uses the wide corridors of the pitch to circumvent an opponent's high press.
A high press happens when the defending team pushes their attackers and midfielders deep into the opposition's half to cut off short passing options. Most modern pressing schemes prioritize closing down the center of the pitch. Why? Because losing the ball in the middle gives the opponent a direct line to your goal.
> [IMAGE: Tactical diagram showing ball progression around a central pressing block to reach an open full-back wide]
To play around this structure, the team with the ball shifts possession laterally—from a goalkeeper or centre-back out to a full-back, wing-back, or touchline winger. By using the width of the pitch, the attacking team forces the pressing unit to run sideways across large distances, creating gaps they can exploit.
Key Tactical Terms to Know
* Build-up phase: The initial phase of play where a team attempts to move the ball out of their defensive third and into midfield. * Central compactness: A defensive strategy where players pack the middle lane of the pitch to prevent direct central passes. * Pressing trap: A tactical setup designed to entice the ball handler into passing to a specific area, where defending players immediately double-team them. * Switch of play: Moving the ball quickly from one side of the field to the other via long or quick short passes.
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Why it matters
When a defending team executes a central press, they pack players into the midfield to funnel the ball handler into dangerous bottlenecks. Trying to force a pass through three central midfielders usually leads to a turnover in a high-risk area.
Playing around the press sidesteps this trap. By redirecting the ball outward to wide players standing near the touchlines, teams achieve three main tactical goals:
1. Lower risk of goal-costing turnovers: A lost ball on the sideline is far less dangerous than a lost ball twenty yards outside your own penalty box. 2. Stretching the defensive shape: When the ball shifts from the right center-back to the left full-back, the opponent's entire pressing block must shift sideways. Continuous lateral ball movement tires out defenders and disrupts their alignment. 3. Isolating wide attackers: Passing around the press often delivers the ball directly to a winger who has space to run at an isolated full-back in a 1-v-1 situation.
Teams that master this concept force opponents to make a uncomfortable choice: stop pressing centrally, or risk getting carved open along the touchlines.
> Analyst Tip: Watch the body language of the center-backs during build-up. If they pause on the ball and look directly at the central midfielder, they are often baiting the opponent's front line to step inside. Once the press jumps, the center-back quickly fires the ball wide to an open full-back.
Understanding how teams manipulate defensive distance ties directly into [What Is Positional Superiority? A Complete Beginner's Guide](/academy/tactics/what-is-positional-superiority-a-complete-beginner-s-guide), where positioning wide creates space elsewhere on the pitch.
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Quick facts
* Primary channel: Uses the wide third (flanks) of the pitch rather than the central corridor. * Key facilitators: Goalkeepers, wide centre-backs, full-backs, and touchline wingers. * Defensive counter: Modern pressing teams often use the touchline as an extra defender to trap wide players once the ball moves there. * Passing style: Involves rapid lateral ball movement, diagonal escape passes, and third-man wall passes along the sideline. * Risk profile: Lower central risk than playing through the press, but carries the danger of getting pinned against the touchline. * Required player attributes: Full-backs and wingers must possess strong first touches and the confidence to handle pressure under tight space constraints near the line.
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Comparison table
Teams have three main ways to beat an aggressive high press. Here is how playing around the press compares to the alternatives:
| Build-Up Method | Primary Target Zone | Central Risk Level | Execution Speed | Primary Player Roles | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Playing Around | Wide touchlines / Flanks | Low | Moderate to Fast | Full-backs, Wingers, Wide Centre-backs | | Playing Through | Central midfield / Pocket | High | Fast / Precise | Central Midfielders, Deep-lying Playmakers | | Playing Over | Opponent half / Behind defensive line | Low | Immediate | Target Man, Pace-focused Attackers | | Recycling / Reset | Back to Goalkeeper / Defensive line | Low to Moderate | Slow | Goalkeeper, Central Defenders |
> Note: Values shown are illustrative averages. Exact values may differ between data providers such as Opta, StatsBomb, or Wyscout.
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Real football examples
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal Arsenal frequently use wide triangles on the left side of the pitch to bypass opponent presses. Oleksandr Zinchenko or Gabriel Magalhães will hold the ball inside, baiting the opposition winger to step inward. Once the pressing movement starts, Arsenal play a crisp diagonal pass wide to Gabriel Martinelli hugging the touchline. This bypasses two pressing lines with a single pass around the block.
De Zerbi’s Brighton (2022–2024) Roberto De Zerbi elevated playing around the press into an art form. Brighton’s centre-backs would put their soles on the ball, standing completely still inside their own penalty box. This extreme patience invited the opponent's forwards to charge forward.
> [IMAGE: Diagram of De Zerbi's wide triangle pattern using goalkeeper, full-back, and winger]
Once the opponent committed to an aggressive central sprint, Brighton used quick ground passes between goalkeeper, centre-back, and full-back to wrap the ball *around* the pressing players, leaving four or five opposition attackers stranded behind the play.
Bayern Munich's Wide Overloads When opponents attempt to press Bayern centrally, they use the combination of wide centre-backs and overlapping full-backs. By circulating the ball quickly across a back four, Bayern draw the opponent's block to one side, before executing a rapid switch of play to an completely isolated winger on the opposite flank.
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Common misconceptions
"It is just passive, safe passing" Because playing around the press uses full-backs and side-to-side passes, beginners often mistake it for negative football. However, lateral passing with a purpose is entirely different from aimless possession. The goal of playing around the press is not to play safe, but to shift the opponent’s block until a forward passing lane opens up down the wing.
"Touchlines make build-up easy" The touchline acts as an extra defender. When you play the ball out wide, the receiving player loses 180 degrees of passing options because they cannot step out of bounds. If a team plays around the press too slowly, an aggressive defensive team will use [Pressing Triggers in Modern Football](/academy/tactics/pressing-triggers-in-modern-football) to pin the full-back against the sideline and win the ball back.
"Elite teams only play through the middle" While central dominance is prized, almost every top team relies heavily on playing around the press. Teams line up against elite clubs with narrow, hyper-compact defensive blocks. When the middle of the pitch has eight players standing in a tiny space, going around them is often the only rational choice.
> Did you know? The term "U-shaped possession" refers to a negative version of playing around the press. It occurs when a team passes from full-back to centre-back to full-back in a semi-circle without ever penetrating the opponent's lines.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between playing *around* and playing *through* the press? Playing *through* the press means passing directly through the middle of the opponent's defensive formation using central midfielders. Playing *around* the press circumvents that central block by moving the ball out wide to full-backs, wing-backs, or wingers positioned on the flanks.
What happens if the opponent shifts their press wide to block the flanks? If the opponent aggressively shifts their pressing unit wide to block the touchline path, they inevitably leave space open in the center of the pitch or on the opposite flank. A well-coached team will recognize this and quickly switch the ball inside or execute a direct cross-field pass to the far side.
Why don't teams just kick long over the press every time? Kicking long (playing *over* the press) yields a much lower possession retention rate. Long high balls result in 50/50 aerial duels and unpredictable second balls. Playing around the press allows a team to keep ground control of the ball, maintaining high overall possession and higher-quality attack construction.
Does playing around the press require specific player skill sets? Yes. Full-backs must be comfortable receiving the ball while facing their own goal with a defender closely marking them. Wingers must possess excellent first touches to kill high-speed lateral passes, and center-backs need the composure to hold the ball under pressure before releasing it wide.
Can a team play around the press while using three centre-backs? Absolutely. Formations with three centre-backs (like a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2) are naturally built to play around the press. The outer centre-backs (left and right centre-backs) can step wide into the channels, providing clear, comfortable passing lanes around the opponent's front line to the wing-backs positioned higher up the pitch.
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Key takeaways
* Exploits wide space: Playing around the press uses the outer flanks of the pitch to move around a centrally concentrated defensive shape. * Reduces catastrophic errors: Bypassing central areas lowers the chance of committing a turnover directly in front of your own goal. * Requires rapid lateral ball speed: Slow side-to-side passing allows the defense to comfortably adjust; fast circulation breaks their shape. * Relies on wide technical quality: Full-backs and wing-backs must be proficient at receiving under pressure while limited by the touchline. * Works best as part of a flexible system: The best teams constantly rotate between playing around, through, and over the press depending on where the opponent leaves space.
Related Articles
- [Pressing Triggers in Modern Football](/academy/tactics/pressing-triggers-in-modern-football)
- [What Is Counterpressing? A Complete Beginner's Guide](/academy/tactics/what-is-counterpressing-a-complete-beginner-s-guide)
- [What Is Underlapping Run? A Complete Beginner's Guide](/academy/tactics/what-is-underlapping-run-a-complete-beginner-s-guide)
- [What Is Positional Superiority? A Complete Beginner's Guide](/academy/tactics/what-is-positional-superiority-a-complete-beginner-s-guide)