A press that chases everything tires quickly and achieves little. Effective pressing leaves a specific pass available and prepares the area it leads into, so possession is won where the pressing team chose.
The press is a funnel, not a net
Closing every passing option requires more players than are available, and attempting it leaves the pressing team stretched and easy to play through.
The alternative is to block the central and switch options while leaving the pass down one touchline apparently open, which channels the ball where the pressers want it.
The build-up team frequently takes that pass because it is the only one visible, which is precisely why it was left visible.
The touchline is used as an extra defender
A player receiving near the touchline has no options behind him and a reduced field of vision, since half the pitch he might have used is out of bounds.
Pressers approaching from the inside can therefore commit fully, knowing the receiver cannot escape into the space they have vacated.
This is why so many turnovers occur in wide areas within a few metres of the line, and why coaches describe the touchline as their most reliable teammate.
Triggers decide when the trap springs
Pressing on a signal is more efficient than pressing continuously, and the signals are moments when the receiver is temporarily unable to play forward.
Common triggers include a backward pass, a ball travelling slowly, a receiver facing his own goal, or a heavy first touch. Each indicates a window where pressure will not be played around.
Because the trigger is shared, the whole unit moves together. A press where one player reacts to a trigger the others did not see becomes a gap rather than a trap.
Building teams counter by inviting the press
A team confident in its technical quality may deliberately play into pressure to draw opponents forward, then release the ball past them into the space behind.
Doing this requires a receiver capable of taking one touch away from an approaching defender and a pre-arranged outlet, usually a forward run beyond the pressing line.
The risk is severe, because a mistake occurs close to goal with the defence already committed high, which is why the practice divides coaches sharply.
The counter-counter is a compact second line
Pressing teams anticipate the escape pass by keeping their midfield line close behind the front line rather than pressing with the forwards alone.
Compactness between lines means a ball played past the first press arrives in an area still populated, and the second line wins it facing the right way.
The distance between those two lines is the quietest indicator of how a team presses, and it explains why some presses collapse when a single midfielder is bypassed.