Pressing immediately upon losing the ball, before the opposition can transition.
Counter-pressing (gegenpressing) is the act of swarming the ball within seconds of losing it, exploiting the disorganised moment when the opposition is shifting from defence to attack. The premise: the best moment to win the ball is the moment after you've lost it, because the opponent's shape is still expanding to receive rather than retaining.
A counter-press works only if the team's in-possession structure already keeps players within sprint range of the ball. Teams that stretch wide in possession can't counter-press effectively; teams that overload around the ball can.
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