When a team is in possession, the players within the team should adopt a possession based structure. This means players are often spread out (depth and width) with lots of space between most players. This however is not a very good defensive shape.

So if the ball is lost there are 2 really important things that need to happen.

1. The 2 or 3 closest players to the ball, need to press (crunch) the ball as quickly and aggressively as possible.
   1. Make sure the opposition cannot play forward quickly (and counter attack while you do not have a defensive shape established).
   2. Try to force the opposition play backwards.
   3. Try to get the first opposition player on the ball to get their head down so they find it hard to find good passes. 
   4. Try to get the first opposition player on the ball to make a mistake and turn over the ball. 
   5. These rules may also apply to the second opposition player on the ball, and continue to apply until the contraction has occurred.
   6. This phase may last up to 5 seconds (see the video below).

 

1. The 2 or 3 closest players to the ball need to press (crunch) the ball as quickly and aggressively as possible.
   1. That is the whole team 'contracts' into a defensive structure.

 

The 5 second transition rule

This process should take up  3 - 5 seconds. After this you should have either won the ball back, or be in a strong defensive shape, and in a position to move to the second phase of not having the ball.  [ Covered in the next few pages].

 

 

 

This video looks at Barcelona's transition into a high press after losing the ball: