Pressing
Pressing means hunting down the opponent in possession to win the ball back quickly, ideally high up the pitch. It is often measured with PPDA: the number of opposition passes allowed per defensive action in a given zone. The lower the PPDA, the more intense the press.
Pressing is active defending: rather than waiting for the opponent, players close down the space around the ball carrier, cut passing lanes and try to force a mistake. A high press starts as soon as the opponent tries to play out from the back, close to their goal: a ball won 30 metres from goal often leads to a clear chance. Gegenpressing (counter-pressing), popularised by Jürgen Klopp, means pressing immediately after losing the ball, in the few seconds before the opponent is organised.
The most widely used metric is PPDA (passes per defensive action). You divide the number of passes the opponent makes in the pressing zone (usually the 60% of the pitch closest to the opponent's goal, depending on the definition) by the number of defensive actions the pressing team makes in that same zone: tackles, interceptions, duels, fouls. A PPDA around 8 signals a very aggressive press; above 15, the team is mostly sitting off.
Pressing comes at a price: it is physically draining, leaves space in behind for long balls and often fades late in the game. For a prediction, a team that presses high tends to produce open matches, with dangerous turnovers but also gaps at the back. Against opponents who struggle to build from the back it is a real weapon; against a technical side able to play through it, it can backfire.
Example
In one match, team A allows team B 240 passes in the pressing zone and makes 30 defensive actions there: PPDA = 240 / 30 = 8, an intense press. Team B allows 330 passes for 22 defensive actions: PPDA = 330 / 22 = 15, a much more passive approach.
How Elofoot uses it
Elofoot does not have PPDA data. In the AI analysis, a pressing index from 0 to 100 (rounded to 5) is estimated for each team from its average fouls per match (70% of the weight) and its expected possession in the match (30%). It is an openly approximate indicator that shows a tendency, not a precise measurement: 14 fouls per match and 58% expected possession, for instance, give an index of 65.
Frequently asked questions
- What is PPDA in football?
- It is the number of passes the opponent makes in a given zone per defensive action (tackle, interception, duel, foul) by the pressing team. The lower it is, the more intense the press.
- What is the difference between a high press and gegenpressing?
- A high press describes where you press: close to the opponent’s goal, as they play out from the back. Gegenpressing describes when: straight after losing the ball, to win it back before the opponent is organised.
- Does pressing lead to more goals?
- It tends to open games up: high turnovers create chances, but the space left in behind gives the opponent chances too. It is not automatic; it depends on the quality of both teams.
See also
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