How neutral support players help a team escape a high press
Use a 5v5 plus 3 session to study the route to the free player and the next available action.
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Sources checked 2026-09-26
FIFA Training Centre’s 5v5 plus 3 practice focuses on playing through or around a high press and exploiting space behind. Additional support players can create passing options.
ZTVmm exercise: first identify the route from the ball carrier to a support player. Then check whether a teammate offers a useful next action when the pass arrives.
Numerical superiority alone is not a guarantee. Players gathered in the same space may fail to make that extra player accessible.
Compare one successful progression with one sequence that has to restart. Describe the different pressure and passing angles instead of only counting completed passes.
Source: FIFA Training Centre ↗
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