Part 2: High pressing the goal kick

The elite senior levels of the game have seen this tactic for some time. This was in part a gradual response to the 2019 rule change allowing teams to receive goal kicks inside their own penalty area, which brought build-up play even closer to the in-possession team’s goal. The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ has witnessed teams high pressing goal kicks in several tournaments now, but the frequency continues to rise.

Figure 1

Compared to previous FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cups, the defending team are positioning players in the vicinity of the opposition’s penalty area more often.

Figure 2

The average position of entire defending teams is drifting closer to the opposition’s goal kick as well.

Figure 3

Both are responses to the growing popularity of short goal kicks.

Figure 1 indicates the drastic nature of the shift at the U-17 women’s level. In 2022, almost half of goal kicks taken featured no defending player within a 20m radius. Two tournaments later, this is true in only a minority of goal kicks. The trend reverses for two or more defending players in the same radius. Tracking data provided by FIFA’s Football Performance Insights Team, seen in Figure 2, signals that the shift to front-foot defending is visible for the entire team.

Mo Marley has decades of experience coaching in the England women’s set-up and was part of the Technical Study Group observing the 2025 tournament. For her, the encouraging implication of this trend is that teams have more variety in their pressing systems.

“It was very interesting and really good to see teams take the approach to pressing high on goal kicks,” explains the former England U-21 head coach when discussing the trend. “I think it’s really important to be flexible and to have alternative pressing solutions in different scenarios and in different moments, especially in tournament football.”

As Marley hints, high pressing goal kicks is not the solution for teams in the modern game, but one of a variety of important pressing tools in a team’s defensive toolkit.

Nevertheless, the amount of high pressing is now substantial. To illustrate precisely what good execution looks like at the U-17 level, below are two high-pressing set-ups from the USA. The North American team found success during these moments, regaining possession more than any other side within 15 seconds of an opposition goal kick.

USA’s 4-4-2 high press v. Ecuador

The USA strived for a narrow shape when facing opposition goal kicks with the aim of limiting the opposition’s options of playing through their team shape in central areas.
Initially, the USA’s two front players allowed the opposition to pass between the goalkeeper and centre-backs, before one initiated the press and the other covered Ecuador’s pivot.
When Ecuador played the ball wide, this would trigger the USA’s wide midfielders to apply pressure with intensity.
With this approach, the USA managed to disturb Ecuador’s build-up on numerous occasions deep inside the opposition’s half.

USA’s narrow 4-3-3 high press v. the Netherlands

Against the Netherlands’ goal kicks, the USA adapted the shape and approach of their high press to account for the heavy involvement and proficiency of the Oranje goalkeeper in low build-up.
In this system, the trigger for the USA’s centre-forwards to press was the taking of the goal kick itself, whilst cutting off any return pass to the goalkeeper.
The USA’s wingers closed the space towards opposition full-backs, and the remainder of the team were player-to-player marking on the ball-side of the pitch.
With this approach, the USA frequently forced their opposition to play long to areas of the pitch where USA defenders could regain possession quickly.

What are some broader characteristics teams should exhibit during these moments? Marley lays out three principles:

Intent – Pressing with controlled aggression and purpose is fundamental to winning possession. Being fully committed to pressing with controlled aggression – at speed – will reduce the time and space players on the ball have.
Intelligence – In addition to intent, players need an understanding and recognition of when to slow down, how to angle runs to shepherd opposition to one direction, which passing lanes to cut off and what spaces to protect or anticipate where the next pass will go.
In unison – High pressing is a collective effort relying on a united team approach. Each pressing line needs to be connected vertically and horizontally, and the distances between each line are critical; often, the ball is regained from the second pass of the opposition’s sequence, not the first.

The way a coach exposes their players to different situations in football influences how their skills develop. This is especially true for players in their teenage years, where their abilities are at their most malleable. So what developmental impact does high pressing goal kicks have on the players performing the press?

Using a player-to-player approach during a high press exposes the pressing players to defending 1v1 situations — something important for any aspiring elite player.

For Marley, the benefits of the aggressive tactic are multifaceted, influencing technical, tactical and decision-making skills, as well as tactical awareness.

“This approach can expose young players to a variety of different pressing scenarios, increasing their knowledge, improving decision-making and recognition of where and when to apply. There are different ways to high press; for example, using a player-for-player approach really challenges players’ ability to defend 1v1 and against different profiles.

“When you are more flexible and have a blend of both, players have varied exposures and more familiarity when needing to adapt live in the moment. Being less predictable as a team is key, as well as being able to suffocate opponents when needed.”

The tactics of teams in and out of possession evolve in relation to each other. Player skillsets follow suit. As mentioned earlier, the high pressing in Morocco is, in part, a reaction to the 2019 rule change, giving teams in possession more space and time to build out from the back. So, how are teams now reacting to being pressed high so frequently when building out, and what does this reveal about the future requirements of U-17 teams and their players?

To beat the high press as a team, Marley explains, “the priority is recognising the opponent’s structure, triggers, and intentions, then identifying how to break the first line or exploit space left behind”. At a player level, “this scenario tests composure, technical quality, and decision-making under extreme pressure. Playing out versus a high press increases both risk and cognitive load, especially so close to goal, but the reward is significant if execution is consistent.”

The shift seen in high pressing over the last three U-17 Women’s World Cups is yet another argument for developing composed and technically complete players – for coaches who want their players capable of playing out from the back, this becomes a necessity. “Looking ahead, defenders and goalkeepers must become technically versatile, press-resistant and confident distributing in multiple ways as pressure across all positions continues to rise,” adds Marley.

Having two or more pressing players within 20 metres of the opposition’s goal kick has become increasingly popular, indicating teams’ desire to high press during these situations.

Key principles for pressing the opposition high during goal kicks include pressing in unison, with intent and intelligence.

At the U-17 level, coaching teams to use this approach encourages decision-making skills and 1v1 defending. In turn, the shift also demands high technical ability and confidence from the players involved in building out from the goal kick.