Disguised Pressing Triggers
The most dangerous press in field hockey isn't the one opponents see coming. It's the one they think isn't coming.
What makes a disguised trigger different from a conventional pressing trigger? In a word: perception. The defending team deliberately withholds visible pressure to manipulate what the ball carrier thinks they see. The goal is to make one exit look safe when it is actually the trap. Let’s walk through three types that have proven effective at the highest levels.
Trigger Type 1 — The “Open Lane” Bait
The concept here is beautifully simple in theory and deceptively hard to execute. Your pressing unit leaves one passing lane visibly open, usually to a sideline receiver or a player positioned with their back to goal, while covertly loading the recovery zone behind that pass. The ball carrier scans, identifies what looks like a pressure release, and plays into it. What they don’t see is that your second defender has already begun closing distance to the intended receiver before the pass is even played, and your back-line defender has stepped into interception depth the moment the ball carrier’s weight shifted.
The activation cues are subtle but learnable. You’re watching for the ball carrier to start scanning and lock onto the “open” lane. Your first-line defender drops their inside shoulder, almost inviting the switch. Everything about your body language says “go ahead.” But behind the scenes, the machinery is already moving.
Where does this go wrong? Most often, the presser closes too early. The ball carrier sees it, aborts the pass, and the bait fails. Sometimes the second defender is late to load, which means the receiver turns or plays forward before the trap can activate. Occasionally the back-line over-commits, and if the bait is read, you’ve just opened up counter-attack space through the centre. And one mistake I’ve seen repeatedly at club level: verbal cues given too loudly. The attacker hears “NOW” and recycles possession before the trap springs.
When it works, you’ll know. The ball gets played into the “open” lane with pace because the passer believed it. The receiver comes under immediate pressure before their first touch. Within three seconds, you’ve either won the ball or forced a backwards or lateral pass. Your team regains within two passes of the baited exit.
As Russell Coates puts it, “A trigger is not a moment to react—it’s a moment you’ve already prepared for.”[1]
Trigger Type 2 — The “Passive Channel” Trap
This one is about body shape as deception. The defender on the ball adopts an open stance that appears to allow forward progress but is actually angled to shepherd the attacker toward the sideline or into a double-defend zone. The attacker believes they’re beating the press. In reality, they’re being channelled exactly where you want them.
The cues to watch for: your defender’s feet are set at roughly 45 degrees to the touchline, inside shoulder low. The attacker sees space and accelerates into it, moving toward the sideline. As they cross an invisible line—often the five-metre channel—your supporting defender begins a lateral cut to close the trap. Meanwhile, your back-line defender pinches to cut the reverse option.
The execution mistakes here tend to be about discipline. If the defender’s body shape is too square, the attacker plays straight through and the channel fails entirely. If your supporting defender arrives late, you end up in a 1v1 on the sideline instead of the 2v1 you planned. If you leave the channel too wide, the attacker has time to scan and switch play. And if someone goes in for an over-aggressive tackle, you’ve conceded a free hit and the press has to reset.
The success indicators are satisfying to watch. The attacker’s head drops as they enter the channel—they’ve stopped scanning because they think they’re through. The ball exits via the sideline or a forced backwards pass. Your double-defend V-shape forms within two seconds of channel entry. You’ve won territory even if you haven’t won the ball.
Coates describes this beautifully: “You’re not blocking—you’re offering a door. They walk through it into your teammate.”[2]
Trigger Type 3 — The “Delayed Squeeze” on the Reverse Pass
This trigger exploits one of the four classic pressing cues: the backwards pass. But instead of immediately collapsing when the ball goes back, your pressing unit deliberately delays the squeeze by half a second. You’re allowing the receiving player to feel like they have time. Then you collapse space at pace. That half-second delay creates a false sense of security and produces a rushed, low-quality exit.
Watch for the ball being played backwards, especially from the attacking 25 to midfield. Your first presser holds depth momentarily, maintaining distance rather than charging. Your wide pressers begin an inward drift as the ball travels. Critically, your back-line steps up—not laterally—to compress vertical space. The trigger activates on the receiver’s first touch.
The mistakes here are about timing and discipline. If your pressing line squeezes too early, the receiver plays first-time forward and bypasses your press entirely. If you leave the central lane open, a quick switch through the middle escapes the trap. If your wide pressers drift too narrow, the opposition switches to the opposite flank and you’re chasing. And if your back-line doesn’t step, the vertical space remains and your press lacks the compactness it needs.
When it works, you’ll see the receiver take a touch before scanning—that’s the false comfort you manufactured. Your first presser arrives as their second touch is taken. The receiver is forced to play lateral or backwards under pressure. Within four seconds of trigger activation, you’ve recovered possession.
Andreu Enrich captures the logic from the attacker’s perspective: “The ball carrier’s first question is: ‘Is there a pass forward?’ If your press arrives as they’re checking, they’ve already lost a second.”[4]
For our paid subscribers read on for the following topics:
- How good teams break disguised triggers
- Two training games
- Coach language pack
Sources used:
1. https://my.thehockeysite.com/p/how-to-train-pressing-triggers
2. https://my.thehockeysite.com/p/about-feedback-anchor-tasks-and-more
3. https://my.thehockeysite.com/p/how-to-train-double-defending
4. https://my.thehockeysite.com/p/managing-transitions
5. https://my.thehockeysite.com/p/defensive-system-variants-and-pressing
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