Difference between full and half court press?

Jon RoyceCoach, England

Hi Carole,

In a full court press your team positions themselves close to a 16 yard hit and attempts to win the ball close to your opponents goal or trap your opponents close to the sideline in your opponents half.

This is an aggressive tactic designed to pressure your opponents for time. Essentially it is a psychological tactic. The problem is that it leaves a great deal of space behind your press and if your opponents break through they will have plenty of room to attack. 

In a half court press, you set your defence from about half way; allowing the opponents to bring the ball towards half way before making a challenge. This keeps your defenders close together and reduces by 50% the amount of room your opponents have on the field. A team faced with a half court defence will require knowledge in breaking it down.It also brings your opponents out of defence and creates space for you to exploit on a counter attack. 

The disadvantage is that some players struggle to implement the tactic because they see it as passive, in fact, you should be ready to jump on an interception and attack at speed.

Which you adopt depends on your strengths and your opponents strengths/weaknesses. Ideally, your team should be able to adopt either approach on the coaches or captains call.

Ejaz SyedCoach, United States of America

The third paragraph in Jon's text is about right for two teams of equals. Last para is consistent with each play of attack or defence.

I am finding players with athletic mix shifting the rsults in their favor during the 2nd-half.

Rob AltyCoach, England

One of the great things about coaching/managing on matchday is identifying what your opponent is bringing to the table and identifying solutions to breaking them down while ensuring you are not broke down as well. I find the full court press is really good but you MUST have a clear understanding about plugging gaps other your team could be left high and the opposition play through you. This also put the onus on the defence breaking to move the ball and create gaps.