If you decide that your opponents are highly skillful in possession of the ball and can play cleverly and quickly through a team that lacks compactness, you may decide to defend deeper with the first serious defense against the player on the ball taking place around the halfway line and with your strikers exerting that pressure.
Defensive team tactics may be as straightforward as deciding where to first engage and pressure the opponents' buildup play. If you decide that your opponents are highly skillful in possession of the ball and can play cleverly and quickly through a team that lacks compactness, you may decide to defend deeper with the first serious defense against the player on the ball taking place around the halfway line and with your strikers exerting that pressure. The midfield line will organize itself behind this first pressing line, and the back line will likely be positioned on or around the edge of the penalty area, as shown in figure 15.1. This would give your team 11 players between the ball and its goal and would, providing your team is defending well, produce a problem for the attacking team in penetrating your defense. The teams that use this tactic often employ a counterattacking play upon gaining possession of the ball as space is available behind the opponents' defense. In addition, space is often created between the defensive back players through which attacking passes and runs can be made.