Football Tactics Terms Explained: Gegenpressing, Tiki-Taka, Low Block & More

Football commentary is full of jargon. Here’s a plain-English glossary of the tactics terms you’ll actually hear, each in a sentence or two, no diagrams degree required.

Pressing & defending

Gegenpressing (counter-press), Winning the ball back immediately after losing it, while the opponent is still disorganised, instead of dropping into shape. Popularised by Jürgen Klopp.

High press, Pressing the opponent high up the pitch, near their goal, to force mistakes in dangerous areas.

Low block, Defending deep with two compact banks of players, conceding territory to deny space behind. Hard to break down.

Mid block, The middle ground: hold a compact shape around the halfway line and spring when the ball enters your zone.

Offside trap, Defenders step up together to leave an attacker offside as the ball is played.

Possession & build-up

Tiki-taka, Short, quick passing to retain possession and move the opponent around until a gap appears. Associated with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

Build-up play, How a team progresses the ball from the back into attacking areas.

Playing out from the back, Building from the goalkeeper and centre-backs with passes rather than long clearances.

Switch of play, A long diagonal pass to the opposite side, where space has opened up.

Attacking movement

False 9, A centre-forward who drops deep into midfield, dragging a centre-back out and creating space for runners.

Overload, Deliberately creating more attackers than defenders in one area to gain an advantage (then often switching it to the now-undermanned far side).

Third-man run, Player A passes to B, but the move actually frees C, who’s timing a run beyond.

Overlap / underlap, A full-back running outside (overlap) or inside (underlap) the winger to add an extra attacker.

Decoy run, A run made not to receive the ball, but to drag a defender away and open a lane for someone else.

Cutback, Driving to the byline and pulling the ball back to a teammate arriving at the edge of the box.

See the terms in action

Definitions only get you so far, tactics click when you watch them work. In Tactic Board Football Game you can draw these patterns and simulate them against reactive defenders:

• Draw a third-man run and see it beat a flat back line.
• Use a decoy run to open the lane for a cutback.
• Try to break a low block with patience vs. a quick switch of play.

It’s a football tactics simulator that turns the glossary into something you can feel. See how it works →