The purpose with the pressure play is to influence and move the defense to create more space to a teammate in order to create a shooting solution or break through possibility.

The pressure player must engage her own defender and also her backup, so that 2 defenders are engaged with 1 attacker, which again means, that one attacker is not covered.

Each single player must - during the pressure - be dangerous as a shooter for the defense and show, that she will take the chance before she passes the ball to the next. If she does not show that she intent to shoot, the defense will see no reason to cover her.

Pressure play can be performed by 2 players, but can also be performed by the whole team (except the circle runner, who however can make very effective screenings).

If the pressure play shall be effective, all the players must be in full speed when they receive the ball, and the ball must be received relatively close to the defense in order to use the advantage, that the former pressure player has drawn the immediate defender away.
If the former pressure player must wait for the next, the defense will have time to get into position and the pressure looses its value.
Therefore timing is very important in the pressure play, as the faster and more precise the pressure play is performed, the greater shooting possibilities occurs

There are several forms of pressure play:

Ordinary pressure
In the ordinary pressure play the pressure is typically put on the inside of the defending player starting from the wing in order to draw the defending backcourt in to engage/backup. The wing can - with advantage - start the pressure by making an initial feint on the outside of the defending wing and by this draw her further to the side.

This means that the defending backcourt must move further to the side to help her.
If a good shooting solution is achieved, the ball is passed to the backcourt, who attacks between the backcourt and the CB and so on.
If a shooting solution is not obtained when the opposite backcourt receives the ball, the following possibilities can be used:
 

1.	Pass the ball to the wing, who may try a shot
2.	Make a cross with the wing and let the wing start a new pressure in the opposite direction
3.	Pass the ball to the opposite backcourt, hoping that the defense has grown thin on her side.

While the pressure is performed the pivot must try to stop the defense to follow the ball by screening, but must also be ready for a pass.

"Jumping over" pressure
The "jumping over" pressure is performed by the wing, who - instead of making a pressure between the defending wing and backcourt - attacks in the inside of the defending backcourt and by that jumps over the wing. The attacking backcourt then attacks slantwise inside and makes a pressure into the next empty space, causing a situation where the defense can be outnumbered.

Initial feint pressure
Initial feint pressure means that an attacker without the ball runs in on the outside or inside of the defense, which may cause that the defense thinks that she will receive the ball.
It is important that the player making the initial feint runs away from the ball keeper.
Now a change of direction is performed and the attack is placed on the opposite side of the defender and now it could be a good time to receive the ball.
Example:
LW presses directly against her defender - LB runs in between the defending backcourt and center backcourt - changes direction and runs in between the defending wing and backcourt. The ball must be received by the backcourt just after passing the defending backcourt.

Return pressure
When a pressure is made, the defense will try to have enough players ready to defend the attacking area. By this gaps may occur in front or especially behind the ball and by using return pressure those gaps can be used.
Typically it is done by ordinary pressure from left to right or right to left.
When the ball reaches the backcourt, the defense expects the ball to be passed to the wing, and the backcourt indicates that that is the fact.
Instead the backcourt quickly turns and passes the ball to the opposite backcourt, who can try to shoot or pass the ball to her wing

Short pressure
The short pressure is mostly used to that purpose to move a defender in connection with an agreed attack system.
It is not an actual try to break through or shot, but only to move the defender a little to the side or catch the attention of the defender, so that the actual attack can be carried through.