Zone Pressure

Zone pressure describes how pressure is distributed across the field. Instead of focusing on a single bunker or lane, it considers how multiple positions and lanes overlap to influence several zones at once.

For example, one player may hold a diagonal lane through the center while another maintains a tape-side lane, and a third watches an interior fill route. Together, these angles make it harder for opponents to move freely between zones. Even if each lane covers only part of the field, the combined effect can significantly narrow the safe paths available.

Zone pressure is often associated with steady mid-game phases, where teams are not immediately eliminating each other but are shaping the field by deciding which zones are contested and which remain relatively open. Over time, strong zone pressure can contribute to opponents becoming confined to fewer bunkers, leading to more predictable positions and reduced mobility.

This concept also connects to communication and awareness. To maintain pressure across multiple zones, players must understand which areas are already covered, which need attention, and how changes such as eliminations or bumps affect coverage. When one lane is dropped or a player leaves a key bunker, zone pressure can decrease quickly if others do not adjust.

Zone pressure provides a middle layer in analysis between local duels and full-field control. It helps explain why some points feel increasingly constrained for one side even before a clear lockdown occurs.