Can you teach a pressing trap without players waiting for the cue?

Coach the principle and change the picture repeatedly. The trap might be showing play towards one side, taking away the return pass and arriving together when the receiver's options become limited. Use a build-up game where the attacking team starts from different positions each time. The defending team scores for regaining in the target area, but they are free to decide when the trap is actually available. Vary the first pass, the number of players pressing and the support available behind the ball. If the exact pattern appears every repetition, the players learn the exercise. Ask them afterwards: what made the press possible this time? At U13, a pressing trap should be a shared recognition of pressure and limited options. It should not be a cue they wait for while ignoring a better opportunity elsewhere. Use 5v5 plus goalkeepers in three short games. In game one, restarts begin with either centre-back. In game two, allow a midfielder to drop into the back line. In game three, remove all prescribed restarts. Reward regains in wide areas, but let the defenders decide when the trap is available.