Rondo with transition
Transcript
This rondo trains the moment you lose the ball. Here's the game. You need seven players, a twelve metre square and a second box beside it. Five keep it from two defenders. If they win it, they aim for the second box. You get five seconds to win it back. Watch. Keep it, lose it, win it back. First, press the second you lose it. Then, block the way out. Not this. Switching off. Win it on your feet. Our target is four rounds of three minutes, ninety seconds rest. After any knock to the head, if in doubt, sit them out. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Keep the ball 5 v 2, then react the moment it is lost: press at once, block the way out and win it back within 5 seconds. England Football says rondo variations can train playing in transition.
Set up
- 7 players, 5 v 2
- 12 x 12 m square
- 6 x 6 m second box
- 5 s to win it back
How it works
- Warm up first. On flat grass, mark a 12 x 12 m square with 4 flat cones, and a 6 x 6 m second box about 2.5 m beside it with 4 more (our layout). Use a size 5 ball.
- Five players keep the ball from two defenders in the square, passing along the ground with two touches or fewer (our rule), then moving. Ten passes in a row scores a point.
- If the defenders win it, they score by passing or dribbling it into the second box. The moment you lose it, the nearest player presses the ball and the others block the way out.
- Win it back within 5 seconds and play on. If you don't, or it reaches the second box, the player who lost it and one teammate swap with the two defenders.
- Play 4 rounds of 3 minutes, with 90 seconds of rest between.
Coaching points
- Press the second it's lost. The second the ball is lost, the nearest player sprints at it, before the defender can look up. FIFA's counter-pressing coaching says the nearest player presses immediately.
- Block the way out. Arrive in the ball's path, between it and the second box, so the way out is shut. Teammates close the space behind and beside the ball, then win it on your feet.
Not this
Switching off when you lose it: stopping, appealing or watching. The defenders get time to look up and play it into the second box.
Dose
- 4 rounds of 3 min
- 90 s rest between
Our target: 4 rounds of 3 minutes with 90 seconds of rest between (the Football Reach target from our age ladder, not an FA rule).
Harder / Easier
Harder
One touch only once your team has made 5 passes in a row (the age ladder's harder version). Or win it back within 3 seconds instead of 5 (our suggestion).
Easier
6 v 2, or a bigger square (15 x 15 m), so the ball is lost less often and the press has more time.
Safety
- If in doubt, sit them out: anyone with a suspected concussion stops straight away, does no training for at least 24 hours and plays no matches for at least 21 days (UK concussion guidelines).
- Win the ball on your feet: no slide tackles, no pushing or pulling, and keep every pass on the ground.
- Warm up first. Flat grass with space all round, never a road or driveway. Use flat cones.
- Under 16: if your knees or heels hurt when you run, stop and tell an adult; a GP or physio can help.
Sources
- England Football Learning - what is a rondo (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning - transition session: progressing to the target (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA Training Centre - counter-pressing (transition to defending) (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA Training Centre - optimising skill development U12-U15 (opens in a new tab)
- England Football - UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport (opens in a new tab)
- The FA Boot Room - growth and the physical corner (opens in a new tab)
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
Take the free test
