Talk on the pitch: three calls
Transcript
Three short calls help the teammate on the ball. Here's what they mean. Man on, pressure is coming. Time, you have space. Turn, you can turn. You need three players, a defender, a ball and a ten metre triangle. Every pass gets a call. Watch. You call man on, so they play it first time. First, call it early, one loud word. Then, act on the call. Not this. A late call. Our target is four rounds of two minutes. Lose it and you defend, on your feet. After any knock to the head, if in doubt, sit them out. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Help the teammate on the ball with one clear word: "Man on" (pressure is coming), "Time" (you have space) or "Turn" (you can turn). Practised in a 3v1 keep-ball where every pass gets a call. England Football lists communication among the things a rondo develops.
Set up
- 3 players
- 1 defender
- 1 ball, on the ground
- 3 cones, 10 m apart
How it works
- Warm up first. Mark a triangle with 3 flat cones, 10 m apart, on flat grass. Use a size 4 ball at U12-U13 and a size 5 from U14.
- Agree the three calls before you start: "Man on" (pressure is coming), "Time" (you have space), "Turn" (you can turn).
- Three players keep the ball inside the triangle with passes along the ground. One defender tries to win it.
- Every pass gets a call: a teammate who can see the receiver calls one word before the ball arrives, and the receiver acts on it.
- If the defender wins it, or it goes out, the player who lost it swaps in to defend. Play 2-minute rounds.
Coaching points
- Call early, one word. Watch the receiver and the defender while the pass travels, and call before the ball arrives, so your teammate can use it. One word, loud and clear, and only the words your group agreed.
- Act on the call. The receiver acts on the call: on "Man on", play it first time or protect it; on "Time", take a touch and look up; on "Turn", turn with the first touch. Listen for who is calling and what they say.
Not this
Calling late, when the defender is already there, or shouting long sentences. By then the call is just noise: your teammate needs the word before the ball arrives.
Dose
- 4 rounds of 2 min
- Lose it, then defend
Our target: 4 rounds of 2 minutes, with a call before every pass (the Football Reach target, not an FA rule).
Harder / Easier
Harder
Two touches at most, so the call has to come earlier. Or play 4 v 2 with two defenders. Then keep the same calls going in your small-sided games.
Easier
The defender walks, or presses at half pace, until every pass gets a call. Or the coach calls first and the players copy.
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).
- The defender stays on their feet: no slide tackles, and passes stay 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
- The FA Boot Room - youth development phase and the social corner (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA Training Centre - 3v1 rondo: fast readjustments (10 m triangle) (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA Training Centre - grassroots session plan: take them on (call out, listen to your team-mates) (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning - what is a rondo (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning - passing and receiving session: connecting with teammates (opens in a new tab)
- England Football - UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport (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.
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