20: Grow Coach Newsletter
Football Coaching: Using the Rondo
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Education: A deep dive into coaching Rondo’s.
Rondo 1: 3v1 Switch box Rondo.
Rondo 2: 8v4 Positional Rondo.
Rondo 3: 4v4 Transitional Rondo.
The rondo activity in football is a great way to develop, awareness, first touch, and positional sense. Find below an overview of the rondo and some ideas for implementing it into your training.
What is a Rondo in football?
A rondo is a drill where attacking players attempt to keep the ball away from a set number of defending players in Football (soccer)
Rondos are generally overloaded in favour of the attacking team (3 v 1, 4 v 2, 5 v 3 etc.).
Rondos often take place in tight areas (circles, grids) with attacking players circled/positioned around the defending players.
There are three types of rondos, the basic rondo, the positional rondo, and the transitional rondo.
The basic rondo mentioned is where players circle the opponent. They attempt to keep the ball away for prolonged periods using game intelligence to perform various passing combinations.
You have positional rondos where players occupy positions like a team’s matchday formation. They are usually played on a rectangle pitch in formats such as 10v5, 8v4, 7v3. The numbers allow a team to create passing lanes to progress the ball through pressure.
Transitional rondos are where the players play in set positions but once they achieve a target number of passes they transition into a new space or a different area. They are more reactive as [layers have to leave their positions and reorganise themselves as the ball moves to a new area.
Each rondo builds on the next in terms of complexity and technical requirements. Basic principles should be adhered to within any rondo practice.
Move the ball to create a positional advantage.
Control the game tempo, and spot the right time to speed up or slow down the passing sequences.
Movement and rotation to create passing angles.
Quick reactions to losses of possession to win back the ball.
When delivering rondos do not overcomplicate them.
Choose the right type of rondo based on the age and stage of the players you coach.
Don’t expect huge improvements in a week. Building the players understanding, knowledge, and technical ability takes time.
Other benefits include improving the player’s ability to handle the ball under pressure (technical). Tactical payoffs include players recognising the correct width, depth and movements to create numerical superiority (overloads).
What are the technical requirements of Rondos?
Receiving skills: Many rondo practices require tight close control and effective use of the first touch to move the ball into space to buy the receiver time on the ball.
Tight spaces and high-pressured defending create an activity that demands quality receiving skills. Defenders will often punish players who execute the wrong receiving skill or the ball carrier is forced into a rushed decision if they get their first touch wrong.
Tip: Scanning before receiving the ball can support a player’s decision-making as frequent scanning can help the player to see their options, where the pressure is coming from and the space available.
Close control with both feet allows for timely responses to any situation.
Range of passing techniques: The player needs to read the triggers of the game and select a passing technique based on the pictures the game provides. First-time passing, short passing, and long passing offer typical options within rondo activities.
First-time passing: If a player cannot turn and the defender is tightly marking then a first-time pass could be used to set the ball back to a teammate to play forward. First-time passing is useful the closer to the goal a team gets.
Around the box, the spaces are blocked and defending is usually aggressive so the space to play through is limited. Using first-time passes is a great way to break down tough defences.
Short passing: These are a staple of any football player. Short passing along the floor into feet is useful for moving the opponent around until a forward pass can be played. They allow the attacking team to control the game tempo and offer safe security of the ball.
Tip: Use short passing to build up play or move up the pitch it allows the attacking team to pressure on the ball if they lose possession. They will have numbers around the ball to pressure the defender who regained it.
Long passing: This technique is useful if the opponent presses aggressively the ball carrier can ease pressure on the team by playing a long pass over or through the pressing players. Long passing should not be confused with just shelling the ball up the pitch in the hope that a teammate will get the ball.
Tactical Passing
In Rondos the following types of passes are important aspects of performance. They will involve some of the passing techniques mentioned above but passes fit into three categories 1st line passing, 2nd line passing, and 3rd line passing.
1st line passes are passes in which the pass stays in front of the chasing opponent, this type of pass is used if there is not a 2nd or 3rd line pass. The players in possession would use 1st line passes to entice the defenders towards the ball and create opportunities for 2nd and 3rd line passes.
2nd line pass is a pass that goes around the opponents who are trying to regain the ball. This pass is useful for circulating the ball and switching play from side to side. It requires firmer and longer passes to get the ball to its destination but is very useful for creating width and stretching the opponent’s defence.
3rd line pass is a pass that goes through the opponents who are trying to win the ball. This pass is the most desirable because it takes opposition players out of the game. This type of pass is difficult for the defender to recover from. The passes are often vertical and played between opponents’ presses.
The coach must encourage players to observe the space, the opponent, and teammates to prioritise the best passing options at any given time.
Ideally, players should use 3rd line passes first as it takes players out of the game. 2nd Line passes second as this also takes players out of the game but goes around the pressure. If the previous two options are unavailable then players can use 1st line passes to move the opponent until one of the other types of passes presents themselves.
Tip: keep this information simple for young players. Encourage them to try and use a pass that splits the defenders (pass between two players) as the first option. If this is not possible then play a pass that goes around the opposition.
If the first two options are unavailable then play a pass to a teammate in front of the defenders. The aim of 1st line passes is to move the opponent until a pass-through is available.
“Everything that goes on in a match, except shooting, you can do in a rondo.” - J Cruyff
Rondos and the real game?
There is lots of cross-over between rondos and the actual game.
Overloads, the team in possession are trying to outnumber the defending team by at least one player and create the advantage behind them. These types of situations get players on the ball in dangerous spaces and often lead to scoring chances.
The main aim of Rondos is to provide continuous options to the ball carrier in the form of 1st,2nd and 3rd line passes.
In possession, the attacking team should create triangles and diamond shapes around the defender/defenders trying to regain the ball.
If one defender is pressing the ball carrier should have options to share the ball on either side of the defender.
If the defending team presses with two defenders the attacking team can form a diamond shape that provides options behind and between the pressure.
The risk-reward of the support angles the attackers are providing should be considered. If a passing attempt is cut out what are the chances of it leading to a goal or a goal attempt?
Counter press, if the players are providing angles closer to the ball carrier then a loss of possession should be followed by immediate pressure on the ball. This is to attempt to regain before the opponent gets organised.
Physical demands of Rondos?
Rondos require the players to demonstrate good levels of agility due to the high volume of directional changes. They also demand elements of strength due to the players being in such close contact with each other.
There will be lots of physical contact between the attackers and defenders as players will be holding other players off, trying to regain the ball in a tackle, or shielding the ball if they get trapped in a tight space.
There is a high demand for reaction time as the players must constantly react to the ever-changing pictures of the game.
Defensively, there is a higher physical demand on the endurance levels of the defenders to keep running with and without the ball.
The attackers must also stay on the move constantly although the attackers should not work as hard as the defenders because they outnumber them.
Psychological demands of the Rondo?
Communication between players lets teammates know where they are to the ball. Defensively the players outnumbered will also have to communicate to protect the spaces and prevent passes between them.
Non-verbal communication in terms of the body language of the players:
Are they ready to receive the ball? Are they watching?
Are they on their toes ready to react?
Defensively the intent by which a player closes down an opponent is another clear signal to the other defenders to either join them in pressing or hold their position.
These are some examples of the non-verbal demands of the rondo other aspects to note include players pointing where they would like to receive the ball, players making eye contact with the ball carrier, and movement to show intent to attack space.
Concentration is also a quality that is placed under high demand, for example, players must focus on three main objectives each time a pass is made. Those three things are the defender’s position, their teammates, and the space which they would like to exploit. The environment is changing constantly therefore remaining focused is vital to the success of the drill.
Composure, Players in possession should be encouraged not to get fed up with having the ball and to keep doing the basics well until the third-line passes present themselves. Rondo activities should develop players who are composed on the ball in tight spaces.
Confidence, the speed of the practice is similar to the game the players should gain confidence from their success.
Self-control and discipline to time the tackle without giving away needless fouls. Defenders get to work on anticipation of the next pass to try and intercept things. The workrate of the players will be tested when they are struggling to win back the ball.
Attacking players will get to demonstrate self-control in terms of not forcing passes, and being patient to make as many passes as required until they find an opponent’s weakness.
Why should you use Rondos?
The Rondo is stable within the training systems of some of the best teams in the world and many coaches try to introduce rondos into their program without a clear understanding of why it’s being used, other than they know that some of the best teams in the world use it.
Coaches should understand that rondos are useful because of their close similarities to the game. They place similar physical, psychological, technical and tactical demands on the players.
Because the players are all nearby they must make constant decisions around the ever-changing environment (space, opponents, teammates) therefore players must make constant decisions based on the actions of other players.
There is a competitive element to rondos because players have to fight for everything, the ball, the space, what to do when they have the ball, and what to do when they lose the ball, which makes them an excellent tool to use in player development.
Technically players must demonstrate high levels of competence, they cannot hide in a big space and because the pressure on the ball is often instant it forces the player to adapt or the practice will break down.
Players must be switched on offensively and defensively they must communicate verbally and non-verbally to compete and anticipate what might happen next.
Common mistakes and how to fix them?
Defensive roations, One thing to be mindful of when coaching rondos with young players is ensuring that they all have an equal opportunity to work on their passing skills and not be punished for passing errors by being defenders each time they lose the ball.
To fix this issue think about using periods per defender to give every player a chance to work on their passing, receiving, and defending skills. For example, each defender stays in the middle for 3 minutes and tries to force as many errors as possible. (The highest score wins - best defender).
Players with a low skill level. Coaches can help to increase the success of the attacking players by giving one or two of the defenders a ball to slow down the amount of pressure they can put on the ball. This gives the attackers a little more thinking time to make good choices and means that ball rolling time should be increased.
As the skill level of the game improves remove the ball from the defender or only have one defender with a ball and one without.
No transition for the defending players. When the defenders win the ball in a real game they have a decision to make. This must be the same within the rondo. Instant reactions during these moments are vital.
When the defenders win the ball they must have a target or challenge to incentivize high-energy defending.
The players who lose the ball must react to stop the defenders from escaping.
For example, in a 3 v 1 practice if the defender wins the ball, the player who lost from the attacking team could enter the middle of the rondo square and try to win it back as quickly as possible.
Another idea could be the placement of gates around the perimeter of the playing area and when defenders regain the ball they try to escape through a gate and the attackers try to stop them.
Using complicated rondos with lots of transitions, switches and rotations. Especially if players are not ready for them. The coach needs to consider the players' ability level and then select a rondo to challenge them.
The basic 3 v 1, 4 v 2, and 5 v 2 variations are a great place to start.
Having large numbers, four or five boxes need to be set up and observed by the coach. This can be an issue if the coach is not observant therefore the positioning of the coach would then become important to ensure they can observe as many players as possible to help guide them.
Assistant coaches offer the opportunity to solve this problem as they could observe the players and provide technical details to help.
Summary
In summary, rondo is a great training tool for developing young players. The coach must understand where each performer is at in their development and plan a suitable rondo that is challenging but not too complicated. Coaches must be patient and not think they need to change the practice every session.
Dedicating some time each practice to the same activity may be useful. This allows the players to become familiar with the practice. The coach can then add progressions as the player’s ability level increases.
The coach must watch the players and identify the common mistakes then try to address them. The coach should use session constraints and keep the rondo as close to the real game as possible.
Tips: Some session organisation ideas.
Have a ball bank at the pitchside so the flow of the practice is not interrupted too much.
Only provide feedback to players during breaks or rest periods to allow for more ball-rolling time.
Make coaching points to individuals rather than address the whole team each time an error is made.
Don’t forget to reinforce positive aspects of performance as coaches often get caught up in the negative aspects of play and forget to praise good play.
Activity 1: 3v1 Switch Box Rondo
Created on: @SSP
Aim: Retain the ball under pressure
Space and Set Up: In 10 by 10 boxes, have 3 attackers and 1 defender. Each player is numbered 1 to 4. On the coach’s call, a number is called and that player becomes the defender in a different box.
Play the Game: The three players play 3 v 1 in each box trying to keep the ball away from the defender. Coaches can assign a set number of passes per goal (4 – 6 passes). If the defender wins the ball they try to run the ball out of the box and put their foot on it for 3 goals.
A progression could be that the ball carrier in the box at the time the coach shouts has to switch the ball to the next box (clockwise) while the defender makes their way across.
Activity 2: 8v4 Positional Rondo
Created on: @SSP
Aim: Teams in possession must try to play 1st, 2nd or 3rd line passes to beat 4 defenders. 4 defenders try to defend zonally to prevent passes and force errors.
Space and Set Up: In a 24 by 14 space, set up with two targets at one end (5,6), three central players (4,8,10), 2 wide players (2,3), and one attacker (9) in the opposite half.
Play the Game: This practice is 8 v 4 in which each team of four players defends for a set period then players swap positions. The attacking team will be timed to see how long it takes them to achieve a set number of 3rd line passes. The defenders score by escaping over the end lines of the playing area.
Activity 3: 4v4 (+2) Transitional Rondo
Created on: @SSP
Aim: Maintain possession to play forwards.
Space and Set Up: On a 40 by 30 pitch, each team tries to keep possession in half of the pitch and then transfer it into the other half via a forward run. The defending team must win back the ball and achieve the same objective.
Play the Game: The possession team completes a set amount of passes in a half then slides in a runner into the opposite half who must pass to the opposite target to lock in a goal. Each time this sequence occurs a goal is scored.
The defenders must defend the halfway line in this game and try to win the ball back and achieve the same scoring objective.
“It’s not about moving the ball, it’s about moving the opponent.” JM Lillo
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