Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): The Complete Guide to the 'Rondo'

Traditional Rondo (15 mins)

Perhaps one of the most famous soccer activities: the Rondo. 

Dutch player and coach Johan Cruyff, who implemented the rondo at Barcelona, described the drill: "Everything that goes on in a match, except shooting, you can do in a rondo."

With an activity that has every aspect of the game within it, it is the trainers responsibility to ensure that the players understand the freedom and creativity they have access to within the Rondo.

When introducing the activity to players for the first time, the American equivalent would be 'Monkey in the Middle.' I have worked with many players that did not know the Rondo but I have never met a soccer player that did not know what Monkey in the Middle was.

Organization:

• The optimal number is 4v2 or 3v1 due to turnover rate and attacker-to-defender ratios. Because of the flexibility you have with the players on the inside/outside, this game is perfect for any number of players over 4 that arrive to a session.  
  Example: 
  # of Players    Rondo Combination 
  4           3v1
  5           4v1 OR 3v2
  6           4v2
  7           4v3 OR 5v2
  8           3v1 and 3v1
  9           3v1 and 4v1
  10         3v1 and 4v2 OR 3v2 and 3v2

Instructions:

The only instruction is to keep the ball away from the player(s) in the middle of the box. If the player in the middle intercepts the ball, they switch with the player that gave the ball away.

Coaching Points/Questions:

• What part of the foot do we use to pass the ball? (Inside/Outside)
  
• How do we find a teammate to pass to once we have the ball? (Pick head up and identify open player)
• Should we pass to the player's feet or to the space near the player? (If player is standing still: to the player. If they are moving: to the space.)
• If we give a pass to a teammate that was unable to be settled, who should be in the middle? (The person who passed the ball. If we give a pass that is too hard, bouncing, or away from the player than we should have changed the way we gave them the ball.)

Constraints/Progressions/Regressions:

• We can challenge the defender to have a great first touch and intercept the ball and maintain possession within the box. A big kick from the defender in a game situation would result in a 50/50 ball somewhere else on the pitch. We want to create defenders that have a great settling touch, even when intercepting the ball.
• We can challenge the outside players to pass only to the cones. There is a tendency to create a triangle shape around the middle player in a 3v1 Rondo and this can occasionally lead to an unfair advantage, depending on who you have in the middle. By forcing the players to pass to the cones, we can create a right triangle for the receiving player and give them two equal options. This also leads to the teaching of important points (such as receiving across your body and trusting your teammates to always be making the run to the open space. This run into space from a teammate can allow an attacking player with pressure immediately in front to make a trusting pass quickly into space, trusting the teammate to be making the right triangle run for them.
• When you have 2 defenders in the middle, you can incentivize the attacking players to create opportunities where there is a 'split pass.' A split pass is when the ball travels from one teammate to another while passing between two defenders.

Rondo: Passing (15 mins)

Organization:

• Same structure as the original Rondo but now we are focusing on what the players do when they want to give the ball away.

Instructions:

• The Rondo is a possession based game that has short passing built in. The role of the trainer is to influence the way the players distribute the ball when there is a passing focus. 

Coaching Points/Questions:

• Do we want to deliver a bouncing ball or a rolling ball? (Rolling)
• How do we know the teammate we want to pass to is ready to receive the ball? (Eye Contact/Verbal/Pointing in the direction we are going to pass.)
• When do we know a pass was good? (When the receiving player was able to settle the ball and make a decision.)

Constraints/Progressions/Regressions:

• Adjust the space as needed. 
• Put cones/gates/goals outside of the space to simulate a medium/long pass. Make sure you give the players different distances to aim for so that they get to make a decision. (Risk/Reward) 
  • If the attacking players connect 5 passes, they can go for a medium long pass to simulate a larger vertical/horizontal pass. 
  • If the defender wins the ball, quickly turn and look for the open gate/goal.