Gafferbook
Rondos ยท U11 to adult

Directional rondo: play through the lines

A rondo with a direction: defenders start in the middle and the attackers try to move the ball from one end to the other through them. Links rondos to real games, where the aim is to go forward.

U11 to adultAges
9 to 11Players
20 x 15 mArea
15 minsTime

Your assistant coach: turn this drill into a full session, plan the weeks around it and tell me how it went.

โž• Put it in tonight's session๐Ÿ—“ Build my season around itโœ๏ธ Make my own version

Set-up

  • 20 x 15 m area split into three equal zones.
  • Three attackers in each end zone, two or three defenders in the middle zone.

Equipment: Cones, bibs, balls

How it works

  1. Pass the ball through (or over, if allowed) the middle zone to the other end: one point.
  2. One attacker may drop into the middle to receive and set it on.
  3. Defenders who win it swap with the last attacker to touch it.

Coaching points

  • Draw the defender toward you before passing past them.
  • Use the drop player: play in, set back, play through (the third-man pattern).
  • Receiving end: spread out to make the target bigger.

Formations this drill suits

3-3-2 (9v9) drills3-2-3 (9v9) drills2-4-2 (9v9) drills3-4-1 (9v9) drills4-3-3 (11v11) drills3-5-2 (11v11) drills4-4-2 (11v11) drills4-2-3-1 (11v11) drills3-4-3 (11v11) drills

Add this drill to a session plan โ†’

Make it easier

  • One defender
  • Allow lofted passes

Make it harder

  • Ground passes only
  • Three defenders

AttackersDefendersKeeper / neutral- - โ†’ Passโ†’ Runใ€ฐโ†’ Dribble

Questions about this drill?

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Rondo with transition (U11 to U13)

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3v1 triangle rondo

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4v2 rondo

Four attackers keep the ball from two defenders. With two defenders, attackers must find the pass that splits them and support at angles on both sides.

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4-3-3 midfield triangle rondo (6v3)

Four players on the outside and two inside keep the ball from three defenders. The two inside players and the passer form the 4-3-3 midfield triangle, so it trains the exact angles your number 6 and 8s use in games.

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