Rondo with an inside player (4+1v2)
Four outside players and one inside player keep the ball from two defenders. The inside player must turn and play through, just like a midfielder between the lines.
Your assistant coach: turn this drill into a full session, plan the weeks around it and tell me how it went.
Set-up
- Four players on the sides, one in the middle with the defenders.
- Two defenders.
Equipment: Cones, bibs, balls
How it works
- Keep possession; passing through the inside player scores a point.
- Inside player rotates with an outside player every minute.
- Defenders who win it swap with the player who lost it.
Coaching points
- Inside player: check your shoulder, receive half-turned.
- Outside players: find the inside player when a defender is drawn out.
- Play forward through the middle when you can.
Add this drill to a session plan โ
Make it easier
- Inside player can take three touches
Make it harder
- Inside player must play one-touch
AttackersDefendersKeeper / neutral- - โ Passโ Runใฐโ Dribble
Free AI coaching help from Gafferbook. Ask anything about coaching your team.
More rondos drills
4v1 rondo
Four players on the outside of a square keep the ball from one defender in the middle. The simplest rondo and the best place to start.
See the drill โ5v2 rondo
Five keep the ball from two defenders. Two defenders can cut passing lanes together, so attackers must split them with a pass through the middle.
See the drill โRondo with transition (U11 to U13)
A 4v2 rondo where the defenders who win the ball try to pass it into the next square. It adds the moment after losing the ball, ideal for U12 and 9v9 teams.
See the drill โ3v1 triangle rondo
Three players stand on the corners of a triangle and keep the ball from one defender. The first rondo for young players: every pass has one safe option and one brave one.
See the drill โ4v2 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.
See the drill โ4-3-3 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.
See the drill โ