Preamble

There are many different, very much liked soccer drills in the world of soccer trainings. But only a couple of these are constant – and this group includes Piggy in the Middle – or in other words: The Rondo.
The soccer-specific keep away game is famous for Johan Cruyff’s implementation into the everyday training sessions during his time at FC Barcelona. Although before and after most of the teams played this game, the structural and technical revolution is strongly connected with the FC Barcelona philosophy which is a ball possession-based soccer style.
Regardless the size of the playing area, the number of players included (naturally minimum 3 players) and the variations, rondo appears almost everywhere.
As Johan Cruyff explained: “Everything that goes on in a match, except shooting, you can do in a rondo. The competitive aspect, fighting to make space, what to do when in possession and what to do when you haven’t got the ball, how to play ‘one touch’ soccer, how to counteract the tight marking and how to win the ball back.”

 But what are the rondos and why are these so famous among soccer coaches?

Definition of the Rondo

Rondo is a soccer drill where two sides (defenders and attackers) play against each other with the objective of possessing the ball with their positions predetermined. Naturally, apart from the simplicity of ball possession, the aims of the rondos can be very much specific and different.
Coaches must be clear about the difference between rondo and a simple ball possession game.

For example, this game: Possession With Various Numbers is a simple-flowing possession game with no given positions (except for the goals),

while this drill: Basic 3v1 Soccer Game is a position-related training activity.

 The type of the secondly shown soccer drill can be called a rondo as it’s a positional possession practice drill.

Coaches have the opportunity to change/modify the following variables:

• Number of players
• Number of teams
• Players’ positions
• Number of defenders / attackers
• Size of the playing area
• Specific rules (i.e. number of touches, must pass to the closest teammate before playing on, change the play and switch playing areas after x passes)
• Time limit – intervals
• Ball type (change from size 4 to size 5)

Apart from these, coaches may apply other modifications to configure the rondo in order to reach the objective of the training.

The General Rondo

Whenever a coach mentions rondo to another coach, they may think about the piggy in the middle game where one or two defenders stand in the middle of a circle created by the ball possessors and these players try to gain possession of the ball or ruin the possessors’ passing sequence. The playing area is approximately an 8x8m grid.
This rondo is used as a fun warm-up activity to increase the cohesion and the concentration prior to the training’s main parts. However, many coaches realized that rondo can be a very helpful tool to practice ball possession and some tactical and technical elements of the game. Therefore, coaches often put pressure on the players whilst playing rondo by making them play for push-ups, squats or other small punishments.
The philosophy of a rondo is the same as the idea of possession-based soccer styles: to drag the opponent to a specific area and then quickly change the play and exploit the further, unmarked and undefended areas to make progress. This is the same in rondo: players do not have to change the play constantly and kick the ball wherever they can, but they need to think, move the defenders out of their positions and as soon as they left some space and positions unguarded, the ball must be rapidly changed with passes.
These tactical approaches also refer to the defender(s). They have to be smart and clever in-game to try to control the position of the ball by leaving intentional positions empty – and after a slow or a lousy pass they have to become sharp and intercept the ball.
What’s very important about rondo is that players can develop their applied technical skills as tactics, technique, the mental and the physical side are not separated and they are all included in this open skill practice drill. Although Johan Cruyff highlighted that everything can be done in a rondo, coaches must think forward and choose which element to put more emphasis on. But rondo always stays an open skill game.

The Philosophy of the Rondo

As it was previously mentioned, rondo is a great tool to implement when forming a possession-based style of play. Also – coaches who are trying to create and develop a style of play must add principles, sub-principles and maybe sub-sub-principles to the game. These principles and ideas will likely to be seen from the players during competitive games on the long-term.

1. The key principles of rondo are the following:
2. Never lose the ball
3. Think before you have the ball
4. Don’t take more touches if you can solve it with one touch
5. Move the ball to move the opposition (defenders)
6. Move the ball on purpose
7. Find the right moment and break through

By applying and require these from the players, they will implement a specified style of play – which will be then implemented to bigger rondos or other small-sided games. Rondo is a very easy but very challenging exercise, this is why many coaches say that this is the beginning and core of ball possession.

The Variations of the Rondo

With rondo, coaches can reach many different objectives from improving the players’ passing technique by giving restrictions to the defenders (i.e. they have to put their arms behind their backs all the time, or holding a small cone on their heads with two hands) to improving the repeated sprinting ability (RSA).

Here are some tips and different rondo drills:

1. Rondo With Added Runs - Rondo With Added Runs

In this game, the regular rondo game is changed and the emphasis is put on the physical pillar – also making the game more difficult as one player always leaves the game for a short period of time.

2. Multi Rondo - 4v1 - Multi Rondo - 4v1

 This rondo gives the players a constantly changing environment with decision-making and optimal risk taking. Also – this exercise is great to implement rondos into the daily training sessions as not only do players have to communicate but they need spatial awareness and realize when and where the pressure comes from.

3. Rondo – Shooting On Goal 2 - Rondo – Shooting On Goal 2

Shooting, coordination and more decision making can also be added to any rondos. This drill is a good one to improve awareness and combine more different skills.

4. Competitive Double Rondo - Competitive Double Rondo

Bigger Rondos

As mentioned before, all position-related possession-based small-sided games can be called rondos as all these drills can be broken down into smaller rondos. With small pieces of the puzzle, the whole game can be reproduced through small-sided games.

1. 4v2 Possession in 2 Zones - 4v2 Possession in 2 Zones

 This is a very easy but effective implementation of rondo as it contains the transition phases as well from “out of possession” into “in possession” and backwards. Players have to win the ball, get the ball out of the dangerous area and find the other side of the playing area where there is an overload. Next to this overload, they quickly need positional superiority as well which is pre-provided by the coach determining the exact positions to make better passing angles.

2. Depth Play and Switchover - Depth Play and Switchover

 This is a rondo where the defenders are restricted to a specified area. Players out of possession must stay compact and defend the gaps in between them while the ball possessors’ task is to try to create the perfect angle and time their through balls perfectly. This drill is a very effective one to coach the defenders and attackers in the same time.

Summary

Rondos are very useful tools for coaches to have open skill games in the training sessions and to coach various different aspects of the game. Going from the easiest technical exercise, rondos can be the core of the training sessions. Most players like having and moving the ball and also the speed of the ball can dictate the tempo of the game many times. Players need the right cognition and they have to create and find the right moment to break through and get behind the opponents.
Giving principles to the rondos is also very important as players have to understand why they are doing these drills.
Many different variations can be added to the general rondo and it’s up to the coach to select the right drills.