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Home/Training Drills/Rondo Drills/5v3 Rondo
RondoAdvanced

5v3 Rondo

Keep possession 5v3 against a proper press. Circulate quickly to move the three defenders, support on angles to keep two exits open, and split them through the middle when the lane appears.

Create your own drill
Live animationRON
Duration
14 min
Total drill time
Players
8
Recommended
Pitch
12 × 12 yd
Setup space
Level
Advanced
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U13-U14
Any format

Setup & instructions

Five players on the outside of a 12x12 yard pentagon, three defenders inside. One or two touches; six passes scores a point, a split through the middle scores two. When a defender wins it or forces it out, the attacker responsible swaps with the defender who has pressed longest. It is high intensity, rotate the defenders often.

Setup time: 2 min

Tactical breakdown

Five against three is the point at which a rondo stops being keep-away and starts resembling football. With two defenders, one presses and one covers, and the outside players can survive on angles alone. Add a third and the defenders can genuinely organise: one presses, one covers the inside lane, and one shuts the switch. Now the passing has to be quicker than their reorganisation, which is the actual skill.

That changes what breaks down. In a 5v2 the ball is usually lost to a bad touch. In a 5v3 it is lost to slow circulation, because three defenders shifting together can close every lane in about two seconds. A player who takes an extra touch to look up has already given them the time they needed, which is why one and two touch is not a decoration here.

The supporting movement has to keep two exits open at all times. A receiver with only one option is not really in possession, he is holding the ball until the press arrives. That means the two players either side of the ball are constantly adjusting, and their movement is what buys the receiver a choice rather than an obligation.

The split is available less often than in a smaller rondo, and it is worth more. When all three defenders shift to one side, the lane through the middle opens for perhaps a second, and a firm pass through it takes three players out of the game at once. Chasing the split every time gives the ball away; never looking for it makes the exercise pointless.

How to run this drill

  1. Set five on a pentagon with three inside. Roughly fifteen yards across. Tight enough that three defenders can genuinely cover it, because a big area lets the outside players survive without playing quickly.
  2. Limit to two touches from the start. Three defenders close every lane in about two seconds. An extra touch to look up has already handed them the time, so the restriction is the exercise.
  3. Keep two exits open for the receiver. The players either side of the ball adjust constantly. A receiver with one option is not in possession, he is holding the ball until the press arrives.
  4. Move the ball to move the defenders. Circulation is not the aim, it is the tool. Two or three quick passes to one side is what drags all three across and creates something worth playing.
  5. Take the split when all three shift. The lane through the middle opens for about a second and removes three players at once. Hunting it every time loses the ball; never looking wastes the drill.
  6. Rotate the defending three often. Three in the middle is genuinely hard work, and tired defenders stop pressing properly, which quietly turns the exercise back into a 5v2.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Scan before it arrives: three defenders means less time
  • One or two touches, the ball must move faster than in the 5v2
  • Support on an angle to keep two passing exits open
  • Split the middle when the lane opens, but not into a shadow
  • Move the ball to move the three, then find the gap they leave

Common mistakes

  • Too slow on the ball, letting three defenders set
  • Flat support, offering only one exit
  • Forcing the split into a covered lane
  • Heads down, no scan before receiving

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Strictly one touch
  • Shrink the pentagon to raise the pressure
  • Reward only splits through the middle to force penetration

Regressions

  • Drop to two defenders for a 5v2
  • Allow two or more touches
  • Grow the pentagon to open the lanes
Equipment
Cones×5
Tactical principles
5v3 rondorondo drillpossession under pressureadvanced rondosplitting passkeep ball drillcirculation speedpossession drillpressing resistanceu14 possession drill
Audience
U13-U14

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All Rondo drillsAll drill collectionsRondo for U13-U14

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