Rondo
Protect the Cone: 4v2 Rondo in a Square
Teach the two defenders to work as a pair: one presses the ball, the other covers the cone. The four outside learn to move the ball quickly and to spot the moment the cover is pulled across and the pass into the cone is on.
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
6
Recommended
Pitch
6 × 6 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format
Setup & instructions
Mark a 6 x 6 m square with four discs and put a cone in the middle. One player stands on each side of the square and two defenders go inside. The coach stands outside one corner with spare balls and plays the first one in. The four outside may slide along their own side but not step into the square. They score 1 goal for six passes in a row and 2 goals for a pass that hits the cone; play goes on wherever the ball runs off it. The defenders score 1 goal for winning the ball and 2 goals if they dribble it out of the square. After a defenders' goal the ball goes to the coach, who plays a new one in. Play 60-second rounds and change the two defenders after each one.
Setup time: 2 min
Tactical breakdown
Two defenders in a 6 x 6 m square can usually stop four players from keeping the ball for long. Put a cone in the middle and make it worth double, and they suddenly have two jobs. They have to press the ball, and they have to keep the middle shut.
That is the whole point of this rondo. If both defenders go to the ball, the cone is open and the four outside score 2. If both sit on the cone, the four pass round them and score 1 for every six passes. So the pair must split the work. The defender nearer the ball presses it, from the cone side, so the passer cannot play straight through. The other covers, standing between the cone and whoever is likely to get it next. Every pass changes who does which job, so they have to talk.
For the four outside, the cone is a reward for patience. Quick passes round the square drag the pair across. When the cover is pulled to one side, the player on the far side should already have looked, be side-on, and play the ball into the cone first time. Hit it too early and the cover is standing in the way.
The defenders' scoring keeps them hungry: winning the ball is a goal, and getting it out of the square is two. Short rounds and regular changes keep the intensity high.
How to run this drill
- Mark the square. Four discs make a 6 x 6 m square. Put a cone in the middle.
- Four out, two in. One player on each side of the square, two defenders inside. The coach stands outside a corner with spare balls and plays the first one in.
- Score as the four. Six passes in a row is 1 goal. A pass that hits the cone is 2 goals, and play goes on from wherever the ball runs.
- Score as the two. Winning the ball is 1 goal; dribbling it out of the square is 2. Then the coach plays a new ball in.
- Rotate. Play 60-second rounds and change the two defenders after each one.
Coaching focus
FROM SESSION PLANCoaching points
- Outside: move the ball quickly; every pass makes the pair shift, and the cone opens on the side they leave
- Outside: slide along your side to open a line, and get side-on before the ball arrives
- Outside: look at the cone before you receive; if the cover is across, play it in first time
- Defenders: one presses the ball on the cone side, the other stands between the cone and the next pass
- Defenders: talk; the cover tells the presser which way to show the ball
- Defenders: win it and go; a quick dribble out of the square is worth double
Common mistakes
- Playing at the cone every time, straight into the cover's feet
- Standing in the corner next to a team-mate, so one defender blocks two passes
- Both defenders chasing the ball and leaving the cone open
- The presser running straight at the ball instead of on the cone side of it
Progressions & regressions
VARIATIONSProgressions
- Two touches maximum for the four outside
- A pass into the cone only counts after three passes in a row
- The player whose pass is cut out swaps with the defender who won it
- Shrink the square to 5 x 5 m
Regressions
- Make the square bigger (8 x 8 m) so passes are easier
- One defender only (4v1) until the four find their angles
- Four passes in a row for a goal instead of six
Explore more drills
LIBRARYReady to run this drill?
Save it to your private drills, then change the animation, adjust positions, swap equipment, or drop it into a session block. Or start from a blank pitch and build your own.