Rondo
4v2+1 Rondo: Find the Pivot
Play through the middle: move the ball round the outside to shift the defenders, find the pivot the moment he gets free, and have him play forward to the far side, first time or on the half turn.
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
7
Recommended
Pitch
14 × 14 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U11-U12
Any format
Setup & instructions
Mark a 14 x 14 m square. Put one player on each side and a pivot in a different bib in the middle, with two defenders inside. The outside players have a maximum of two touches. A point is scored by a pass between the two defenders into the pivot, who then plays the ball to the player on the opposite side. When the lane into the pivot is shut, the ball goes round the outside until it opens. Keep two supporting players level with the defenders either side of the ball, so a pass round is always on. If the defenders win the ball, or a player breaks a condition, he goes in as a defender. Rotate the pivot every round.
Setup time: 2 min
Tactical breakdown
A rondo with only perimeter players teaches the ball to go round. Put a pivot in the middle and the question changes to whether it can go through. That is the point of the 4v2+1: four players on the lines, one in the middle, two defenders, and a point for a pass between the defenders into the pivot that he then plays on to the opposite side.
The pivot is the player the drill is really for. Standing still in the middle is the commonest mistake, because the defender marking him only has to stay between him and the ball. The fix is timing. As the ball travels to an outside player, the pivot checks away from his marker into the space on the other side, so by the time the outside player can pass, the lane to him is open and the marker is a step behind.
How he receives matters as much as where. Square on to the passer, the only easy pass is back where the ball came from. Half turned, on the back foot, he can see the far side and play forward, first time if it is on. That body shape is what separates a midfielder who keeps the ball from one who moves it forward.
The outside players have their own job. When the lane is shut they move the ball round the outside to drag the defenders, keeping two supporters level with the defenders either side of the ball so a pass round is always available. Then they look inside again.
For the defenders the picture is simple and demanding: one presses the ball, the other stays goal side of the pivot. If the ball goes into the pivot anyway, it is usually because the marker watched the ball instead of the player.
How to run this drill
- Mark a 14 x 14 m square. A disc on each corner. One player on each side, a pivot in a different bib in the middle, and two defenders inside.
- Score through the middle. A pass between the two defenders into the pivot, who then plays it to the opposite side, is a point. Round the outside keeps the ball but scores nothing.
- Pivot checks away as the ball travels. While the ball is on its way to an outside player, the pivot moves away from his marker so the lane is open by the time the pass can be played.
- Receive half turned. Side on, on the back foot, so the far side is in view. Play forward first time when it is on, or take one touch on the turn.
- Go round when the lane is shut. Outside players move the ball to shift the defenders, keeping two supporters level either side of the ball, then look inside again.
- Rotate the pivot. Whoever loses it or breaks a condition goes in as a defender. Change the pivot every round so every player learns the role.
Coaching focus
FROM SESSION PLANCoaching points
- Pivot: check away from your marker as the ball travels, so the lane opens
- Pivot: receive half turned, on the back foot, so you can play forward
- Through the lines, not round them: look for the pivot first
- If the lane is shut, move the ball round to shift the defenders, then look again
- Keep two supporters level with the defenders either side of the ball
- Play first time into and out of the pivot when the pass is on
Common mistakes
- Pivot standing still in the defender's shadow, waiting for the ball
- Pivot receiving square on to the passer, so he can only play back
- Outside players forcing the ball in when the lane is shut
- Playing round the outside forever and never looking inside
Progressions & regressions
VARIATIONSProgressions
- Pivot is limited to one touch
- Add a second pivot
- Only passes through the pivot score, count consecutive points
- Defenders who win it must find a target outside the square
Regressions
- Unlimited touches for the pivot
- Grow the square to 16 x 16 m
- One defender only, the second joins after three points
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