Rondo Football Drills: What a Rondo Is and How Guardiola, Klopp, De Zerbi and the Spanish FA Use Them
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A rondo is a possession practice where a group of players keep the ball away from a smaller number of defenders inside a marked area. The attackers usually stand around the outside and the defenders work in the middle, for example 4v2 or 5v2. When a defender wins the ball, players swap roles.
Rondos are easy to set up, yet rich in tactical value. With small changes to numbers, space, touches or transition rules, the same practice trains quick passing, scanning, pressing reactions and fast decisions under pressure. That is why Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, Roberto De Zerbi and the Spanish Football Federation all build sessions around them. Below are 4 rondo variations taken directly from their training sessions and coaching programme.
Key Facts
- What it is: attackers keep possession against fewer defenders in a small area, usually with attackers on the outside.
- Common formats: 4v2 and 5v2, plus versions with neutral players, positional roles or transition rules.
- What it trains: passing tempo, scanning, body shape, pressing reactions and decision-making.
- Who uses them: Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, Roberto De Zerbi and the Spanish Football Federation, from U9 to the first team.
- In this guide: 4 rondo variations with diagrams, set-ups and coaching points.
What’s inside
- What is a rondo in football?
- Types of rondo and what each one trains
- Pep Guardiola: 4v4 (+3) pre-match rondo
- Jürgen Klopp: 5v2 win the ball within 6 passes
- Roberto De Zerbi: 6v2 (+1) rondo with pressing in pairs
- Spanish FA: 5v2 hit the middle cone
- Rondo football drills: frequently asked questions
- Get more rondo drills
What Is a Rondo in Football?
A rondo is a small-sided possession game. One group keeps the ball, a smaller group tries to win it, and the numbers advantage lets the team in possession practise passing and moving under real pressure. Rondos are among the most versatile small-sided games a coach can use, because the same basic set-up can be adapted to train almost any moment of the game.
“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 football, how to counteract the tight marking and how to win the ball back.” Johan Cruyff
Types of Rondo and What Each One Trains
The rondo itself is simple. Its value comes from how you adapt it to the outcome you want.
- Tight-space rondos (4v2, 5v2) with touch limits develop tempo. Less space and fewer touches force faster thinking and passing.
- Rondos with central neutral players improve scanning and awareness. Players must check before receiving, switch the play and adjust their body shape for the next pass.
- Rondos with transition rules train pressing cues and defensive reactions. Pressing triggers or directional targets make the practice transfer to real match situations.
- Positional rondos give players roles that match their positions, turning a simple set-up into a rehearsal of your team’s build-up shape.
As the examples below show, a well-designed rondo can train several moments of the game at once: possession, pressing and the transition between them.
All the practice diagrams were created using SoccerTutor.com Tactics Manager Software.
Pep Guardiola Rondo: 4v4 (+3) Pre-Match Warm-Up
Set-up: a 12 x 15 yard area with two teams of 4, one inside and one outside, plus 3 neutral jokers.
The team in possession uses the jokers to create a 7v4 superiority and circulate the ball under pressure. When the defending team wins the ball, the roles immediately reverse, which builds quick transition awareness and recovery pressing.
Why Pep uses it: it sharpens passing rhythm and pressing reactions, activating players physically and mentally before kick-off.
Source
Pep Guardiola Vol. 2: 85 Passing, Rondos, Possession Games and Technical Circuits Direct from Pep’s Training Sessions
Jürgen Klopp Rondo: 5v2 Intense Pressing to Win the Ball within 6 Passes
This variation focuses on transitional pressing. The 2 defenders must win the ball within 6 passes, which demands aggressive pressing, fast movement and collective defensive effort.
The 5 attackers must keep the tempo high and move the ball quickly, while the defenders develop reaction speed and an understanding of Klopp’s counter-pressing cues.
Source
Jürgen Klopp Vol. 1: 102 Passing, Counter-Pressing Possession Games, Speed and Warm-Ups Direct from Klopp’s Training Sessions
Roberto De Zerbi Rondo: 6v2 (+1) with a Floating Player and Pressing in Pairs
This larger rondo adds a floating neutral player in the middle and has the defenders press in pairs. It combines De Zerbi’s positional build-up play with coordinated pressing out of possession.
Players learn to support at angles, recognise compact central passing options and respond to pressing triggers, all within the shape and rhythm of a real match.
“To be a protagonist you have to keep the ball, to have the ball.” Roberto De Zerbi
Source
Roberto De Zerbi: 92 Build Up, Passing Combinations and Attacking Positional Practices Direct from De Zerbi’s Training Sessions
Spanish FA Rondo: 5v2 Hit the Middle Cone
Set-up: a 10 x 10 yard area with 5 red players on the outside and 2 white defenders inside, and a cone in the centre.
The reds have two aims: keep possession, and look for the moment to strike a pass that hits the middle cone. A set number of passes earns 1 point and hitting the cone earns 2. The defenders must work as a pair to block passing lanes and protect the cone, which trains coordination, communication and intelligent pressing.
Progressions: add a second cone to defend, or limit the possession players to 2 touches.
See this practice animated: Animated 5v2 Rondo Drill: Spanish FA Practice for U9-U12 Players.
Source
Spanish Football Federation Coaching Program U9-12: the official national coaching programme
Rondo Football Drills: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a rondo in football?
A rondo is a possession practice where a group of players keep the ball away from a smaller number of defenders inside a marked area, usually with the attackers around the outside and the defenders in the middle, for example 4v2 or 5v2. When a defender wins the ball, players swap roles.
What does a rondo train?
Rondos train quick passing, passing tempo, scanning, body shape, pressing reactions and fast decision-making under pressure. With transition rules they also train the switch between attacking and defending.
What size should a rondo be?
Common rondos use small areas. The Spanish FA’s 5v2 rondo for U9 to U12 players uses a 10 x 10 yard area, and Pep Guardiola’s 4v4 (+3) pre-match rondo uses 12 x 15 yards. Smaller areas and fewer touches make the practice harder.
Why do Pep Guardiola and other top coaches use rondos?
Rondos combine repetition with game-realistic decisions. Guardiola uses them before matches to sharpen passing rhythm and pressing reactions, Klopp uses them to train counter-pressing, and De Zerbi uses them to rehearse positional build-up play.
Are rondos suitable for youth players?
Yes. The Spanish Football Federation uses rondos throughout its U9 to U12 coaching programme, and the same practices scale up to professional level by changing the space, numbers and touch limits.
Get More Rondo Drills
Every rondo in this guide comes from a SoccerTutor.com book, taken directly from the training sessions and coaching programmes of the coaches featured. Each book contains many more rondos and possession games.
Get 173 practices direct from Pep’s training sessions. Pep Guardiola Vol. 1 and 2 together: 88 attacking combinations and positional patterns of play, plus 85 passing, rondo and possession practices.
About this guide: Written by George Pallecaros, founder of SoccerTutor.com, publishing football coaching books and sessions from elite coaches since 2001. The rondos and diagrams come from SoccerTutor.com books based on the training sessions of Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp and Roberto De Zerbi, and the Spanish Football Federation’s official coaching programme.
Featured coaches: Pep Guardiola · Spanish Football Coaching
Browse more: Passing & Possession Resources · Small-Sided Games eBooks
Other coaching guides: Animated 5v2 Rondo Drill · Football Conditioning Drills · Inverted Full Backs: How Pep Guardiola Uses Them · Xabi Alonso’s 3-2-5 Attacking Shape
