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Free activity · 100 Possession ActivitiesBreak From the Rondo
A 10x10 rondo at one end of a 30x20, with a mini goal at the other. If the two defenders win it, they break out with two waiting teammates: 4v4 to goal. The rondo stops being a warm-up and becomes a game of transition.
Setup
A 10x10 rondo at one end of a 30x20 with a mini goal at the other end. 4v2 in the square, two defenders’ teammates waiting on the far line.
How it works
- If the two defenders win it, they break out toward the goal with their two teammates joining: 4v4 to goal.
- The rondo attackers chase and defend.
- A goal inside ten seconds of the win counts double.
Scoring
Ten minutes; most goals.
- Win it and play forward at once.
- Waiting players: move as the ball is won, not after.
- Rondo team: five seconds to win it back, then get home.
Make it easier or harder
- Progression 1: The break-out must be a pass, not a carry.
- Progression 2: Only one waiting teammate may join: 3v4.
Coach’s notes
- If It Stalls: Break-outs slow? The winning pair has three seconds to leave the square.
Why it works
Defending in a rondo can feel like a punishment. Here it is a chance. Winning the ball means a real attack, so defenders work harder and attackers learn what losing it costs.
It also gives both teams a job in the same moment. One goes forward at once, and the other has five seconds to win it back.
Where it sits
This is activity 92 of 100 in 100 Possession Activities (Theme 10 · Counter-Attacks and Transitions). The book is ten themes of ten rungs each, from a 3v1 square to a full 9v9 transition game, and every activity has its setup, rules, scoring, two progressions, three coaching points and an animated video like the one above.
All counter-attacking drills ›
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Ages 11+ · Pressing and transitionCounter From the PressPress, win it, and counter on goal inside eight seconds.
Open the activity ›All ten rungs of this theme, and nine more themes
100 Possession Activities is a 115-page PDF with 100 animated MP4 videos: rondos, playing out from the back, through the lines, support, switching, overloads, movement, timing, counter-pressing and counter-attacks. Print the page, watch the clip, run the session.