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Free activity · 100 Possession ActivitiesTwo-Square Rondo
Two 10x10 squares side by side, 4v2 in each. Five passes earns the right to play long into the other square, and the defenders there have to chase it. A rondo that teaches players to look far before they play near.
Setup
Two 10x10 squares side by side. 4v2 in each. Spare players wait outside.
How it works
- Five passes in your square earns the right to play a long pass into the other square.
- The long pass must reach a player on the far side of the other square.
- The two defenders in the square that received it chase across; the ball is now live there.
Scoring
A completed long pass is a point. Ten points wins.
- Look up early. Know where the long pass is going before the fifth pass.
- Receive the long pass with a soft first touch, then play at once.
- Defenders: chase the pass, not the player.
Make it easier or harder
- Progression 1: The long pass must be one touch.
- Progression 2: Add a third defender who stays between the squares and can intercept.
Coach’s notes
- If It Stalls: Long passes going astray? Move the squares closer and drive the ball along the ground.
Why it works
Most rondos teach short passing and stop there. This one asks players to keep the ball close while thinking about a pass twenty yards away, which is what a midfielder does every game.
The fifth pass is the moment to watch. A player who looks up early knows where the ball is going. A player who waits for the count has already lost the time.
Where it sits
This is activity 5 of 100 in 100 Possession Activities (Theme 1 · Rondos: Keep It Under Pressure). 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.
More like this
Ages 11+ · Rondos4v1 With a CallA 4v1 rondo where the receiver has to call a number shown by a helper before the first touch.
Open the activity ›
Ages 11+ · Rondos4v2 SplitFour attackers on the sides of a 10x10, two defenders inside working as a pair.
Open the activity ›
Ages 11+ · Rondos5v2 With a LinkThe first rondo with a player in the middle. Four attackers on the sides, one inside as the link, two defenders.
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.