Possession
Counter Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
Possession
Passing
Receiving
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area. Set up the area, follow the steps and use the coaching points below.
Back to drill libraryPossession
Passing
Receiving
Technical Practice
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Counter Attack
Age
Under 9 to Adults
Duration
16 min
Players
5-12
Area / pitch size
18 x 18 yards
Difficulty
Intermediate / Advanced
Equipment
Balls, Cones, Bibs
Coaching focus
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
Build a full 60-minute session around this drill
Warm-up to match, ready to print. Free — no card needed.
Objective
- -Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
- -Find the pass through or around the press
- -Improve body shape and support angles
Setup
- 1A rondo circle with defenders in the middle in a 18 x 18 yards area.
- 2Place two mini goals on the halfway line for the counter-attacking side to aim at.
- 3One ball, bibs for the middle players.
How to play
- 1Outside players keep the ball away from the middle defenders.
- 2Ten consecutive passes wins the round.
- 3The defender who wins the ball swaps with the player who lost it.
- 4The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
Coaching points
- -Open the body to see both sides
- -Split the defenders when the gap appears
- -Support at an angle, not flat
- -Counter in a straight line — the first pass forward beats the recovery run
Progressions
- +Counter must be finished inside five seconds
- +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful
Regressions
- -Award the counter goal for simply carrying over halfway
- -Simplify the area or the service until success returns
Variations
- -Swap the counter goals for a dribble-through gate
- -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch
Common mistakes
- -Passing round the outside only
- -Standing flat on the cone
- -Dribbling into traffic when the counter is on
Related Football Drills & Sessions
- More football possession drills
- More football passing drills
- More football receiving drills
- Football drills for U9s
- Football drills for U10s
- Football drills for U11s
- Football drills for U12s
- Football drills for U13s
- Football drills for U14s
- Football drills for U15s
- Football drills for U16s
- Football drills for 5 players
- Football drills by age, topic and squad size
- Football session plans built around this theme
Related drills
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 5-12
- Time
- 16 min
- Area
- 16 x 16 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
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Possession
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Overload Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
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- Age band
- Under 9 to Adults
- Players
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- Time
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- Kit
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Underload Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
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PossessionPassingReceiving
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
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- Time
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- Area
- 12 x 12 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
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Possession
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Two-Touch Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
Intermediate / Advanced
PossessionPassingReceiving
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 5-12
- Time
- 14 min
- Area
- 14 x 14 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Possession
FREE
Tempo Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
Intermediate / Advanced
PossessionPassingReceiving
- Age band
- Under 9 to Adults
- Players
- 5-12
- Time
- 16 min
- Area
- 18 x 18 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Possession
FREE
Transition Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
Intermediate / Advanced
PossessionPassingReceiving
- Age band
- Under 9 to Adults
- Players
- 5-12
- Time
- 14 min
- Area
- 10 x 10 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Possession
FREE
Pressure Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
Intermediate / Advanced
PossessionPassingReceiving