Possession
Overload 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
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Overload
Age
Under 8 to Adults
Duration
16 min
Players
5-12
Area / pitch size
16 x 16 yards
Difficulty
Intermediate / Advanced
Equipment
Balls, Cones, Bibs
Coaching focus
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
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 16 x 16 yards area.
- 2Split the group so the attacking side always has one spare player, and park the spare bibs on the halfway cone.
- 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 spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
- 5A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.
Coaching points
- -Open the body to see both sides
- -Split the defenders when the gap appears
- -Support at an angle, not flat
- -Find the free player quickly before the defence shuffles across
Progressions
- +Remove the overload for the last two rounds
- +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful
Regressions
- -Give the attack two spare players
- -Simplify the area or the service until success returns
Variations
- -Rotate the spare player every 90 seconds
- -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch
Common mistakes
- -Passing round the outside only
- -Standing flat on the cone
- -Spare player standing still instead of offering an angle
Related Football Drills & Sessions
- More football possession drills
- More football passing drills
- More football receiving drills
- Football drills for U8s
- 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
- 14 min
- Area
- 12 x 12 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Possession
FREE
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 8 to Adults
- Players
- 5-12
- Time
- 16 min
- Area
- 14 x 14 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Possession
FREE
Continuous Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
Intermediate / Advanced
PossessionPassingReceiving
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 5-12
- Time
- 16 min
- Area
- 12 x 12 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Possession
FREE
Rotation 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
- 16 x 16 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Possession
FREE
Combination 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
- 18 x 18 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Possession
FREE
Wide Channel Rondo Ladder
Keep the ball under pressure in a tight area
Intermediate / Advanced
PossessionPassingReceiving