5v2 Rondo with Split-Pass Bonus
Five players keep the ball against two defenders in a 12 × 12 m square. A pass between the two defenders is worth double.
- Age
- U11–Senior
- Players
- 7–14
- Duration
- 12 min
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Area
- 12 × 12 m
- Type
- Technical
- Approach
- Global
- Format
- Possession game
- Objectives
- Technical: Passing
- Tactical: Ball possession, Decision making
- Concepts worked on
- Technical:Passing
- Tactical:Ball retentionSupport playScanning
Training diagram
Legend
- Attacker
- Defender
- Pass
- Run without ball
- Ball
- Cone
With two defenders, the rondo becomes a problem of angles and timing. The defenders can press as a pair, so the outside players need to move the ball quickly and look for the gap between them. The split-pass bonus rewards players who can see and play that line — the same pass that breaks a midfield line in a game.
Objective
Keep possession against two coordinated defenders and recognise when the gap between them is open to play a split pass.
Organisation
- 12 × 12 m square (10 × 10 m for advanced groups).
- Five attackers on the outside, two defenders in bibs inside.
- Spare balls at one corner.
How it works
- Attackers play with a maximum of two touches.
- Eight consecutive passes score one point; a pass between the two defenders (split pass) scores two points.
- If a defender wins the ball or it goes out, the attacker who made the error goes in, replacing the defender who has been in the middle longest.
- Play 2-minute rounds and keep score for each attacker (fewest errors wins).
Coaching points
- Support close to the ball carrier: the players next to the ball must offer short angles on both sides.
- Scan the defenders' positions before receiving: is the split pass on?
- Disguise: shape to play wide, then pass through the middle.
- Receive half-turned so you can play forward with the second touch.
- Defenders: one presses the ball, the other covers the split and cuts the nearest passing lane.
Progressions
- One touch only.
- Defenders who win the ball must complete three passes between them to escape.
- Play 4v2 by removing one attacker.
Regressions
- Unlimited touches for the player receiving a split pass.
- Enlarge the area to 14 × 14 m.
- Play 6v2 with one attacker in the middle of the square.
Variations
- Positional rondo: add a sixth attacker inside the square who can only play one touch.
Key principles
- Play through the lines whenever the pressure allows it.
- Move the ball faster than the defenders can shift.
- Defend as a pair: pressure plus cover.
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