You're doing these wrong..

[@carljensen5730]

You are so right about how rondos are misused. About the only rondo I do is a moving rondo where players simulate their positions down the field. Typically it is a diamond: One back, two midfielders, one forward, and a couple defenders. The players start at the goal line and move to the half pitch line and then back again. The defenders are playing at what I call 50%. That means full out defense, but no kicking at the ball. This keeps the rondo moving. They rotate players at the ends.

[@Chichikov15]

Thanks, Coach, was planning some Rondos for my next session, so this is perfect timing. It is consistent with your previous stuff on Rondos, but the additional detail and analysis here is great, much appreciated

[@r2dad282]

good content. we hear about rondos but rarely the details. thx, keep it coming!

[@carljensen5730]

My thoughts on this is that some people get REALLY caught up in strict definitions. I have coached for many years and my drills are always evolving. What I have come to learn is that as long as you are teaching good technique, there are a dozen ways of doing Rondo's and they could ALL be RIGHT! Having said that, I think your video was very valuable for coaches to think about what skills are they really looking to develop. Good job!

[@mplodeproduction4821]

I love this. I was often doing the ‘circle warmup’ (Although not only) thinking that was a Rondo. Thankfully my adult teamI’ve been playing with had a coach who set me straight so it’s great to hear another voice supporting the change of thinking.

[@TheGreatAnts]

Great video again Coach. I think the other thing to note when doing a rondo for the first time with young kids is don't be scared to make it simple and start with a 4 v 0. When I introduced rondos for the first time with my u10's, our first 3 sessions were 4v0 so we could focus on the basics of receiving the ball across the body and angles of support and getting that right before I introduced the pressure of a defender.

[@j0n5chm1dt]

This is great stuff. Creating game-like situations but limiting player movement (like from side to side in your 4v1), lets players focus on the coaching points. That’s the genius of this kind of rondo.

[@asylvia7]

Great stuff coach Rory. I'll sometimes jump in with my U11s like you did to show them the pace/intensity that is needed to make these effective. Sometimes they have a tendency to try and turn it into a dribbling drill and I'll correct that as needed. I also required two touches back when we were U9/early U10 as the single touches got out of control quickly. Now I give them the freedom to play it as they see fit for each engagement.

[@justinz7974]

Very detailed video about how to set up a rondo, what to coach, and how to progress. Keep the content coming!

[@matthewbuchs9126]

Thx for the video, I was just trying to figure out how to elevate the intensity of our rondos. It does take time for the players to really figure out the activity. My team has been doing condos every practice and games for three weeks now and I feel like we are just scratching the surface of the benefits of this activity.

[@ryanmillertradingeconomics8183]

I suppose I don't mind a free flowing rondo as a warm up or to teach certain things like body shape, scanning, movement, breaking lines, etc etc (although those things can also be taught in a positional rondo) but I totally agree, the best way for what the coach is trying to teach to translate into the game is through a positional rondo.

[@jaimevillarreal2366]

Thank you so much for this! This clears up a lot of errors I was making with rondos in practice!

[@jarhead_jr]

This is great content. At your recommendation I've deep dived into 3Four3's content. It's eye opening. We've let a random parent do rondos thinking they are easy to coach while myself and the other coach handle other drills. After a year we have kids that stand on cones, don't move to get open, don't move to the ball, and lack basics in receiving the ball. After watching your content and 3Four3 I've taken over rondos in our sessions and it's going to be a process but I'm already seeing steady improvements in 2 weeks. I'd love to see more videos of training sessions with all the messiness involved. Kids in real life are easily distracted, have different skill levels on the ball, and things just go different than planned. I'd love to see more practice videos with coaching points

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Thanks! Definitely will put together so more practice videos with coaching points.

[@BobBallsache-ub5kg]

Another great video Coach. Thanks for all the selfless knowledge sharing for newbie youth coaches such as myself! We implemented the passing in our 7v7 shape whilst gradually adding defenders you showed a few weeks ago (I guess a "positional rondo" in your terminology :) ) and it is working great. We finally got our CBs to be composed and find a pass instead of just hoofing the loose ball in a match. Two comments: With our better players we've found doing a 3v1 works better than 4v1 b/c it forces those in possession to move off the ball to create the angle/space. Most don't come from families that are soccer fans and this idea is something we struggle with. For defense we've found emphasizing looking for a bad touch or bad pass as the opportunity to really crank up the pressure. Similar to the above we find the kids go too hard all the time and the better teams/players are easily able to side step. I realize both these coaching points aren't per-se what you're looking for in a rondo but anyway... just something we've noticed with our newly formed Flight 3 U9s. Thanks again. Great content.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

3v1 is great. And yeah usually requires a higher skilled player.

[@davehemke7786]

Another great video. One thing I do to keep the intensity up is to have the defender keep score - earning a point every time they "break" the rondo. Depending on the group, it can be for bragging rights, right to lead the group warm up the next session, avoiding a penalty sprint, etc...

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Love it.

[@gilbydude]

I recently started coaching my kids soccer team with another parent and your videos have been invaluable and the kids seem really receptive. the issue I'm facing is the other parent constantly stops the flow of practice to scream at the kids for minor mistakes. we have 1 hour 2x a week. our last session, we got through 2 drills because wanted them to "do it's again" or he's making them run as punishment. the guy is an probably close to 400lbs and hasnt gone for a run in decades.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Oh man. Yeah sounds like he needs to step back and let them play a bit.

[@gilbydude]

if only I could get him to understand that. I volunteered late so "official" coach. for his his first and second practice, he placed 10 cones in front of the goal and had the the kids stand around shooting goals for half an hour. the second week was our bye so he canceled practice completely. at that point I had to volunteer.

[@agentsl9]

@@gilbydude That's a tough situation. Handling the other coach is going to take a nuanced conversation. Maybe ask if you can run a session solo. Or, if he's absent, take advantage of the opportunity. How old are the kids? I'm guessing young. It's important to realize everything is new to them so they're going to make mistakes. Screaming doesn't make them any better just like screaming at a kid learning multiplication doesn't make them better at math. I tell my players every touch of the ball is a mistake because it never does quite what you had in your head. But, when you play a lot and make millions of mistakes your body and mind start to automatically adjust so the mistakes aren't things to worry about. When they make a mistake, help them correct it. Show them the proper technique. When they make a mistake again you can ask them why that mistake happened and they can likely tell you exactly like, "I didn't open my hips." or, "I didn't use the side of my foot." Then I say, "Great. Your mind knows what to do. Let's get your feet to listen." As for shooting on goal. That's a huge waste of time. A session should have a specific topic (passing, 1v1 attacking, 1v1 defending, dribbling to attack, etc.) and generally be four phases: warm-up, unopposed activity, opposed activity, scrimmage. There should be no lines if possible. Every kid should have a ball and be active at all times. My rule of thumb is to try and get 200 touches per kid in a 1.25 hr session. If you have a bunch of kids, break your activities up into smaller groups. Instead of 12 kids doing one thing have two groups of 6. I try to incorporate all our fitness into the lesson plan so there is no doing "laps". There's a lot of high intensity playing in the activities and a lot of fast passed games. They should be good and sweaty by the end of training. US Soccer has some great free coaching materials. Go to ussoccer.com, click "Participate" along the top and choose "Coaching" that will take you to the learning center. From there you can find grassroots soccer coach training in your area. They're super helpful and fun. Other resources are coaches like Rory. I'm happy to help you, too. As for the other coach situation. See if he'll go to a coaching session with you. Or send him some of Rory's videos as ideas you found you two could try. I'm sure Rory has one about how screaming at kids is not effective coaching. I mean, imagine if your kids english teacher screamed at them when they misspelled a word. You'd go ballistic. Why would we let a coach do that?

[@agentsl9]

This is also a great Rory video. It's not "for" coaches but it kind of is. Be the coach Rory describes and you'll be on the right path. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gajFf6JsiZupq7M

[@flipz101]

It’s always the ‘unfit’ coaches that get kids to run laps pointlessly… If a drill is performed at a good pace and intensity then the fitness takes care of itself,

[@MikeBaas]

Note to Self: Scanning is figuring out what you are going to do with the ball before you get the ball, not just "looking over your shoulder for pressure". And you can practice this in rondo.

[@jonomufc7]

I definitely believe that u have to do them rondo drills for a long time, not just once or twice. I’ve been doing it for a while and can see a change 👍🏾

[@simplegreen808]

Great stuff thank you. I currently have our U11 girls playing 4v2 in a “middle-third” area, once they hit 4-6 passes they can advance into the “attacking-third” but they have to read the defense (coaches who purposely overload one side of the field) on which side of the field to advance from.

[@DavidPetrous]

Great stuff Coach. Every drill needs to be as game like as possible. Players need to understand the purpose of the drill

[@matthewslocum957]

Good stuff. I love it and will be trying this out today.

[@daithicarney3266]

Very informative. I will start using the rondo in every training session . we have only been using it for our pre game warm up. I like the idea of lads doing pushups as it's hard to keep them focused at times. Thanks from 🇮🇪

[@CoachRorySoccer]

💪🏻

[@batajohn]

Brilliant video on how to coach rondos, Coach!

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Thanks!

[@losgauchosfutbolclub]

Rondos are the cornerstone of my game model methodology. My double rondo and triple rondo are how I teach technical and tactical foundational habits.

[@losgauchosfutbolclub]

Because I'm limited to training 1x or 2x a week I don't use directionless rondos. Everything involves the three units, socios, etc.

[@losgauchosfutbolclub]

So my positional rondos incorporate transitions (the moments of the game)

[@michaelmcknight9500]

Firm, quality insights about a misunderstood training exercise.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Thanks!

[@osmanaguilar5645]

Great job as always 👏

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Thanks!

[@EatP1ants]

Thank you 🙏

[@theticoboy]

Great video as always coach. I do use a variations of the river game and positional rondos. Kids seem to like both. I do prefer positional rondos. I’d love to see more videos from you in this topic with specific variations and with more detail on how you like to coach them.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Will do!

[@johnnyboy3563]

Rondos to me, especially at the younger ages, hit more on technical skills, i.e. good efficient touches and quick passing, rather than decision making. It lays a foundation on which you can now build in-game decision making. Without possession in a game, your kids get much less opportunities to make decisions. Rondo teaches the skills needed to keep possession so that decision making can be explored.

[@Mike-px8rc]

It helps the players feel comfortable on the ball when PRESSURED.

[@briancbarrow]

I would love a video about each of those coaching points. Especially the scanning.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Will put it on the list!

[@davidgeist8525]

One of my 2015 boys called Rondos, Roomba's and I'll never call them Rondos again. Poor defenders bouncing around the grid like an original Roomba vacuum....

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Love this.

[@jessekhowe]

Love your videos, thanks coach! I would absolutely implore you to reconsider using PT as punishment. Everything else is A+.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

😂💪🏻. Love it.

[@adamberkeley2127]

It’s often misunderstood that in Barca circle warm ups players were encouraged to move around the circle to provide supporting angles

[@CoachRorySoccer]

In the US this is frequently used in replacement for rondos. To clarify I don’t have any issue with circle warm ups but they’re not rondos.

[@rojo129]

In Mexico back in the day Rondos where called playing in reduced space, the problem I have with rondos is it teaches ball watching because you pass the ball and wait to the ball comes back to you.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Not if you’re doing them correctly.

[@MikeBaas]

Dang Coach R, you've got some skillz! :) And of course, working harder than all your boys. :)

[@CoachRorySoccer]

😂💪🏻💪🏻

[@michaelsperling5692]

Thanks for the great content. I've found that when I go from a 3v1 to a 4v1 the amount of player movement drops considerably. How do you suggest making sure the players move at 4v1 and not just stand at their cones?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Coaching intensity. Go for 30-45 secs. If they stop moving up and done their line at anytime it’s 10 push-ups after for the whole group.

[@mattward4118]

that kid who failed to receive that pass and let it go out of the square absolutely goes in the middle immediately in my rondos. bad pass / failure to receive = in the middle !

[@justinz7974]

On my team all the players want to be middle so they don’t think of it as punishment or a bad thing. So making them be middle on a bad pass wouldn’t work for me.

[@Dylan-ld5gw]

Hey Coach! I watched your interview one 3-4-3…what does one have to do to become an MLS academy coach? Could you make a video? Thanks!

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Well you need a B license minimum. Probably 3-4 years academy assistant coach or pre academy experience.

[@Akash.Rajput7.0]

Hey, by any chance do you require a thumbnail artist ?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

I do my own. But thanks.

[@cartersmith6443]

Best bottle Messi by F. I. N. N

[@CoachRorySoccer]

😂

[@esdrasaldana65]

Do you do 4v2 rondos?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Yeah. All the time.

[@MikeBaas]

Every time that US pregame warmup plays, it brings pain to my entire body.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Yeah I saw that live during a gold cup game years ago and lost it. I had to rewind the tv and record it because of poor it was. Can’t believe they put up with that

[@carljensen5730]

I tend to not do rondos very often because if I have 12 players show up for practice, I will set up a half field lengthwise. It is not a full length field, but I try to stretch it to around half a field long or perhaps even longer. Six players play their position in one direction and six play the other direction. This simulates a FULL game, and unlike 3v3 (which I do really like, but in addition to this half-team-full-simulation), all players are playing their positions. Typically, it simulates half of a 4-4-2, with your right fullback and right center back, your right midfielder and and right center midfielder, and your right striker going one direction and the left versions of that going the other direction, with one goalie, or if you have 12 total players, you now have two goalies.

[@CyberXShinobi]

Coach, before i get into the video...why does the USSF coaching education hate rondos? 😅

[@CoachRorySoccer]

“Not directional”. I didn’t specifically address this as in the video but what USSF fails to realize is that soccer is a multidirectional game. Not binary in terms of attacking and defending.

[@CyberXShinobi]

@@CoachRorySoccer I haven't taken my D License yet, but I've read that Rondos are taboo for training sessions in USSF eyes.

[@Whizzleteets]

@@CyberXShinobi I just got my D license last winter. For one of my exercises I did a directional rondo, with the stated goal of improving switch play, and the instructors didn't seem to mind. They preach the play-practice-play structure very hard, but (at least the instructors I had) they do say spend some time on technical development as well. As long as you can explain why you're programming an activity, they generally give some freedom.

[@ryanmillertradingeconomics8183]

USSF coaching licenses are a joke

[@JM-rc2wt]

Make it sound as though the USA has no coaching sense. Good video though

[@agentsl9]

Thanks, Coach. My kids love rondos. And while I emphasize the passing and receiving over the keep away aspect your video definitely shows me how to add more layers and get more out of the activity. I'll be starting with these tips in tomorrow's pregame warm up. Thanks!

[@fidelgonzales8152]

Wow!!! That clip of the USMNT rondo speaks volumes of its neanderthal-like style of lackluster play. Very sad.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Yeah. Was from a few years back. Literally had to rewind my tv and get it on film.

[@karumehuie1407]

This video is top draw .

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Thanks!

[@nickdejong6693]

Great video! I've made a couple of those mistakes in my rondos. Okay, more than a couple! But now I know better. Thanks for including the age group of the players in the video!

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Glad it helped!