4v4+4 Positional Rondo
The 4v4+4 Rondo, or 4v4v+3 as it’s sometimes known, is one of my favorite exercises as it improves positional understanding and combination play.
It might look complicated at first but it’s actually a very simple rondo which focuses on short, quick passing combinations and defensive/attacking transitions. You need at least 12 players; additional players can be rotated in and out.
There are 2 teams of 4 players in different colored bibs. Then there are 4 neutral players without bibs.
If you look at the setup, you’ve got a gk or center back, two full backs, two wingers or forwards, and a center forward with two midfielders in the middle of the rectangle, so it’s very much reflective of an actual game.
The 4 players without bibs are always attacking and they stay in their positions. The other 2 teams of 4 players essentially compete to keep possession or to win it back. The 4 players on the outside of the rectangle work with the players without bibs while the other team defend. So the game is basically 8v4.
Once the defending team win the ball, they replace the team on the outside of the rectangle as quickly as possible. But the game doesn’t stop so they’ve got to get the ball to one of the players without bibs and then transition to the outside. In the meantime, the other team need to react and try to regain possession as quickly as they can.
You need 6 bibs or cones to mark the area and you should start with an area 10 yards wide and 15 yards long as this keeps the play compact and forces players to think quickly. You can vary the size up to 20 yards wide and 30 yards long; obviously as it gets bigger, players have more time and space.
Keep the length of each game or segment short; around 4 minutes, and push your players to play with intensity and quality so that the level is high and challenging.
At the end of each game or segment of play, you can change the neutral players without bibs and also rotate positions of the other players for variation.
You can start without touch restrictions and then introduce 2-touch as an option once your players are comfortable. 1-touch is also an option but this is very difficult and should only be used once your players have a good grasp of the exercise.
There is so much value in this particular rondo and your players are guaranteed to love it.
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