Rondos in soccer: Everything you need to know

Let's talk about rondos, today most teams use them in a mechanical way without really understanding what it is and what it is for, it is not only a good way to finish a warm-up, the training starts here, so let's see and Let's get to know the rondos a little better.

What are rounds?

The rondos are a didactic way of homework that allow a good development of behaviors that the players can adopt within the soccer field. It is important to note that we will not be able to develop all of them.

First of all, we must be clear about what the game models. On the other hand, we have to understand the style of play of each team and how the team is organized to interact with the ball, that is, the position that each player acquires on the field.

Going back to our main theme, rondos are exercises where several players come together to form a previously defined structure. It can be in the form of a geometric figure such as a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a circle, among other shapes, depending on the objectives. Once the formation has been decided, the players will pass each other. Passes will be random based on the distance, the dynamics of the game or the purpose of the play. Meanwhile, one or several rivals will try to go for the ball, the idea is to retain it for as long as possible during the dynamic and withstand the pressure of the opponent who will try to take advantage of a moment of error or loss of rhythm.

That is, rondos can be defined as a type of reduced game based on maintenance - recovery of the ball from an initially predetermined position. Or better, “it is a reduced game used to reinforce problem solving”, based on the maintenance of possession by a team in superiority and the recovery by a team in inferiority within a reduced space.

During the rounds we will observe and emphasize three areas to work on:

Tactic

• Offensive
• Uncheck
• Permanent support

We can create obstacles to create different game rhythms.

Defensive

• Preview of plays
• Coverages
• Improve pressure

Technique

• Pass control
• Improve driving
• Improve ball control
• We work feints
• Loads
• Tickets

Physical

• Endurance
• Speed of action
• Reaction speed
• Explosive force

However, physically, the dynamics can be more or less demanding depending on the number of players involved in both defense and attack.

How to make the rounds?

A real game demands everything from you, so we can't think that by doing rondos throughout the entire training session we will be able to cover all the needs that the players or the team have during the game. That is why, although this game has many positive aspects, footballers need other ways to expand their resources and expand their performance. On many occasions the errors are not in the design of the task, but in the choice of the didactic form (step prior to the design of the task).

The rondos can be performed in two ways: With players located fixedly in a certain position or, otherwise, the players can be moving. However, one of the characteristics necessary to carry out this activity is the need to play on fields of certain dimensions where players can be kept at a reasonable distance that the opponent cannot easily dismantle. Passes can be short or long; crawling or aerial.

We must bear in mind that the number of players must always exceed the opponent. The difference between players must be at least one above the opponent, that is, if the rounds are made of 4 players it is because there are two or three from the opposing team.

Combinations with neutral players can also be made. That is, 5 players doing the rondo, two trying to steal the ball, plus two neutral players supporting the activity. This is done in case the rivals make a good and strong marking where it requires the participation of more defenses to complicate the task. Although they do not participate in the round itself, they are attentive to receive the ball in case of any risk (the jokers).

In short, rondos "must outnumber the opponent in order to be executed properly.".

Types of rounds

Positional

This type of rondo is considered the simplest or least demanding of the three. They consist of executing the passes with the players located in fixed positions. Your goal is to try to hold position and protect the ball without moving.

Transitional

This type of rondo is applied when the ball is lost or when it is recovered. However, to be executed, some principles must be met. For example:

• The ball must be recovered as soon as possible in the event of a loss.
• Recreate the Rondos once the ball is recovered, ignoring the possibility of starting a counterattack.

Tips to develop them correctly

• The control-pass technique: The ball is always in motion and a player often has milliseconds to decide the best option. For this reason, the rondos are a great tool to work on body orientation and controls depending on the subject, teammates and rivals. Limiting the number of contacts can be useful at certain times, two or three touches, and from there help you understand why it is better to choose one option or another.
• Supports and unchecks: Players in this type of task must learn not to hide behind the opponent. For this it is important that they are always giving pass options to the ball carrier. The teammates of the attacker with the ball have to learn to detect the moments in which they have to move so that there is a passing lane and when they must stay still in order to receive with an advantage. Knowing how to correctly apply the number of players per round and its dimensions is essential for this behavior to occur.
• Perception of the environment and anticipation: As we mentioned before, sometimes the player has thousandths of a second to decide, therefore, rondos are of great help to the players since they force them to decide before receiving. They are forced to constantly collect information from the environment and not focus 100% of their attention on the ball.
• Concentration and intensity: The level of involvement and concentration must be very high in order to meet the objectives previously set and to be able to incorporate new concepts throughout the season. In this aspect, the attitude of the coach and his assistants becomes very important because they will be the ones that motivate the player and promote competitiveness.

We hope that now you can understand the value of rondos in football. However, we believe that we have scratched the surface, so if you want to know more about these issues and everything related to the world of football, we recommend you visit our Online Course of Soccer Tactical Analyst Technician so you can learn what you need to become a true PRO.