My go-to activities when players have had been on the summer break are Rondos – and with this being one of the longest breaks from playing due to lockdown I am going to be using Rondos over the next few weeks to get players back up to speed.
As coaches we must make sure we are not just giving our players a physical run out, we also need to challenge the brain with intuitive sessions to help develop them for the season ahead.
Rondo works especially well with this idea because players are immediately concentrating on the game – no one wants to make an error and go in the middle – forcing them into good decision-making right from the start.
It is the decision making in a rondo that is key to brain challenges and key to giving players that ability to quickly decide what course of action to take.
Begin by reading my Sharpen up the Barcelona way advice that looks at why and when you can use rondos with your team.
Then you want a session to run with your players. Rondo decisions has everything you need to give players a good work out, get them using match-like techniques and bring them up to speed before the season starts.
For more advanced players Rondo squares adds communication into the mix – this is vital for pre-season as players need to get used to talking to each other again – not always easy for teenagers!
Finally read my article on Why rondos work well at the start of training, where I discuss the benefits of the rondo with Todd Beane, Johan Cruyff’s son-in-law and the founder of TOVO Academy Barcelona.
If you want your players to start pre-season training like Barcelona, you should try using Spanish-style rondo games to sharpen their general touch and all-round fitness levels. MORE
This fun rondo game has everything your team needs for a good pre-season workout. It offers plenty of movement for your players and sharpens their control and technique too. MORE
Based on the Barcelona possession game Rondo, this game will help your players to keep the ball off the opposition giving themselves more chance of scoring goals. MORE
Play this like a Rondo where if you split the defenders and hit the cone keeping possession of the ball. The pressing team must try to win the ball and prevent the possession team hitting the cone. MORE
Rondos are ideal for training, for warm-ups, for pre-season and to get players in the mood for working hard. They are directly related to the principles of play and link into systems of play – so 2v1 3v2 – and that works into practising formations at all age groups. MORE
Simple to set up and simple to do, but this does need accurate passing and good player movement. Good for match days when you want a quick warm up for movement and technique MORE
Filipe Ragel the Under 19 head coach of Marcet Academy in Barcelona shares a video of his team doing a 4+2 x 2 Rondo which shows the technical and tactical practice MORE
I was asked by a coach this week about what a good warm up was for his U10 team. The answer that I gave him was to use Rondos. You can use them at any age group and they really work well to warm up players for training or matches and they don't involve much setting up. My favourites are the simple ones like 5v2 or a combination that works for your age group. MORE
It was the first game of the season on Saturday and the local council had decided to close the main road leading to our club's ground. So the phone calls started coming in thick and fast: "Dave we are going to be late." MORE
