Rondo is the best possession drill. Three attackers have to move, pass, and think under pressure from one defender. The defender learns to pressure. The attackers learn to escape pressure with quick passes.
What you need: 1 soccer ball, 4 kids, 4 cones marking a 15-foot diameter circle.
Setup: Three kids stand inside a circle. One defender in the middle. The circle is marked with cones.
How to run it:
- Using Plant, Open, Strike, Follow, outside players pass the ball inside the circle.
- Defender presses the person with the ball.
- If the passer is touched or intercepted before the pass, roles swap.
- If the defenders completes 5 interceptions, they rotate out.
- Play 3-minute rounds.
What to watch: Are the attackers using one-touch passes or taking multiple touches? One-touch is faster and harder to defend.
If they’re struggling: Make the circle bigger (18 feet). Give attackers more space.
If they’ve got it: Shrink the circle to 12 feet. Less space, more pressure.