Created using Tactics Manager ⚽️ Activity Outline Mark out a square or circle of around 10m x 10m using cones Position 5 attackers around the outside of the area and 2 defenders inside the area Attackers cannot enter the playing area — they must stay on the perimeter Defenders must stay inside the area Attackers keep the ball away from the defenders using one or two-touch passing When a defender wins the ball, intercepts a pass, or forces the attackers to lose possession (e.g. ball leaves the area), the attacker who lost the ball swaps with the defender Count out loud as the attackers complete passes — set a target of 30 consecutive touches as a team goal Optional constraint: limit attackers to two touches to increase the technical demand Run for 10 to 15 minutes continuously, or in periods of 3 minutes with brief rests Use as the opening exercise of every training session — this is the rondo Pep uses every day at every club he has coached ✅ Coaching Points Body shape on every receive — players must open their hips to the next pass, not face the passer directly, so they can play forward on the first touch Scanning is non-negotiable — players should look over their shoulder before the ball arrives, so they know where the defenders are and where the next pass should go Weight of pass matters more than length — a softly weighted pass invites a defender to step in; a driven pass cannot be controlled in the small space Coach the third man even in this small format — a pass from A to B is fine, but a pass from A to B with B laying off to C first time is better, because C now has the ball with the defenders’ momentum pulling them towards B The moment the ball is lost, the player who lost it has the immediate responsibility to react — this is the rondo’s connection to the counter-press Pick one coaching focus per session (body shape, scanning, weight of pass, third man, reaction to loss) and intervene specifically on that point — focusing on one element at a time produces more improvement than trying to coach everything at once The numerical advantage (5v2) is built in so the exercise is winnable — if it feels like a scramble, the players are not using the structure properly 🟢 Game Relevance The most time-efficient training exercise in football — develops technique, scanning, decision-making, third-man combinations, and counter-pressing reflexes all simultaneously, in 10 to 15 minutes of warm-up Trains body shape and scanning, the two foundational habits that underpin every Pep principle covered in the rest of a player’s development The permanent 5v2 numerical advantage allows players to focus on the quality of execution rather than the desperation of survival, which is what makes the drill effective at teaching principles rather than just providing fitness Used daily across a season, the basic rondo produces visible improvement in match technique, particularly in tight areas where players are pressed by multiple opponents This is the rondo Pep starts every training session with at Manchester City — the simplest, most repeatable, most effective single drill in his methodology A team that runs this rondo properly, with the right coaching focus, every session for a year will look like a fundamentally different team by the end of that year Download Drill
