Alright, let’s talk about this rondon soccer thing. I remember when I first heard folks going on about it, sounded kinda fancy, you know? Just passing in a circle, basically. Seemed simple, maybe too simple.
So, I decided, okay, let’s give this a proper go. Not just a quick warm-up, but really dedicate some time to it in my sessions. The first few tries? Honestly, it was a bit of a mess. We set up a simple 4v1 in a small square. The guys in the middle, the defenders, they were just running around like crazy, winning the ball back almost instantly. The passers? They were static, just standing there waiting for the ball, making it way too easy.
Getting into the Groove
I almost ditched it right then. Thought it was maybe overrated. But I stuck with it. I started really emphasizing movement off the ball for the passers. You can’t just stand there! That was the main thing I kept yelling, probably sounded like a broken record. We talked about body shape, receiving the ball on the half-turn, playing one-touch when possible, two-touch when needed.
We experimented with the space too. Made it bigger, made it smaller. Changed the numbers, like 5v2 or even 6v2. It took a while, maybe a few weeks of consistently doing it, before things started to click. You could actually see the players thinking ahead, anticipating the next pass, moving into space before they got the ball.
Here’s what I noticed started changing:
- Passing got quicker and sharper under pressure.
- Players looked up more, scanning before receiving.
- The defenders got smarter too, learned how to cut passing lanes better.
- Communication improved, lots more shouting instructions (the good kind!).
Where We Are Now
Now? We use rondon drills all the time. It’s not just a warm-up anymore, it’s a core part of how we train keeping the ball. It really translates into games, that ability to keep possession in tight spots. It wasn’t some magic trick, just took consistent effort and focusing on the little details. Simple idea, but making it work takes practice. Lots of it. It definitely made our ball control and movement way better than before we started seriously working on it. It’s funny looking back at how chaotic it was at the start compared to the flow we sometimes get now. Still not perfect, mind you, always things to work on, but yeah, it’s become a staple for us.
