The Fitness Rondo | Build Conditioning and Decision-Making Together

Overview

• Soccer coaches and instructors
• Youth through senior levels (U12 to college, adult)
• A drill that pushes team-wide fitness and quicker decisions at the same time
• For when you want to sharpen decision-making and ball-winning while players are tired, the way they are late in a match

Objectives

• Keep the intent to win the ball switched on at high intensity
• Build quick decisions under fatigue
• Sharpen possession and defending together
• Get players ready to handle the second half

Setup

This drill folds defending into a possession game so your players build fitness and decision-making at the same time.

1）The layout: Set up a main grid (around 40 x 50) with a smaller grid on each side of it.

2）Numbers: Put 16 players in the main grid. Four attackers keep the ball while two defenders go to win it.

3）First phase: The four attackers keep possession and stay away from the two defenders trying to win the ball.

4）After the ball is won: The moment a defender wins it, both players move out to one of the smaller grids on the sides of the main grid.

5）Second phase: In the smaller grid it becomes 3v1, and the defender goes to win the ball.

6）Repeat: If the ball gets won here too, everyone shifts positions again.