The document outlines a progression of football rondos created by J. Davies, aimed at enhancing player movement and ball circulation in training sessions. It emphasizes the importance of the weak-side full back movements and offers detailed instructions on the positional play and objectives during the rondo exercises. Additionally, it highlights the educational value of rondos in player development, influenced by techniques observed at top clubs like Barcelona.

1. inspire! To reference this work please use the following wording in the references section of your work:
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing
@inspirethegame facebook.com/FootballRondoswww.Inspire.football
FOOTBALL RONDOS

2. inspire!
@inspirethegame facebook.com/FootballRondos
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
VISIT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8B4sZSY3ws
FOR MATCH VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE WEAK-SIDE FULL
BACK MOVEMENT HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS RONDO
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Right WingerLeft Winger
Goalkeeper / Central Defenders
Right-sided
Defender (RB)
Left-sided
Defender (LB)
Striker
4
Target (phase B)
Receiving Area / ‘the pocket’
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
Opposition Midfield Line
14-16
8-14
8-12
4-6
This rondo is an ADD-ON to the Up-Back-Through
Rondo as detailed last week (19th November 2015)
on www.inspire.football. It is absolutely imperative
that the previous rondo is carried out before
plugging in this progression.
In this rondo the Up-Back-Through option takes
priority as option one. However, a condition has now
been added to encourage the weak-side full back
movements as shown in related video.
Condition: anytime the number 4 (deep lying
controller) receives the ball AND he can turn out,
then the weak side winger should make a run behind
the opposition midfield line and the weak side wing
back should overlap.
The objective of the rondo is the same, to go from
GK/CB to the GK/CB on the other side via one of the
two options outlined. Once the ball reaches the
other GK/CB, there must be one horizontal pass
before the objective is reset (to allow for
reorganisation).
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@inspirethegame facebook.com/FootballRondos
Right WingerLeft Winger
Goalkeeper / Central Defenders
Right-sided
Defender (RB)
Left-sided
Defender (LB)
Striker
4
Target (phase B)
Receiving Area / ‘the pocket’
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
Opposition Midfield Line
14-16
8-14
8-12
4-6
The positioning of the number 4 should be
encouraged to be behind or at an angle through the
two opponents (‘the diagonal pocket’). Number 4’s
body shape should allow for the ball to roll across the
front of him upon receiving the ball (rather than
taking two touches to turn with the ball).
The side with the ball is the strong side. The side
without the ball is the weak side)
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5. inspire!
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Right WingerLeft Winger
Right-sided
Defender (RB)
Left-sided
Defender (LB)
Striker
4
Target (phase B)
Receiving Area / ‘the pocket’
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
Opposition Midfield Line
14-16
8-14
8-12
4-6
The positioning of the number 4 should be
encouraged to be behind or at an angle through the
two opponents (‘the diagonal pocket’). Number 4’s
body shape should allow for the ball to roll across the
front of him upon receiving the ball (rather than
taking two touches to turn with the ball).
The side with the ball is the strong side. The side
without the ball is the weak side)
Strong
side
Weak
side
Goalkeeper / Central Defenders
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@inspirethegame facebook.com/FootballRondos
Right WingerLeft Winger
Goalkeeper / Central Defenders
Right-sided
Defender (RB)
Left-sided
Defender (LB)
Striker
Target (phase B)
Receiving Area / ‘the pocket’
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
Opposition Midfield Line
14-16
8-14
8-12
4-6
4
If the number 4 can receive the ball cleanly AND can
turn out, then the movements are initiated. Should
players not make the movements in time, then it is
number 4’s responsibility to ensure the ball is kept
moving (played back to CB’s perhaps) and the rondo
does not come to a stop.
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RW
Left Winger
Goalkeeper / Central Defenders
RB
Left-sided
Defender (LB)
Striker
Target (phase B)
Receiving Area / ‘the pocket’
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
Opposition Midfield Line
4
The aggression in the winger’s movement should be
directed behind the opposition’s midfield line inside
the field (into the ‘half space’ / ‘inside channel’ –
should we split the field into five vertical corridors).
Eventually there should be a progression that
promotes this pass into the winger who has made his
movement inside.
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RW
Left Winger
Goalkeeper / Central Defenders
Left-sided
Defender (LB)
Striker
Target (phase B)
Receiving Area / ‘the pocket’
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
Opposition Midfield Line
RB
4
The ball is then played over/around/through to the
overlapping weak-side full back. You can add in
interference along the opposition midfield line in the
form of dynamic or static objects (players,
mannequins or poles etc).
The full back should then complete the objective and
play the ball into the target player at the end.
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LW
RB
Goalkeeper / Central Defender
RW
Striker
GK or CB
Receiving Area / ‘the pocket’
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
Opposition Midfield Line
LB
4
GK or CB
The rondo is then mirrored in the opposite direction.
The players are to move as shown with the arrows.
The target player who receives the ball MUST play
one horizontal pass (to a deep full back or to his new
partner on the end line) before the team can seek
any Up-Back-Through or Weak-side Full back
opportunities to get to the new target.
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LW
RB
Goalkeeper / Central Defender
RW
Striker
GK or CB
Receiving Area / ‘the pocket’
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
LB
4
GK or CB
Previously the
overlapping RB
Previously the RW
who ran inside
Previously the LB
Previously the LW
Previously the Striker
Previously the CB/GK
Opposition Midfield Line This image shows the previous positions of the
players who have now taken up their new positions
(at speed to encourage intensity of thought and
action).
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A
B
D
D
D
A
C
B
BReceiving Area / ‘the pocket’
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
E
B
Opposition Midfield Line Player A = GK/CB
Player B = Full back / Wingers
Player C = Number 4 (specialist role)
Player D = Opposition Defenders (strikers/CB)
Player E = Striker/CB (depending on phase of rondo)
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Content created by Jed Davies (@TPiMBW)
ABOUT RONDOS
Spain, Barcelona and Pep Guardiola have brought about a world-wide
recognition for rondos in the last decade and in most nations, our
possession box games shrunk overnight.
Unfortunately, possession box games have also become a neglected time
in our sessions, often un-coached and without many learning objectives.
The objective of the rondos presentations delivered by inspire football
coach education (UK) is to highlight potential learning opportunities in this
training methodology and format.
Kieran Smith will deliver a webinar for Inspire on rondos and give his first
hand account and insight into how ideas can be implemented through
rondos (Kieran Smith is a former AD Alcorcon coach 2014-15, who would
play fixtures against many of Spain’s biggest clubs such as Real Madrid).
I owe the foundations of my knowledge to a coach I worked alongside at
the University of Oxford (2013-14) called Jon Collins (who was writing a
PhD in Spanish training methodology at the time). Jon Collins opened my
eyes to the hundreds of details that turn rondos into a truly valuable
education tool.
Some months before beginning my work at the University of Oxford I was
fortunate enough to undertake study visits to clubs such as Barcelona,
Villarreal, Swansea, Liverpool and others. All the rondos that will be
detailed each Thursday for Inspire (www.inspire.football) have been
created with a heavy influence from those I’ve observed before.
Positional rondos, rondos that look to educate the languages of the game,
rondos that promote specific principles (overloading, penetration,
movement, the responses in transition etc) and much more will form the
majority of the theoretical content in these presentations.
My sole objective is to promote multi-directional possession box formats
(rondos) as valuable tools for player education. I do not believe that
rondos serve a purpose to imitate the playing style or the training
methodology of Spain or Barcelona.
Barcelona youth academy graduates spend around 20% of all contact hours
training in rondos (referenced in the book ‘Coaching the Tiki-Taka Style of
Play’, pg. 34). The La Masia graduates may have spent 1,000 hours in
rondos, but they’ve done so in a very specific type of rondo, specific to the
Barcelona playing style.
Please share these presentations freely and use your Thursdays
wisely! Visit www.inspire.football
To reference this work please use the following wording in the references section of your work:
Davies, J. (2015) Football Rondos. London: Inspire Football Publishing.
www.Inspire.football