3v1 rondo soccer drill
A 3v1 rondo is a keep-away game in which three players pass the ball around a small square while one defender in the middle tries to win it. It trains quick passing, support on both sides of the ball and a first touch away from pressure.
Soccer is called football in most of the world. This guide is part of Futbol Island’s free football lessons for kids aged 7 to 12.
Rondo 3v1: setup diagram
At a glance
| Detail | For this drill |
|---|---|
| Ages | U8 to U12 (ages 7 to 12) |
| Players | Groups of 4 |
| Space | 10 x 10 yd (9 x 9 m). Use 10 x 10 yards for U8 and beginners, 8 x 8 for U10 and U12 |
| Equipment | One ball and 4 cones per group; one bib |
| Time | 10 minutes, in rounds of one minute |
| Skill | Passing and receiving |
Change the size of the area to fit your group: bigger makes it easier for the player with the ball, smaller makes it harder. Everyone who goes out comes straight back in, and nobody runs laps.
How to run it
- Mark a square. Three attackers each take a side, and the fourth side stays empty. One defender starts in the middle.
- The attackers keep the ball by passing. They may move along their own side of the square, and into the empty side.
- When the ball is passed, the other two attackers move so the player on the ball always has a pass on the left and on the right.
- The defender wins a point by touching the ball. After one minute, or three touches, change the defender. Do not leave one child in the middle for long.
- Attackers count passes: five in a row is a goal.
Coaching points to say out loud
- “Help on both sides.”
- “Move when the ball moves.”
- “Open body, back foot.”
- “Pass away from the defender.”
Make it easier or harder
Easier
Make the square bigger, allow unlimited touches, or play 4v1.
Harder
Two touches at most, then one touch. Or make the square smaller by a yard each round.
Common mistakes
- Attackers standing on the corners and hiding behind the defender. A player who cannot be seen by the passer cannot help.
- Leaving the same defender in until they win the ball. Change on a timer.
- Passes into the defender’s feet. Look up before the ball arrives.
Why it matters in a game
The rondo is the support lesson with a live defender: move so the defender is no longer between you and the ball. It is what a back line and a midfielder do when one opponent presses them.
The lesson that teaches it: Step Out of the Blocked Lane.
Questions about Rondo 3v1
What is a rondo in soccer?
A keep-away game in a small area where the players on the outside have more numbers than the defenders in the middle, such as 3v1, 4v1 or 4v2.
What size should a 3v1 rondo be?
Start at 10 by 10 yards for young or new players and shrink toward 8 by 8 as they improve. If the defender wins every ball, the square is too small.
What age can play rondos?
From about U8, when players can pass over 5 yards and start to share the ball. For U6, dribbling games are a better use of time.
How long should the defender stay in?
Up to a minute, or until they have touched the ball three times. Rotate on a clock so the middle is a turn, not a punishment.
Lessons that teach this idea
- Step Out of the Blocked Lane (7v7 lesson)Move so the defender is no longer between you and the ball.
- Move Out of the Passing Shadow (9v9 lesson)Move to change the passing lane, then read the defender again.
- Receive: Turn or Connect (9v9 lesson)Check the space before receiving; a turn and a return solve different pressure.
- Make a Passing Lane (Futsal lesson)Change the angle when a defender blocks the pass. Keep an angle that already works.
Related drills and guides
- Rondo 4v2 (drill)It trains the attackers to find the pass between the two defenders, and the defenders to press and cover as a pair.
- Triangle passing (drill)It trains passing to the correct foot, an open body shape and moving right after the pass.
- Three-team keep-away (drill)It trains passing under pressure, spreading out to use the whole area, and reacting quickly when the ball is lost.
- Give-and-go (drill)It trains the wall pass, also called the one-two: the timing of the first pass, the sprint and the one-touch return.
- Pressing (soccer term)Closing down the player on the ball
- Central midfielder in soccerThe link player who receives on the turn
- Center back in soccerThe defender who protects the middle
- U8 soccer drills for 7 and 8 year oldsTen drills for 7 and 8 year olds: dribbling, 1v1, first passing and 3v3
- U10 soccer drills for 9 and 10 year oldsTen drills for 9 and 10 year olds: rondos, first touch, 2v1 and first goalkeeping
- U12 soccer drills for 11 and 12 year oldsTen drills for 11 and 12 year olds: 4v2 rondos, possession, defending in pairs and finishing
- Soccer passing drills for kidsPassing drills in teaching order: pairs, triangles, give-and-go and rondos
- U8 soccer practice plan: passingA 60-minute plan that uses this drill
- U10 soccer practice plan: first practice of the seasonA 60-minute plan that uses this drill
- All passing and receiving drillsPassing to a teammate, then moving to help again.
Futbol Island is a free football (soccer) learning game for kids aged 7 to 12. Every idea on this page is taught on a pitch with moving players, then checked with a quick quiz.