RONDO, RONDO, RONDO

HI all, as I maintain my recent journey of football tactics here and there. The last one was THE GAME, THE TACTICS 2

This one today is not really a direct tactic, but the preparation behind various tactics for possession based sides.

It is called, RONDO. When I was a little boy we called it , centreli(in my local parlance). Indeed something has a lot to do with the centre in rondo.

Rondo is a possession-based training drill where a group of players (usually 3 or more) try to keep the ball away from a smaller group(1 or more) within a defined space, like a circle or square. It's similar to keep-away and focuses on ball control, passing, and quick decision-making.

"Rondo, rondo, rondo. Every. Single. Day. It's the best exercise. You learn responsibility and not to lose the ball. If you lose the ball, you go in the middle. Pum-pum-pum-pum, always 1 touch. If you go in the middle, it's humiliating, the rest applaud and laugh at you" - Xavi Hernandez

We won't be surprised about Xavi's love for rondo, reading the quote above– he was a master of the craft of possession football as a player for Barcelona. His quote highlights the significance of rondo as a fundamental training exercise in his brand of football that develops essential skills, including:
1] ball retention
2] quick decision-making
3] dealing with pressure
4] teaching responsibility
5] increasing competitive spirit

All tthese whilst the players bond better and have so much fun.

He believes that rondo is the most beneficial exercise for footballers as it teaches various essential aspects of the game. Indeed the drill prioritises ball possession— you will hate to lose the ball in this drill.

So also this drill causes it to be ingrained in the players that losing possession is distasteful becauses in real match situations, it can lead to counterattacks from the opposition.

In rondo, if a player loses the ball to the player(s) in the middle or misplaces a pass to a fellow in the perimeter, they swap positions with the player in the middle who intercepted it. So that's the competitive aspect right there, so you want to be accurate with your passing.

Furthermore in that quote, Xavi is emphasizing the quick, one-touch passing aspect of rondo, which helps players improve their touch, decision-making, and ability to handle pressure from opponents in tight spaces because it's not large circle or square perimeter.

Finally, Xavi mentions the social and/or bonding element of the exercise. When a player ends up in the middle due to a mistake or stay too long in the middle, their teammates may tease or laugh at them, adding a playful yet motivating factor that encourages players to improve their skills(even marking skills too) and avoid making errors.

Thanks for reading.