Training Library › Transition
2v2+2 Rondo with Transition — Don't Lose It Right After Winning It
Transition: keeping the ball immediately after winning it
Players: 2+2+2Area: about 12×12 mAge: Any ageTime: 15 minLevel: BeginnerIntensity: MediumPhase: Transition
Use this when…
Players stop running the moment they lose the ball. Transitions are slow.
Setup & rules
- Three pairs (three teams of 2) play a 4v2 rondo
- The team that loses the ball becomes the defenders
- Touching the ball is not enough — roles switch only when a team fully wins possession
- Play continues without stopping after the ball is won
- If the ball goes out, the team that played it out defends
RULES: none in particular
Key factors
ATTACK
- If pressed right after winning the ball, give it to the free teammate first, then buy time and take up your position
- If no pass is available, dribble into space to escape
- While a pass or a dribble buys time, get into position
- Never pass to a teammate who is not yet in position
- If there is no passing lane, dribble past the pressure to open one
DEFENSE
- Press the instant your team loses the ball
- If the ball goes to a player near the ball carrier, press again immediately (second press)
- If the opponent is shielding with their back turned, two players may press together
- Once the opponents are organized, use challenge & cover to steer and win the ball
Questions to ask your players
- When you're about to lose the ball, when do you start moving to defend?
- Are you predicting — "we might lose it here" or "we might win it here"?
What success looks like
When players are switched on to transition and move without the coach having to call it.
Kazu's notes FROM THE COACH
- Pick the key factors that fit your group's age and level
- Known issues with this game: (1) if the technical level is low it becomes too chaotic to work; (2) when the ball goes out the flow stops — keep spare balls nearby or have the coach play one in immediately; (3) if the grid is too small players get no success experiences
* Grid size is an estimate from the diagram and numbers
Use this drill in your own session
Download it and open it in TRAINING DESIGNER — a free drill designer and session planner in your browser. Edit the diagram, change the numbers, add it to a session, and export as PDF, GIF or video.
In the app: menu → “Import external data” → choose the downloaded file. No sign-up needed.One idea a week from Japanese youth football
A free weekly essay on how kids actually learn the game — complexity, the ecological approach, and what 30 years on Japanese grassroots pitches taught me.
Related drills
2v2+1 Rondo with Transition — Transition Is the Key2+1 floater+2 players · U-9 and up · Transition
3v1 Rondo (Attack)4 players · U-7 · Keeping the ball
4v2 Rondo (3 outside, 1 inside) — Attack4+2 players · U-10 and up · Keeping the ball, progressing
3v2 Rondo — Choosing Outside or Inside Support3+2 players · U-8 and up · Keeping the ball
I'm Kazu — a youth football coach in Japan since 1995. These are sessions I actually use, shared from the Japanese coaching site I have run for years (Junior Soccer College). I also write a free weekly newsletter on how children learn the game.