Training Library › Keeping the ball
5v2 Rondo (Variable) — Creating a Local Overload
Moving positions to create a numerical advantage in the local situation
Players: 5+2 (4 outside, 1 inside)Area: about 12×12 mAge: U-11 and upTime: 15 minPhase: Keeping the ball
Setup & rules
- Play a 5v2 rondo
- Starting positions: the attackers have 4 players outside and 1 in the centre
- By moving their position, the central player adjusts everyone's positioning and creates irregular passing lanes
- When a defender wins the ball, attack and defence swap
- Give the central attacker a condition: "When the defender cuts your passing lane, predict the next passing lane and start moving" (to build the habit of always thinking about the next action instead of just waiting)
Key factors
- If the central player feels they can't receive a direct pass, they predict the player the ball will go to next and change position (make them aware that by moving they draw a defender and create space and passing lanes for other teammates)
- The player in the area the central player drops into changes the height of their position (moves higher) (make them aware of the connection: space created by one teammate is used by another)
- The player on the side far from the ball fills the central space and balances the whole attack (this also helps manage the risk after losing the ball)
Progressions
- This practice can also be set up as 5v3. Adjust the difficulty to the players' level and familiarity
Kazu's notes FROM THE COACH
Coaching:
- At first the central player can't change position well, so explain the right timing together with the key factors
- Make sure it doesn't become just a position change — focus on whether they are creating an irregular numerical advantage in the local situation
- A common mistake is that some players can't fill the space the central player opened, so encourage them to watch their teammates' movement rather than the ball
Aim: an introduction to, and building a picture of, moving positions to create a numerical advantage in the local situation / building a picture of creating passing lanes with an irregular shape (objective: progressing and keeping the ball).
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. The original Japanese article: junior-soccer.college.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
3v1 Rondo (Attack)4 players · U-7 · Keeping the ball
3v2 Rondo — Choosing Outside or Inside Support3+2 players · U-8 and up · Keeping the ball
4v4+4 Possession (No Passes to Your Own Colour)12 players · U-12 · Keeping the ball
3v3 + 1 Floater Possession — Escaping the Press with Fluid Movement3+3+1 floater players · Any age · 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.