A Case for the Hexagonal Rondo

The rondo is a simple but brilliant activation exercise, where you can demonstrate most of the essential skills of the game. Typically, the rondo is prepared with a square grid, or “boxes”. And at it’s best, it’s great to watch. Great even to just hear. Pass. pass. pass. When there’s a good rhythm, the mere sound of the ball can tell you that a rondo is high quality. The square grid works, and it works well. But as a coach working in a youth team with limited time on the grass, is there a way you can get more value out of this exercise?

I’ve often preferred to use a hexagonal grid. I believe it has a few key advantages. Let me be clear — this is just one modification, and it isn’t a magic solution. I want to make a case for it, but of course, it all depends on what you are trying to achieve. I like a controlled passing game, and I think the hexagonal rondo instills some of these principles in its set-up that a square grid doesn’t offer.

Firstly, the players at either end of the grid (inside the triangles) have more game-realistic passing angles. The ball is less likely to get “stuck” in the corner of the grid and be played out of bounds. The set-up will still allow for the in-possession team to generate short passes, and require the players to create and find space in tight areas with subtle movements. There are clear references for how teammates can support the ball-carrier. If a player is on the point of a triangle, on the ball, the shape of the grid demands that a teammate offer support on either end. This is what I want as a coach.

There’s more, but I will leave it here for now.