Hexagonal Rondo

Two teams share a six-sided grid — three per team on the sides, a 2v2 inside — and whoever has the ball keeps it moving through teammates inside and out.

Six sides mean passing angles everywhere — finding them fast builds spatial awareness, quick decisions, and fluid team coordination.

Ages 10+Two teams of 5 (2v2 inside, 3 per team outside)15 minCones, pinnies, balls

Set up · 3 actions · before the kids arrive

Grab: Cones, two colors of pinnies, and a ball.
Build: Build a hexagon — six sides, each about 5 to 7 yards, sized to your group.
Place: Three players per team spaced around the outside, colors alternating side by side; two players per team inside. Outside players stay on their side.

Show me the setup picture

A hexagon with one player per side around the outside, colors alternating, and a 2v2 free in the middle.

One thing to remember: Quick passing, spatial awareness, head-up decisions, and moving into space after the pass.

How it runs — the whole game in one sentence

One team keeps the ball using its two inside players and its three sides; the other team's inside pair hunts it — win it, and possession flips on the spot.

1Organize the players▾
Coach does
Two teams of five in pinnies. Three from each team take a side of the hexagon — alternate the colors around it. Two from each team go inside.
Coach says
Outside — you own your side, stay on it. Inside — you four are free.
2Show the jobs▾
Coach does
Walk it — the team with the ball keeps it through their two inside players and their three sides; the other team's inside pair presses to win or intercept, and a steal flips possession immediately.
Coach says
Keep it in your colors — use your middles. Steal it, and it's your ball — keep it moving.
3Play▾
Coach does
Start it with a pass to one team and keep it fast — quick turnovers, quick transitions between attack and defense.
Coach says
Heads up! Pass and move — slide along your side to help!
Look for: Outside players sliding along their side to open an angle before the ball needs them.
4Switch and repeat▾
Coach does
After a minute or two of high-intensity possession, rotate the inside pairs with the outside players.
Coach says
Rotate! Middles out, sides in — same jobs, new legs.

If it's not working

If the ball won't stick with either team, stretch the sides out a step or two while they play — more room calms it down — then bring it back in.

Want to go deeper? Optional — not needed to run the game.

Why are we doing this?

Six sides create passing angles a square never offers, and with teammates inside and outside, the team in possession always has a gap to find — the game rewards the player who sees it before the defenders close it.

What are they learning?

Quick passing, spatial awareness, head-up decisions, and moving into space after the pass.

How can I change it?

Easier: Make the hexagon bigger.

Harder: One-touch passing, or shrink the hexagon for tighter spaces.

Next: 4v4+1 Corner Support Rondo — the same inside-outside game, now with corner outlets and a neutral.