--- title: "Football Formation Creator & Line-Up Builder, Animated" description: "Create a football formation in seconds: pick a 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 preset, add names and numbers, animate how the shape moves and send it to your squad." url: "https://www.coachboard.app/football-formation-creator" dateModified: "2026-11-13" --- # The football formation creator that shows your shape moving > Drop a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or 3-5-2 on the pitch, put your names and numbers on it, then show the squad how the shape shifts when you have the ball and when you lose it. ## How do you create a football formation online? Pick a preset such as 4-3-3 or 3-5-2, drop it on the pitch for your side, add names and numbers, then animate how the shape moves and share it with your squad as a link. Coach Board runs in the browser on a laptop, tablet or phone. A line-up graphic shows where eleven players stand at kick-off; a board you can play shows where they go next. ## Pick a formation preset and set your line-up Open a football board and choose from ten eleven-a-side presets: 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 4-1-4-1, 3-4-3, 3-4-2-1, 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2, 5-3-2 and 4-2-2-2. Each one lands with numbers 1 to 11 and a role on every shirt (RB, DM, CAM, ST), so the line-up reads at a glance. Rename any player, change a number, or drag a winger narrower to match how you actually play. Apply a preset to the home side, the away side, or both. Put your 4-3-3 against their 3-5-2 and you can see the problem before kick-off: who picks up the wing-back, where the spare center-back is, which midfielder gets outnumbered. - [Football tactic board](https://www.coachboard.app/sports/football) ## Line-ups for 5-a-side, 7-a-side and 9-a-side The presets are eleven-a-side. For small-sided football you set the board first, then place the players yourself: pick the 7v7 game size (55 by 37 meters), a half pitch, or type your own pitch size in meters. Drop five, seven or nine players where your team lines up and number them. Built a 2-3-1 you like for the under-10s? Select the players and choose Save as setup. Next week it drops into any board in one move, so you set up the shape once and stop rebuilding it. - [U10 training session](https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/u10-training-session) - [U12 training session (9v9)](https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/u12-training-session) ## Show how the formation moves, not just where it starts A formation is a starting point. The 4-3-3 becomes a 2-3-5 when the full-backs push on, drops into a 4-5-1 without the ball, and the front three press in a set order. A static line-up graphic can't show any of that. On Coach Board you move the players step by step, draw curved runs, and press play, so the whole squad sees the shape change together. Build the same shape twice: one board for build-up from the goalkeeper, one for the press. When a player asks where they should be, send the clip instead of drawing it again on the dressing-room wall. - [Playing out from the back](https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/playing-out-from-the-back-session) - [Pressing triggers drill](https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/pressing-triggers-drill) ## Share the line-up with your squad Share the board as a link and it opens on any phone, with nothing for players to install. Lock it with a passcode if the team talk should stay in the squad. Export an image for the group chat, All moves in one image to show every run on one picture, a PDF to print for the dressing room, or a video of the animation. On any paid plan you can turn the coachboard.app mark off. ## Keep a formation for every opponent Every board saves to your Playbook automatically. Keep one play per opponent with up to 12 boards inside: your starting line-up, the shape in possession, the shape out of possession and the set pieces. On match day you open the opponent, not a camera roll of screenshots. ## Football tactics to put on your formation Once the line-up is set, these show what the shape does with and without the ball. Rebuild any of them on your own board and animate it for your players. - https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/playing-out-from-the-back-session.md - https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/pressing-triggers-drill.md - https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/gegenpressing-drill.md - https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/third-man-run-pattern.md - https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/corner-kick-routines.md - https://www.coachboard.app/library/football/u12-training-session.md [Browse the football drills library](https://www.coachboard.app/library/football.md) ## FAQ ### Which formations can I create? Any formation you can place. Ten eleven-a-side presets are built in: 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 4-1-4-1, 3-4-3, 3-4-2-1, 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2, 5-3-2 and 4-2-2-2. Every player moves, so you can turn a preset into your own shape and save it as a setup to reuse. ### Can I make a 5-a-side or 7-a-side football line-up? Yes, by placing the players yourself. The presets are eleven-a-side, so for small-sided games choose the 7v7 game pitch, a half pitch or your own size in meters, then drop and number five, seven or nine players. Save the shape as a setup and it is ready for every match. ### How do I share my football line-up with the team? Share the board as a link. Each player opens it on their phone without installing anything, and you can lock it with a passcode. You can also export the line-up as an image, a PDF to print or a video of the shape moving. ### Is the football formation creator free? Not after the trial. You can start a 7-day free trial at my.coachboard.app. No card, no commitment, one free trial per person, and no automatic charge when it ends. After the trial, you choose how to pay: $6.99 a month, $49.99 a year, or a $29.99 season pass for 6 months that never renews. Every plan includes formations, animation, share links and export. ### Can I show the opponent's formation as well as mine? Yes. Apply one preset to the home side and another to the away side on the same pitch, for example your 4-2-3-1 against their 3-5-2. Then animate both teams to show who presses whom, who is left spare and where the space opens. --- Start a 7-day free trial (no card required): https://my.coachboard.app/?signup=1