Football formation creator and lineup builder
Pick a real squad, choose a formation, drag the eleven into shape and export the graphic — then keep going and show how the shape moves. Every lineup you build is the first frame of a tactic, not a dead-end picture.
Build a lineup, free
From squad list to starting XI in seconds
A lineup builder should not begin with typing. Search the team — the database covers fixtures from more than 1,000 leagues, from the Premier League and Champions League to the second tiers of Europe, MLS and beyond — and the squad loads with names, shirt numbers and positions. Choose 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2 or any other shape and the eleven snap into place. Swap a player in from the bench with a tap; drag anyone anywhere if your shape is a little more particular than the preset. On Basic and above the most recent real starting XI loads automatically, so a lineup for last night's match starts with the players who actually played it.
Make it look like your club, not a template
Kits are drawn from a curated registry covering more than 1,800 teams, including national sides, so the graphic carries the right colours without you setting them. Change the pitch colour and design, the player marker style, the label font and size, and switch between landscape and portrait for a story or a post. Grassroots and academy coaches create their own custom players and, on Advanced, their own league of custom teams with their own crests — the board shows your Sunday side exactly as it lines up.
Compare two formations on one board
Load both teams and the board becomes a matchup: your 4-3-3 against their 3-5-2, wing-back against winger, the pivot against the ten. Draw the pressing triggers on top, shade the space one shape leaves for the other, and save the picture as one stage of a plan. Saved stages step through like slides in a team talk, so "how we set up" and "how we press" can be two frames of the same file.
Then show how the shape moves
A formation is a starting point; the interesting part is what it turns into. Because the lineup lives on a full tactics board, you can drag the eleven into their in-possession shape, curve the full-back's run, stage the pass and press play — the animation creator turns the static graphic into the sequence. Export as an MP4 for video, a PNG for print, or publish the play to the community library where other coaches can clone it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the formation creator free?
Yes. Picking a team, choosing a formation, arranging the lineup and exporting it as a PNG image are all on the free plan. Free video exports carry a small watermark; Basic (£1.99/month) removes it and loads real recent lineups automatically.
Which formations can I use?
Every common shape is one tap away — 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 3-4-3, 5-3-2, 4-1-4-1 and more — and every player can be dragged anywhere, so asymmetric or in-possession shapes are just a formation you adjusted. Save the result as your own layout to reuse it.
Can I use real players and squads?
Yes. The team database covers fixtures from more than 1,000 leagues, and each team loads with its squad, names and shirt numbers. On Basic and above the most recent real starting XI loads automatically, so a lineup for last night's match starts with the players who actually played.
Can I build a lineup for my own amateur team?
Yes. Create custom players with your own names and numbers (five on Basic, unlimited on Advanced), and Advanced adds your own league of up to ten custom teams with their own crests.
Can I share a lineup graphic on social media?
Yes. Export the board as a PNG in landscape or portrait, with the kits, crests and your own colours. Paid plans remove the watermark and Advanced lets you put your own logo on every export.
What makes this more than a lineup builder?
The lineup is the first step, not the last. From the same board you draw passing and running arrows, animate the shape moving between phases, compare two formations side by side, overlay shot and heat maps from real matches and export the whole sequence as a video.
More ways people use the board
Coaches build lineups here for team talks, analysts for opposition reports and creators for the graphic at the top of a video. Pick the page that matches your job.
For coaches · For analysts · For content creators · Animated tactics · Formations explained · Browse community plays
Build your starting XI
Load a team, pick the shape and export your first lineup graphic in under a minute. No card required — the free plan includes the whole database.
Build a lineup, free