Football Tactics Guides
Practical, jargon-honest guides to the ideas that decide football matches — each one paired with animated tactics from the community so you can watch the patterns move, not just read about them.
Start here
Football Formations Explained: 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 4-2-3-1
What 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1 actually do — strengths, weaknesses, and how modern teams morph between shapes in and out of possession.
How to Coach Pressing: Triggers, Cover Shadows, Sessions
A practical guide to coaching the press: high press vs mid-block vs gegenpressing, pressing triggers, cover shadows, and a session-by-session plan.
How to Break Down a Low Block: Patterns That Work
Why low blocks are hard to beat and what actually works: overloads, third-man runs, switches of play, cutbacks and patient probing patterns.
Set Piece Routines: How to Design and Drill Them
Corners and free kicks that actually score: zonal vs man marking, movement patterns that create separation, and how to design and drill routines.
Attacking Transitions: Scoring in the First 8 Seconds
How to attack in the 5-8 seconds after winning the ball: rest attack, the first pass and run, counter-pressing vs dropping, and how to train it.
How to Make Football Tactics Videos: A Full Workflow
The workflow behind good tactics content: research a moment, recreate it on a board, animate it, export MP4 and voice it — plus pacing tips.
Choosing a Tactics Board: Whiteboard, Free App or Paid?
An honest comparison of physical whiteboards, free online boards, video-analysis platforms and dedicated digital tactics boards — and when each wins.
Turn ideas into animations
Everything in these guides can be drawn, animated and shared on the JLA Tactics Board — free to start, no card required.
Try the Tactics Board free