Football Tactics Board: Drag Players on a Pitch to Scale

How to use it

Choose the Home formation and the Away formation from the lists.
Drag a numbered player to a new place. The player stays on the pitch.
Use Reset to put both teams back in their formations.
Save the board with Download PNG, or print it with Print.

The pitch

The pitch is drawn at 105 m by 68 m, the size FIFA recommends (Wikipedia, Football pitch). For international matches, IFAB Law 1 allows a touchline of 100 to 110 m and a goal line of 64 to 75 m, and the drawing sits inside both ranges. The goal is 7.32 m wide, and the penalty area reaches 16.5 m from the goal line.

Penalty area: 40.32 m wide (7.32 + 2 × 16.5) and 16.5 m deep
Goal area: 18.32 m wide (7.32 + 2 × 5.5) and 5.5 m deep
Penalty mark: 11 m from the goal line; the arc and the centre circle have a radius of 9.15 m

The pitch is drawn to scale, but the players are placed by hand, and their places are not tactical advice.
The formations place each line of players in the team's own half. The numbers are given in order, not by any rule of a competition.

How formations are written

A formation is written as the number of outfield players in each line, counted from the back, with the goalkeeper not counted (Wikipedia, Formation (association football)). In 4-4-2 there are four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards.

Example: the default board

The home team starts in 4-4-2 on the left half: the goalkeeper on the goal line, then four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards, the forwards about 48 m from the home goal line. The away team starts in 4-3-3 on the right half, facing it, with its forwards about 48 m from its own goal line on the other side.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the pitch 105 by 68 metres?

FIFA recommends that size for the field of play, and IFAB Law 1 allows a range that includes it. Real pitches vary within the ranges, so the board shows one standard size.

Does the board save my work?

No. Positions are kept only while the page is open. Download the PNG to keep a picture of the board.

Can I use it on a phone?

Yes. Drag a player with one finger. The board is set so that the screen does not scroll while you drag a player.

What do the numbers mean?

They are shirt numbers, with the goalkeeper as number 1 and the others given in order from the back of each formation. The board does not change them; write your own numbers on a picture if you need them.

Are the formations tactical advice?

No. They are starting shapes that make the pitch easy to draw. Real tactics depend on the players, the opponent and the state of the match.

Sources

Figures and text last checked on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.