Frequently asked questionsEverything about the rugby tactics board.
A pick of the questions most asked on Google and in our user messages.
How do I make an animated GIF of my strike play?
Every step you add below the pitch becomes a keyframe of the animation. You set up your set piece (lineout, scrum), draw a movement (9's pass out, run, pass), click “+ step” (it copies the positions and lines), move what changes, and repeat. Then you click “Animated GIF” and pick the format. The tool replays each step (~0.8s per frame), adds the watermark and downloads the GIF. The more steps you create, the more detailed the chain of phases.
Is the TeamBranch tactics board really free?
Yes, completely. Line-up, drawings, steps, PNG and GIF export, replay link: no sign-up and no payment. No £200 software to install, no account to create. You open the page, place your fifteen, draw, export. Make as many strike plays as you like.
Can I put real players on the pitch?
Yes. Tap a marker to open the search and drop in a real player — their photo and position arrive automatically (Premiership, URC, internationals…). You can also create a custom player (one of your club's kids, a mate) with their own image. Roles are colour-coded by line — forwards, half-backs, backs — for instant reading.
Can I place the opposition too?
Of course. Add opposition defenders, move them, give them a photo: you stage a real head-to-head, not just your own attack. Ideal for prepping a specific opponent — your strike against their rush defence, for example — or for video analysis work.
Does the board handle set pieces (lineout, scrum)?
Yes, it's actually its strong point. You place your lineout (jumpers, lifters, jump calls), your scrum at eight, and you trace the ball out, the driving maul or the first phase behind. The clean line pitch shows the 22, 5-metre and halfway lines to put each phase in the right place.
What drawing tools does the board offer?
Six families, each in the colour of your choice: player runs, passes (including miss pass and offload), kicking, tackles/contacts, rucks / mauls / zones, and text annotations. That's what turns a static position into a readable game plan. With a full history and the Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y shortcuts to undo/redo stress-free.
How do I animate several phases?
Every step you add becomes a frame of the animation. The new step automatically copies the positions and lines from the previous one: you only have to move what changes (advance the ruck, move the ball, add the offload). Three to six steps are usually enough to tell a lineout strike, a backs move or a chain of several phases. The tool chains them automatically on GIF export.
Which format should I pick for social media?
Landscape for X / Facebook, square for an Instagram post, vertical (9:16) for Stories, Reels and TikTok, or Standard for the full board. The GIF is weight-optimised to send fast by message. Need a still image? The same menu also exports a high-resolution PNG — perfect for a thumbnail or a diagram to print.
Can I place a player or the ball off the pitch?
Yes. The pitch is drawn in clean lines (sharp at any size, dark mode included) with all the markings — try lines, in-goal, 22-metre, 5 and 15-metre lines, halfway and posts. Because there's a margin around the lines, you can place a player or the ball off the pitch: lineout throw-in, ball behind the in-goal, exit. Handy too for rugby Sevens and rugby League.
How do I share my strike play with my team?
You save your tactic and get a view-only replay link: the person plays the sequence back step by step. You can also export the GIF or the PNG and send it straight to the team's WhatsApp group, post it on your socials, or keep it for the next session.
Are my strike plays public?
Only if they're complete enough: a tactic with the pack or the backline placed joins the feed and the country's best XV. Otherwise it stays private and editable, and your share link stays view-only. You stay in control of what's visible.
Does the board work on a phone?
Yes, it all happens right in the browser, on desktop and mobile alike — nothing to install. It's actually the headline use case: you prep your strike play, generate the GIF, and your players watch it on their phones before training. You can zoom in on the zone that matters — lineout, scrum, defensive line — to work on it in detail on a small screen.
Does it work for rugby Sevens and rugby League?
Yes. The margin around the lines and the freedom of placement let you adapt the board to every format: rugby Sevens (fewer players, more space, loop and two-man support play), rugby League (XIII) (the six-tackle set, line-speed defence), social rugby. You diagram strike plays, defences and set plays just like in XV.
Can I use it to coach youth players?
Absolutely. Diagram a drill or a session exercise (pass-after-contact, support, line play, safe tackle technique), create custom players with photos of your club's kids, and generate an animated session plan that players and parents grasp at a glance. The whiteboard that never gets wiped, for the academy.
Are there other sports besides rugby?
Yes. TeamBranch offers boards and line-ups for many sports — football, basketball, handball, volleyball, water polo — each with its own pitch, positions and terminology. The rugby tactics board mode is built to animate a strike play and export it as a GIF, from the lineout to the expansive game.
Is the tactics board available in Australia?
Yes. The rugby tactics board is available everywhere, in each country's language, Australia included. You build the team of your choice — national side, club or your own team — draw your strike plays and export your GIF, with nothing to install.
