Football coaching tools compared
There are more digital tools for planning football sessions than you might expect. Some focus on drawing diagrams, others on season planning, others on managing an entire club. This comparison looks at five options and where each one fits.
The tools
We picked tools a football coach is most likely to find when searching for session planning software. We left out pure team management apps (like TeamSnap or Heja) because they don't offer visual session design.
Sport Session Planner
Sport Session Planner is a UK-based platform built around 3D visualisation. You can build sessions in a three-dimensional stadium view and rotate the camera freely. The platform has a large library of pre-built sessions, and sharing works via email, QR code, or WhatsApp.
The 3D view is impressive but comes with a steeper learning curve. Drawing a simple drill takes longer than in a 2D tool. Pricing is annual only (roughly £42–65/year depending on membership). No monthly option.
- Strength: 3D visualisation and large session library
- Weakness: no monthly plan, steeper learning curve
- Best for: coaches who want polished 3D diagrams and ready-made content
SoccerDrive
SoccerDrive is a US-based platform combining a drill drawing tool with a large content library. The basic version is free. The site has plenty of ready-made drills and age-specific development plans (U7–U16).
The drawing tool works but feels dated. The platform targets recreational youth coaching in the US, so the content leans toward grassroots level. Coaches outside North America may find the terminology and focus less relevant.
- Strength: free basic version and extensive content library
- Weakness: US-centric, dated interface
- Best for: beginner coaches looking for ready-made session ideas
Football Planner
Football Planner is different from the rest: it's not a drawing tool but a season planning tool. You build weekly micro-cycles that combine field sessions, gym work, and recovery tracking into periodisation plans.
Pricing is straightforward: €9.99/month or €99.99/year, with a 7-day free trial. Users reportedly include staff at Ajax, Leverkusen, and Crystal Palace. The tool is designed for larger screens and has limited mobile support.
- Strength: periodisation and season planning at professional level
- Weakness: no session drawing, limited mobile support
- Best for: professional or semi-professional coaches who need structured season plans
CoachTools
CoachTools is a Finnish platform covering team management, communication, video analysis, and load monitoring. It's closer to a full club management system than a standalone planning tool. The platform supports multiple sports (football, ice hockey, floorball, tennis).
Pricing isn't public — you need to contact sales. This suggests club-level pricing. CoachTools includes session libraries, but visual drill drawing is not its core feature.
- Strength: comprehensive club management, multi-sport
- Weakness: hidden pricing, not focused on drill drawing
- Best for: clubs looking for an all-in-one management system
TacticsBoard
TacticsBoard is a browser-based tool where coaches draw session diagrams and build training events from them. Players, balls, cones, lines, and zones go onto pitch templates (full pitch, half pitch, third, or blank). Drills can include animations.
Individual drills are assembled into training sessions that are shared via link with other coaches. Clubs and teams have dedicated features: team coaches see shared sessions, and a club can manage multiple teams in one place.
Community-shared drills can be browsed and used as a starting point. The library grows as users publish their own sessions.
Works on phone and desktop. It can be installed to the home screen as a PWA, so it works like a native app without an app store. The basic version is free. No sign-up required to start drawing.
- Strength: fast drawing, training sessions, growing community library, club/team features, works on mobile
- Weakness: no season planning
- Best for: coaches who want to draw their own sessions and share them with the coaching team
Comparison table
| Feature | Sport Session Planner | SoccerDrive | Football Planner | CoachTools | TacticsBoard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session drawing | 3D | 2D | No | Limited | 2D + animation |
| Pre-built sessions | Large library | Large library | Templates | Yes | Community drills |
| Season planning | No | No | Yes (core feature) | Partial | No |
| Free tier | Unknown | Yes | 7-day trial | Trial | Yes |
| Mobile support | Browser | Browser | Limited | iOS + Android | Browser + PWA |
| Price | ~£42–65/year | Free + premium | €9.99/month | Not public | Free + premium |
Which one fits?
The right tool depends on what problem you're solving:
- Want to draw sessions fast: TacticsBoard or SoccerDrive. Both have free basic versions.
- Want polished 3D diagrams: Sport Session Planner is the only option.
- Need season planning: Football Planner is built for exactly this.
- Looking for a club-wide system: CoachTools covers team management, communication, and tracking.
- Want a ready-made session library: Sport Session Planner and SoccerDrive offer the most pre-built content.
Most of these tools complement each other. Football Planner's season planning and TacticsBoard's session diagrams, for example, solve different problems.