When we started talking to coaches before building Clubroom, we kept hearing the same thing: "I sketch it on paper, photograph it, and WhatsApp it to the group." Or: "I use the whiteboard at the club, but then it gets wiped."
The tools that existed were either too complicated — desktop software designed for professional clubs with full-time analysts — or too limited: basic drawing apps with no football-specific elements.
Most coaches were stuck between a whiteboard and a screenshot.
The Problem With Paper
Paper sketches work. Coaches have been using them for decades. But they have real limitations:
- They are not searchable. Finding a drill from three seasons ago means digging through folders of photographs.
- They are not shareable in a useful way. A photo of a hand-drawn pitch is hard to read on a phone.
- They are not editable. Changing a variant of a drill means drawing it again.
- They cannot be animated. A static diagram can show positions, but not movement.
What We Wanted to Build
We wanted a drill builder that felt like drawing on a whiteboard, but was actually a proper document. Something where:
- You could place players and cones exactly where you wanted them
- Movement arrows made the play readable in seconds
- The drill was saved automatically and searchable later
- You could share it with a link and anyone could view it without installing anything
- Sessions could be built from a library of saved drills
The pitch canvas is the core of Clubroom. Everything else — the session planner, the club hub, the AI assistant — is built around it.
Built for Coaches, Not Analysts
We deliberately kept the builder simple. There is no timeline editor, no video integration, no tagging taxonomy. Coaches told us they wanted to create a drill in under five minutes, not spend an evening learning software.
The builder does one thing well: it makes drills visual, shareable, and organised.
What's Next
We are continuing to develop Clubroom based on what coaches tell us they need. The session templates feature, calendar integration, and expanded club collaboration tools are all on the roadmap.
If you have feedback or a feature request, get in touch. We read everything.