4-3-3
Three forwards, width high up the pitch and a midfield three to feed them. The default for sides that want to press and attack down the flanks.
Football formation builder
Try 20+ football formations on the same XI
A formation builder that lets you see the difference, not just read about it. Flip between the shapes that win matches, watch your players slide into new roles, scale the side from two to eleven, and export the result. For a shape drawn entirely your way, with any name from the catalog, the mobile app goes the whole way.
Open Builder
Free, no account, runs in any browser.
What each shape actually does
The formations people reach for most, and the job each one is really doing on the pitch.
4-2-3-1
A double pivot screening the back four, a number ten free to create, a lone striker ahead. Deadly on the counter, which is why so much of the modern top flight lives here.
3-5-2
Three centre-backs, a wing-back hugging each touchline, two up top. It defends like a 5-3-2 and pours forward like a 3-3-2-2, all from the same starting shape.
4-4-2
Two banks of four and a strike pairing up front. Nothing fancy, easy to drill, and brutal against a team that leaves gaps.
4-4-2 Diamond
The midfield narrows into a diamond, a ten on top of a holding six. You concede the wings to win the middle of the park.
5-3-2
The cautious cousin of the 3-5-2, wing-backs sitting deeper to make a back five. The shape you pick to frustrate better opponents or see out a lead.
...and another dozen-plus variants waiting in the picker.
Features
How the formation builder works
Twenty-plus shapes in the picker
Every formation you would actually name, plus the variants nobody remembers the digits for, all from one menu. Drop the side to as few as two players when you are not running a full XI.
Change shape without starting over
Go from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 and your players come with you, reassigned to the nearest role. Try ten shapes in a row if you want; nothing resets.
Then move people by hand
Slide players between positions, or on and off the bench, until the shape sits exactly how you pictured it. For a fully bespoke shape with hand-picked names, the MyLineups mobile app goes further.
Take the shape with you
Save a clean square image of any formation, or copy a link that reopens the same shape and the same players wherever you paste it.
Common questions
Formation builder FAQ
How many formations are there?
More than twenty preset shapes, including the 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 4-4-2, 5-3-2, 3-4-3, the diamond and a long list of variants. You can also scale the side anywhere from two to eleven players.
Can I build a formation that is not in the list?
You can take any preset and rearrange it, moving players between positions or off to the bench until the shape is your own. For a setup drawn entirely from scratch, the MyLineups mobile app gives you the room.
What happens to my players when I switch shapes?
They stay put and follow you. Change the formation and each player slots into the nearest role automatically, so you tidy up from there rather than rebuild.
Can I play fewer than eleven a side?
Yes. The players setting scales a lineup from two up to eleven, so the same tool covers seven-a-side, futsal or whatever you actually field.
Can I send a shape to my players or coaches?
Yes. Export it as an image, or copy a link that reopens the exact formation and players on whatever device they open it on.
Start building
See your XI in a new shape
Open Builder, start from any formation, and keep switching until the shape suits the players you have.