Tactix vs Physical Whiteboards
Digital tactical animation versus magnetic boards, coaching notebooks, and touchline whiteboards
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim studies his magnetic tactics board in the rain during the Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town, August 2025. The image became an instant meme.
On August 27, 2025, cameras caught Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim on the touchline at Grimsby Town. His team was losing 2-0 to a club sitting 56 league positions below them. He was hunched over a small magnetic tactics board on his lap. In the rain. The internet did what the internet does. His board got replaced with Candy Crush, a Ouija board, a DJ deck. Amorim became a meme. But the image landed because anyone who has ever coached recognized something real in it. Not incompetence — the gap. The gap between what you can see clearly in your head and what you can explain with a laminated card and some colored magnets. That gap exists at every level. The Sunday league manager drawing arrows before the match. The academy coach with the formation sheet in a plastic sleeve. The first team coach whose halftime adjustments get wiped before the second half starts. The magnetic board didn't lose to Grimsby. But it couldn't show them what they needed to do either.
Physical Whiteboards Strengths
Physical boards aren't going anywhere, and they shouldn't. For a real-time touchline moment — quick adjustment, players around you, immediate feedback — pulling out a pocket board is still faster than opening an app. The tactile quality of moving magnets helps some coaches think through positioning problems. The cost is negligible. These are real advantages that explain why physical boards persist at every level of the game.
Where Tactix Excels
What boards can't do is move. They can't show the pressing trigger, the third-man run, the moment the wide midfielder drops to create the overload. They show a position. They cannot show the play. Tactix animates the full sequence — precise movement paths, realistic timing, multi-phase progressions — and produces a shareable link your players can watch on their phones before kickoff. The free tier removes every cost argument. The five-minute learning curve removes every complexity argument. And it works in any weather.
Verdict
Keep the physical board for the touchline — for real-time adjustments when immediacy matters more than fidelity. Use Tactix for everything where the plan needs to survive beyond the moment you drew it: pre-match prep, team meetings, player development sessions, any tactic worth remembering the next week.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Physical Whiteboards | Tactix |
|---|---|---|
| Animation playback | ✗ | ✓ |
| Link sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video export | ✗ | ✓ |
| Formation presets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free to use | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learning curve | none | none |
| Time to create | 2 min | 5 min |
Pricing Comparison
Physical Whiteboards
Under $30 (one-time)
Tactix
Free forever
Pro from $50/mo for 4K + no watermark
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do professional coaches still use physical boards?
Speed and habit. On the touchline, a pocket board takes three seconds. No battery, no Wi-Fi, no login. For split-second in-match moments, that immediacy is real. For everything else, it's mostly inertia — the board was always there, so the board gets used.
Can I use Tactix on a tablet during a match?
Yes. Tactix runs in any browser including mobile, and works well on a tablet for halftime presentations. For split-second touchline calls, a physical board is still faster — we're not going to pretend otherwise. Most coaching staff end up using both: digital for preparation, physical for in-match moments.
What happened with Amorim at Grimsby?
August 27, 2025. Manchester United lost to Grimsby Town on penalties in the Carabao Cup. Cameras caught Amorim studying a small magnetic tactics board on his lap in the rain while trailing 2-0. The image went viral immediately. Every coaching joke on the internet ran through that image for roughly a week.
Is the free tier actually free or is it one of those tools?
Actually free. Unlimited tactics, unlimited sharing via link, watermarked video exports. No account required to start. Pro ($50/month) removes watermarks and adds 4K. Team ($200/month) covers a full coaching staff of 10. The free tier alone does more than any physical board at any price.
Five minutes. No account needed.
Open the canvas, pick a formation, draw a path, hit play. You'll have something worth sharing before you finish this sentence.