What the problem used to be
The classic notebook:
Many coaches have folders or notebooks filled with hand-drawn drills. Often difficult to read. Rarely accompanied by a full description. Not digital. Impossible to share easily with others.
The printed PDF:
Some coaches save drills as PDFs – but without animation, without structured metadata, and without any link to training session planning.
The idea that is never written down:
Most coaching ideas never exist in a format that others could actually use. They simply vanish when the season ends.
Sketch provides the solution to all three problems.
3 ways to create a drill in Sketch
Sketch offers three different entry points – depending on where you are starting from.
Method 1: Blank template
You start with an empty pitch (full pitch, half pitch, penalty box – you choose). Player counters, goals, cones, balls, arrows – everything is dragged and dropped onto the pitch.
Ideal for: A new drill idea you want to draw straight from memory.
How it works:
1. Select pitch size
2. Position player counters
3. Place goals, cones, and balls
4. Draw arrows for directions of movement
5. Launch the AI description
Method 2: Draw from text
You enter a written description – and the AI generates the drawing for you.
Example: “4 players stand in a square, 2 players in the centre. Outside players combine with one-twos, inside players press.”
The AI interprets the text and creates a visual layout. You can adjust it, add details, or use it immediately.
Ideal for: Drills you only have in text form – from a book, an email, or a coaching app without visual tools.
Method 3: Draw from a photo
You snap a photo of a drill sketch – from a coaching manual, a tactical whiteboard, or another document. Sketch recognises the layout, converts it into a digital drawing, and can turn it into an animation.
Ideal for: Drills from analogue sources that you want to digitise quickly.
What the AI automatically creates after drawing
As soon as your drawing is ready, you click “Describe with AI”. Within seconds, you receive:
Title:
A clear, descriptive name for the drill. For example: “3v2 overload penetrating in behind”.
Description:
A complete description of the drill flow – precise, structured, and easy to follow.
Coaching points:
3–5 key coaching points to focus on during this drill. Clear coaching cues that you can communicate directly on the pitch.
Age recommendation:
Which age group is this drill suitable for? The AI assesses this based on tactical and technical complexity.
Variation suggestion:
A progression to make the drill harder or a regression to simplify it.
Animation:
The drawing is converted into a dynamic animation. Players move, balls travel – exactly as you laid out in your sketch.
From drawing to club database
A drill you create does not just sit in your private library. If you choose, it can be shared directly into the club database.
What this means:
- All assistant coaches at your club have access to your drill
- The AI session planner can suggest it for upcoming training sessions
- The drill does not stay locked in your head – it becomes part of the club's collective knowledge
For academies:
This is especially powerful. When multiple coaches add their own drills, a shared club database grows over time, capturing the collective expertise of all coaching staff – animated, described, and fully filterable.
Sketch and the AI session planner: The connection
Sketch and the AI session planner are not two disconnected tools. They are completely integrated.
When you generate a session with the AI session planner, the AI searches both the 1,244+ standard drills and your own Sketch drills. It can suggest your custom-built drill just as naturally as any drill from the core library.
This means: Drills you have adapted for your squad feed directly into future AI session plans. The AI does not just pull from a generic library – it learns from you.
3 real-life coaching examples
Example 1: Documenting your go-to drill
You have used a pressing drill you developed yourself for years. Your assistant coaches have a rough idea of how it runs – but there is no clear documentation.
With Sketch: Drawn in 5 minutes, described by AI, animated, and added to the club database. Every coach on your staff can now run it.
Example 2: Visualising set pieces
Your side has rehearsed a specific corner routine. Three players make crossing runs while one attacks the far post.
With Sketch: You draw the starting positions, the runs, and the variations. The routine now has a visual representation you can show directly to your players – in Player OS on their phone or as a printout.
Example 3: Digitising a coaching notebook
You have a shelf of coaching books filled with hand-drawn session sheets. You want the 20 drills you rely on most available digitally.
With Sketch: Take a photo of the page, Sketch detects the layout, AI details the drill, and the animation is generated. In 3 minutes per drill, your analogue archive is completely digital.
What Sketch is not
Not a complex graphic design tool:
Sketch is built for football coaches – not graphic designers. The focus is on speed and simplicity, not pixel-perfect vector editing.
Not a matchday tactics board:
Sketch is designed to build and document training drills. For live in-game tactical adjustments on matchday, dedicated tactics board apps are better suited.
Not a video analysis suite:
Sketch works with 2D visualisations and animated drill boards, not match video footage.
Coach OS with Sketch: The complete package
Sketch is built directly into Coach OS – not sold as a separate add-on. That means:
- Created drills are immediately ready to use in the AI session planner
- Drills can be shared directly with players via Player OS
- Club OS unlocks a shared club drill library for all coaches across age groups
→ Try Sketch and Coach OS for free: coach-os.com
Conclusion: Your drill ideas deserve a better home than a notebook
Every great coaching idea that remains trapped in your head or scribbled on a piece of paper is lost expertise. Sketch gives it a lasting format – digital, animated, described, and shareable.
And through its connection with the AI session planner, your own drill becomes an integral part of your long-term session planning – not in spite of AI, but powered by it.
FAQ: Drawing football drills with Sketch
How long does it take to create a custom drill in Sketch?
3–5 minutes – including drawing, AI description, and animation. Even faster for basic setups.
Do I need drawing skills?
No. Sketch uses pre-built symbols and simple elements (player counters, arrows, goals) placed via drag-and-drop. No design experience needed.
Can the AI draw a drill based on my written description?
Yes. You enter a text description and the AI generates a visual layout on the pitch that you can adjust at any time.
What does the AI generate automatically once I finish drawing?
A drill title, comprehensive description, 3–5 coaching points, age recommendation, variation ideas, and a full animation.
Can custom Sketch drills be used by the AI session planner?
Yes. Your custom drills are accessible to the AI session generator alongside the 1,244+ standard drills.
Can I import drills from a book or whiteboard into Sketch?
Yes. Simply take a photo of the sketch; Sketch recognises the pitch markings and player positions and converts them into a digital drawing.