All articles

From classic to digital tactics table: How vibe coding reinvented fantastic11

What happens when a proven football idea meets modern web technology, focused product thinking and vibe coding? An app that feels familiar while making an enormous leap forward.

fantastic11 had a powerful core from day one: build lineups digitally, then share or print them. That direct utility made the original site valuable. The new version does not replace the idea – it gives it the space it deserves today.

01

A strong idea, set up for today

The publicly visible original focuses on football lineups. Players are entered, simple display options selected, and results exported as bitmap, SVG, text or PDF. Saving a lineup prompts users to log in. It was pragmatic and absolutely right for its time.

Coaching is now more visual, mobile and varied. Coaches and teams want more than names on a field. They want to explain runs, mark spaces, prepare set pieces, cover multiple sports and show an idea right on the sideline.

The best modernization keeps the easy start – and removes the limits behind it.
02

From lineup generator to a real tactics board

The difference is not one flashy effect, but the entire workflow:

AreaOriginalNew version
Getting startedLogin required to saveStart instantly, no account
SportsFootballFootball, handball, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, American football and rugby
PlanningLineupsLineups, runs, zones, set pieces and sport-specific balls
DataServer account for savingLocal scenes with previews in your browser
OutputBitmap, SVG, text and PDFPNG, SVG, JSON, print/PDF and presentation mode
LanguagesGermanNine languages including Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese
03

Vibe coding: A wish becomes a feature

The surprising part is not only the result, but the path to it. The new app grew through an iterative dialogue: describe an idea, see the result, give feedback, continue building. Instead of writing pages of specifications first, every improvement could be judged directly in the working product.

01

Say the idea

For example: “Make the curved run adjustable from the middle.”

02

Experience it now

The change lands in the real editor and can be tried immediately.

03

Refine together

Small feedback steadily improves usability, design and details.

Short prompts became freely resizable spaces, sport-specific kits and balls, a local scene library, exports, multiple languages, keyboard controls and presentation mode. Vibe coding does not make product development arbitrary – it makes it immediate.

04

Why the new version feels so much better

The biggest improvement is not the longer feature list. It is the feeling that nothing stands between the game idea and the finished picture. Add players at the top of the field, grab and move kits, edit names directly, and delete selected elements with the keyboard. Everything responds where you expect it.

  • No account and no cloud requirement: your tactics stay local.
  • Lineup only or a full tactics board – you decide.
  • Seven sports with matching fields, kits and balls.
  • Export, print view and presentation for every situation.

The result is faster, more private, more flexible and visually clearer. Above all, it invites experimentation. That is what a good tool should do: not explain how modern it is, but make the next move easier.

NOW IT IS YOUR MOVE

Your first lineup is only a few clicks away.

Open fantastic11, choose your sport and put your idea on the field. Free, local and no sign-up required.

Create a lineup