What Hudl Does
Hudl is the most widely used sports video platform in the world. At grassroots and semi-professional level, clubs use it to upload and share match footage, build clip playlists, and send video feedback to players. At professional level, Hudl integrates with Hudl Sportscode for deep analysis workflows.
- Video upload, storage, and sharing across a whole club
- Clip building and playlist management
- Player video sharing — sending specific clips to individual athletes
- Integration with Hudl Sportscode for elite analysis
- Cross-platform — coaches, players, and scouts all access the same library
What it does not do: Hudl is a post-match tool. You upload footage and work with it after the game. There is no dedicated live sideline logging tool built into Hudl for analysts who are watching a match without a camera or without their laptop setup.
What Hudl Sportscode Does
Hudl Sportscode is the elite video analysis tool used by professional clubs, national teams, and academies worldwide. It provides deep, configurable coding systems linked to video timecode — every coded event becomes a reviewable clip, every clip can be assembled into a playlist.
- Highly configurable coding matrices — analysts build custom code windows matching exactly their analytical framework
- Live capture and coding — when connected to a camera or video stream, analysts can code events in real time against the live footage
- Multi-angle playback and timeline management
- Advanced scripting for automated analysis workflows
- Remote coding via shared timelines — multiple analysts can code the same live stream simultaneously from different locations (Elite licence required)
- Coda app — a companion iPad app that lets analysts code live without being at the Sportscode laptop, syncing data back to the main timeline
Important correction from common misconception: Hudl Sportscode does support live coding without the analyst being physically present at the laptop — via Coda on iPad. However, live coding in Sportscode still requires a video feed (live stream or camera capture) running simultaneously. Coda codes against that live video source. Without any video feed at all, Sportscode and Coda cannot function.
What it does not do: Hudl Sportscode is macOS only. It requires a video feed for its coding to function. At a match where no camera is present — a scouting trip, a remote youth fixture, a ground without filming infrastructure — Sportscode's workflow does not start until footage is obtained and loaded.
What Nacsport Does (Since It Is Part of This Ecosystem)
Nacsport is worth mentioning here because it directly competes with Hudl Sportscode at the professional level and is often used alongside or instead of it at clubs across Europe.
Nacsport has one capability that Hudl Sportscode does not: registering without a video source. With a Scout licence or higher, analysts can tag events live without any video feed, then synchronise the footage afterwards. Their Tag&view iOS app extends this to mobile devices.
This means Nacsport's mobile tagging is slightly closer to what Tactics Note does — in that it can operate without video. But the similarity ends there. Nacsport Tag&view exports XML to sync back into Nacsport's full video platform. It is designed as an input layer for a Nacsport workflow, not as a standalone, video-independent logging tool. It still requires Nacsport licencing, the desktop software, and eventual video for the workflow to be complete.
Where Tactics Note Fits
Tactics Note operates in the space that neither Hudl, Hudl Sportscode, nor their companion apps are designed to cover:
Matches with no camera and no video.
A scout at a non-league ground with a phone. A coach at a youth tournament with no camera setup. A performance analyst watching an opponent without filming access. In these situations, Tactics Note captures a complete, structured match record. Hudl and Sportscode are waiting for footage that does not exist yet.
Lightweight mobile logging alongside video.
Even at matches that are being filmed, an analyst using Tactics Note on a phone alongside a camera operator gets the best of both: live qualitative notes captured in real time, and video that arrives later. The Tactics Note CSV timestamps align directly with the video timecode when both are started at kickoff.
Clubs and analysts without Hudl or Sportscode.
Many coaches and analysts at grassroots, youth, and lower semi-professional levels do not have access to Hudl Sportscode. Tactics Note functions as a standalone live analysis system — producing structured, timestamped, exportable match data without any video platform dependency.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Tactics Note | Hudl | Hudl Sportscode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary function | Live match logging | Video sharing & analysis | Elite video coding |
| Requires video | No | Yes | Yes (for coding) |
| Works on mobile | Yes — web app | Yes — app | Via Coda iPad app |
| Live coding without video | Yes — core feature | No | No (Coda needs video feed) |
| Works without internet | Yes — local storage | No | Partially |
| macOS only | No | No | Yes |
| Tag / coding system | Customisable tag library | Basic | Highly configurable |
| CSV export | Yes — one tap | Limited | Yes |
| Clip playlists | No | Yes | Yes |
| Player video sharing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Setup before match | 30 seconds | N/A (post-match) | Significant |
| Target level | All levels | All levels | Professional / elite |
| Price | Free (beta) | Club subscription | Professional licence |
The Combined Workflow
For analysts who have access to Hudl or Hudl Sportscode, the most effective workflow combines both tools:
- During the match
Tactics Note on a phone or tablet — logging timestamped, tagged events in real time. No camera required. Works anywhere.
- After the match
Hudl or Sportscode — video uploaded or imported. The Tactics Note CSV export used as a navigation reference, pointing the analyst to the exact timestamps of every significant event. The video review session is directed rather than exhaustive — the analyst goes to the moments that matter instead of watching from the beginning.
- The result
A complete analysis package — structured live observational data from Tactics Note feeding the video coding session in Sportscode, producing an output that neither tool could produce alone.
Free During Beta
Tactics Note is free. Hudl and Hudl Sportscode operate on club and professional licences with pricing on request. Adding Tactics Note to an existing Hudl or Sportscode workflow costs nothing and adds a live logging capability that neither platform natively provides for the no-video scenario.
FAQ
Are Hudl and Sportscode the same company?
Yes. Sportstec — the Australian company that developed Sportscode — was acquired by Hudl in July 2015. The product is now called Hudl Sportscode. Hudl operates both the general Hudl platform (for teams of all levels) and Hudl Sportscode (for professional and elite clubs).
Can Hudl Sportscode code matches without video?
No. Hudl Sportscode's coding system — including the Coda companion iPad app — requires a live video feed or camera capture to function. Coda codes against a live video source that is simultaneously captured in Sportscode. Without any video feed, neither Sportscode nor Coda can operate. This is the key difference from Tactics Note, which works entirely without video.
Is Tactics Note a replacement for Hudl Sportscode?
No. They solve different problems. Hudl Sportscode is a deep video analysis platform for elite clubs. Tactics Note is a lightweight live logging tool that works on any device with almost no internet, and requires no video. The two tools are complementary: Tactics Note captures the live observation layer that feeds into the Sportscode video session.
Can the Tactics Note CSV export be used with Hudl or Sportscode?
Yes — as a navigation reference. When Tactics Note's match timer is started simultaneously with the video recording at kickoff, the timestamps in the CSV correspond to the video timecode in Hudl or Sportscode. This lets an analyst jump directly to each logged event in the video without watching from the start.
Does Nacsport allow live coding without video?
Yes — with a Scout licence or higher, Nacsport allows analysts to tag events live without a video source and sync footage later. This is called "registering without a video source." However, Nacsport's mobile tagging (Tag&view) is designed as an input layer for the full Nacsport desktop workflow. Tactics Note is designed as a standalone live logging tool with no platform dependency.
Who should use Tactics Note alongside Hudl?
Any analyst who attends matches without a camera setup, or who wants to log live qualitative observations on a phone during matches that are being filmed separately. Scouts, assistant coaches, and performance analysts at all levels benefit from having live structured notes that feed into their existing video workflow.
Tactics Note fills the live logging gap in the Hudl and Sportscode workflow — works on any device, needs no video, free during beta.
Try Tactics Note free during beta