Should you film a soccer game with a phone gimbal? No. A gimbal is a handheld stabiliser built for walking shots, and its tracking follows one person you pick. A soccer game happens across a whole field, outdoors, with the ball doing the travelling. You need height, a stable tripod and tracking set up for the sport. Trackd has dedicated modes for soccer, futsal, rugby union, rugby league and AusTag/Touch, plus basketball and netball for the indoor season.
Outdoors is where a gimbal comes unstuck
Gimbals are designed and sold as handheld devices. DJI says the built-in tripod on its Osmo Mobile 7 Series is "suitable for stable, level surfaces in windless environments", and lists that tripod at 67 mm long. Now picture a handheld gimbal with your phone out on its arm, three metres up a mast on an open field in an afternoon breeze. Nobody designed a gimbal for that.
A gimbal can't follow the ball
In soccer the ball is the story. DJI says the Osmo Mobile 7P's tracking module "only supports tracking human subjects", and its app tracking starts when you tap the person you want to follow. Lock onto one player and you film that player while the play switches wings. Group Sports Soccer frames the play from a Halfway Line or Around One-Third position instead.
What a field camera actually needs
- Height. Full-size fields are usually filmed from 2.5 to 4 metres at halfway, and Trackd's Soccer Broadcast View is designed around a 4 m tripod.
- A stable base. Spread the legs fully and hang a counterweight: the Trackd Tripod has a weight hook under the centre column for a bag or weight.
- Cover from the weather. The Complete Kit's sideline umbrella clicks onto the tripod to shield your phone from rain and glare. Close it and lower the tripod when the wind picks up.
- Power for the whole game. The Trackd Mount runs for up to 8 hours and charges your iPhone while it records.
- A mode for the sport. Soccer, futsal, rugby union, rugby league and AusTag/Touch each have their own Group Sports mode, with a Goal Line position for rugby and AusTag/Touch.
Gimbal vs Trackd on a field
| Field need | Handheld phone gimbal | Trackd |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | DJI rates its own built-in tripod for windless environments | Counterweight hook on the Trackd Tripod. Lower the tripod and close the umbrella in strong wind |
| Height | Built-in tripod 67 mm, extension rod up to 215 mm (Osmo Mobile 7P) | Fits any 1/4"-20 tripod. 183 cm Trackd Tripod in the Complete Kit; Soccer Broadcast View is designed for a 4 m tripod |
| What it follows | A person you select | The play, in the mode for your sport |
| Weather cover | Not part of a gimbal kit | Sideline umbrella in the Complete Kit |
| Sports | General subject tracking | Soccer, futsal, rugby union, rugby league, AusTag/Touch, basketball and netball |
Where to put the tripod
Stand level with halfway on the long sideline, legs fully spread and outside the field of play. Rugby and AusTag/Touch also offer a Goal Line position. Check the whole field in frame before kick-off, and never leave a raised tripod or an open umbrella unattended.
Field setup guides
DJI's own pages
- DJI Osmo Mobile 7P — Tracking, built-in tripod and battery footnotes; checked 16 October 2026.
- DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Series specifications — Operating time with tracking, phone weight, built-in tripod length and extension rod.
- DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Series FAQ — Built-in tripod conditions, tripod thread and wide-angle clearance.
Gimbal or sports mount? Compare by sport
Made for the sideline, in any season
Mount, tripod and sideline umbrella in one kit, with modes for soccer, rugby and AusTag/Touch.