diff --git a/playbooks/playbook.yml b/playbooks/playbook.yml
index e7d4018f..ba222cd3 100644
--- a/playbooks/playbook.yml
+++ b/playbooks/playbook.yml
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@
   hosts: all
   roles:
     - nrpe
+    - fic-backend
     - fic-frontend
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/files/backend b/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/files/backend
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..096494f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/files/backend
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../../../backend/backend
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/files/backend.service b/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/files/backend.service
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b696bd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/files/backend.service
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=FIC Backend service
+After=mysql.service
+
+[Service]
+User=fic
+Group=nogroup
+WorkingDirectory=/home/fic
+ExecStart=/home/fic/backend -unlockedChallenges -teams ./TEAMS -submission ./submissions
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/files/static b/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/files/static
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..bf249be8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/files/static
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../../../admin/static/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/tasks/main.yml b/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..edb67725
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/roles/fic-backend/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+---
+- name: install mysql
+  apt: name=mariadb-server
+
+- name: create fic user
+  user:
+    name=fic
+    home=/home/fic
+    group=nogroup
+
+- name: copy backend binary
+  copy:
+    src=backend
+    mode=755
+    dest=/home/fic/backend
+
+- name: copy admin htdocs
+  copy:
+    src=static/
+    dest=/home/fic/admin-htdocs
+
+- name: copy admin binary
+  copy:
+    src=admin
+    mode=755
+    dest=/home/fic/admin
+
+
+- name: enable and start mysql daemon
+  service: name=mysql enabled=yes state=started
+
+- name: create fic database
+  mysql_db:
+    name=fic
+    state=present
+
+- name: create fic user
+  mysql_user:
+    name=fic
+    password=fic
+    priv=fic.*:ALL
+    state=present
+
+
+- name: add backend service
+  copy:
+    src=backend.service
+    dest=/lib/systemd/system/fic-backend.service
+
+- name: reload systemd
+  command: systemctl daemon-reload
+
+- name: enable and start fic-backend
+  service:
+    name=fic-backend
+    enabled=yes
+    state=started