Top Football Strategy Books: A Comprehensive Guide

Strategy is central to American football, perhaps more so than any other team sport. Each play gives the offense a chance to reset and attack in any number of ways, while the defense has to try to predict what’s coming and decide how aggressively to be in defending. For budding coaches, tacticians, scouts, analysts, and general football lovers, there are few better ways to absorb knowledge about the game than by reading. Alongside the various online resources for footy obsessives, there are tons of amazing books out there dedicated to explaining tactical trends, training set-ups, football history, and so on. Looking for books on football coaching or the best book to learn football? Looking for the best book to learn football strategy? Our books at Throw Deep Publishing are designed with football coaching in mind. Coaches who lead their High School Football Team into the Friday Night Lights are a huge part of the community we serve, and we understand how important the fundamentals, strategy and team building methods are to your success. This is why we believe we have some of the best books for football coaches available anywhere. We’re also passionate about serving the huge community of football fans worldwide, by providing “Football 101” information, and the best books on football tactics available today. Looking for a book of football plays? Don’t wait! That's why we've compiled a list of some of the best books about football coaching and tactics.

Classic Strategy and Tactical Evolution

1. The Pro Style (1976) by Tom Bennett

Published by the NFL, The Pro Style is a picture-led guide that covers the history of the professional game, offers biographies of some great coaches, and provides a great illustrated breakdown of how the game is played. The Diagram History of Football, in the appendix, almost justifies the inclusion of this book by itself. Nothing else will teach you as much about the evolution of formations - and its implications for strategy - in as little time. Now sadly out of print, copies are pretty easy to find secondhand.

2. Take Your Eye Off the Ball 2.0 (2015) by Pat Kirwan

Pat Kirwan is a former NFL scout, coach, and personnel man who moved into the media in the 2000s. He’s well qualified to explain the game, and in this book, he targets fans who know the rules of the game and the roles of the players but want to go deeper. If you can tell an under front from an over at a glance or can comfortably explain why the Wildcat is basically a version of the Single Wing, then this isn’t for you. On the other hand, if the previous sentence makes no sense to you, then this book should be ideal.

3. The Genius of Desperation (2018) by Doug Farrar

Doug Farrar, National NFL Writer for USA Today, goes deep into the evolution of football strategy from the 1920s to the modern day. He shows how strategic innovations usually evolve from what’s come before and are frequently driven by desperation - a coach who needs to find a new approach to stop a division rival, for example. It’s hard to see this flow of ideas at the time, but Farrar’s historical perspective makes the trends clear. This is a book I’ll be recommending for years.

4. The Games That Changed the Game (2010) by Ron Jaworski

Drill down a layer from Doug Farrar’s perspective, and you can isolate individual games that exemplify a key moment in the development of pro football strategy. That’s what Ron Jaworski does here, analyzing seven games and explaining how they represent a dramatic shift in strategy from what went before. Jaworski brings the games to life really well, and reading this will have you heading to YouTube to try to find some of the game films in question.

5. Blood, Sweat and Chalk (2010) by Tim Layden

Finally, if you drill down a layer from Jaworski, you end up with this - an analysis of the plays and formations that changed the game of football. There’s a lot of overlap with the previous two titles - but all five books on this list overlap to an extent. Strategy wins wars and tactics win battles; this is a look at how the tactics of the sport can shape the strategy.

Broader Tactical Analysis and Coaching Philosophy

6. Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson

Inverting the Pyramid is recognised widely as one of the most informative and intelligent studies of football's tactical history. Jonathan Wilson, who writes for The Guardian and is the founder/editor of football publication The Blizzard, looks into the finer details of the world's game, exploring the global development of tactics over the years. Inverting the Pyramid isn't just about formations, shapes, and numbers - Wilson also dives into the lives of great tacticians, revolutionary thinkers, and influential players who shaped the sport.

7. Soccer Systems and Strategies by Jens Bangsbo and Birger Peitersen

Written by two former coaches of the Danish national team, this text is an international guide to building a style of play around the strengths of the team’s players. Soccer Systems and Strategies introduces readers to football's four main systems of play and breaks down the different strategies, tactics, and stylistic ploys that can be used to contain and counter every kind of opponent. Filled with detailed diagrams and plans of action for implementing each system, the book is one of the most useful practical guides to football tactics available on the market.

8. Teambuilding: The Road to Success by Rinus Michels

All good coaches know that one of the most important ingredients for footballing success is an effective approach to teambuilding. In Teambuilding: The Road to Success, the highly influential Dutch coach and former Ajax legend Rinus Michels delivers some unique insight into this crucial aspect of the game. FIFA's Coach of the Century backs up his ideas with plenty of anecdotes and examples from his own personal experiences as a coach at Ajax, Barcelona, and the Netherlands national team, where he pioneered his revolutionary 'Total Football' approach. Despite Michels' imposing CV, his book still speaks to the most junior of coaches and tacticians too, giving useful advice for anyone involved with the team-building process.

Communication, Inspiration, and Mental Wellbeing

9. Gold Dust by David and Keith Mayer

There are plenty of books and resources dedicated to the tactical aspect of football coaching, which is obviously hugely important. However, one key element of the profession which is sometimes missed is the importance of building relationships and connecting with athletes on a personal level. A #1 Amazon Best Seller in the UK, Gold Dust focuses on strategies for improving communication and learning how to inspire players to perform to their best ability. David and Keith Mayer's book teaches techniques for optimising performances, improving the environments you coach in, and boosting athletes' mental and emotional health, with contributions from a range of First Team Managers, Head Coaches, Academy Managers and Elite Youth Coaches.

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Practical Drills and Small-Sided Games

10. Deliberate Soccer Practice by Steven Turek

A wide variety of different small-sided football games and drills are taught in this highly focused practical guide. Deliberate Soccer Practice argues that, done right, small-sided games represent the epicenter of soccer improvement. The text is aimed at football coaches of all levels, although it has a particular emphasis on youth coaches, who through the use of small-sided games have the opportunity to positively impact the technical and positional development of young players.

11. Skills and Strategies for Coaching Soccer by Ray Power

Providing simple instructions for teaching players tactics, shapes, and awareness, Ray Power's book is a must-have for newbies to football coaching and strategy.

Modern Analytics and Data-Driven Insights

12. The Expected Goals Philosophy by James Tippett

In the last few seasons, the metric of Expected Goals (or xG) has become a common sight for watchers of the game. It can divide opinion, although it's not going anywhere any time soon. For those who are still unsure exactly what xG means and how it can help us understand the game, James Tippett's book is the perfect introduction. The Expected Goals Philosophy provides a basic overview of how xG can be used to review and analyse football. Exploring theories used in gambling and talent identification, the book argues for the importance of this game-changing approach to football analysis.

Premier League Tactical History

13. The Mixer: The Story of Premier League Tactics by Michael Cox

If you're a budding coach or tactician, you'll probably want to gain some solid knowledge on the subject. The Athletic writer and podcaster Michael Cox has become one of the most respected names in the game when it comes to tactical analysis and data in football. His book The Mixer: The Story of Premier League Tactics offers a deep dive into the tactical history of the Premier League, looking at how the game has developed over the past quarter of a century. Analysing Ferguson's directness, Keegan's relentless attacking play at Newcastle, and Mourinho's cagey but highly effective Chelsea sides, amongst other teams and styles, this book has been billed as one of the most entertaining, rich, and knowledgeable football books out there.

Developing the Women's Game

14. Coaching Women's Football by Jane Haslam

In the UK and abroad, women's football continues to grow in popularity and quality, having been sidelined for so long. If you're particularly interested in developing a career within the women's game, Jane Haslam's practical guide to coaching and training is a great resource to get you started. Football has become the UK's most important participation sport for women and girls, and Haslam's book seeks to build on these foundations, offering guidance on technical skills, the principles of defence and attack, physical fitness and nutrition, and how coaching environments should be adjusted to suit the needs of female players. It's an impressive publication, and one which lovers of women's and men's football alike will benefit from reading.

Attacking Play and Combination Football

15. Modern Combination Play by Phil Roscoe

Modern football puts a lot of emphasis on organisation and defending as a team. Great managers such as Jose Mourinho and Diego Simeone have won trophies thanks to their focus on strong defensive play. But if you're more interested in working out how to break down difficult opposition and create goal-scoring opportunities, Phil Roscoe's Modern Combination Play could be the book for you. This text focuses on the key principles of passing, receiving, and possession which will allow you to break down opposition teams while playing attacking, free-flowing football. With more than 80 drills, exercises, and small-sided games focused on improving team combinations, the 11-chapter book progresses through technical advice and training tips on passing and awareness, switching play, possessing under pressure, passing combinations, and much more.

Coaching Essentials and Modern Methodologies

16. Coaching Soccer Champions by Tony Hargreaves

This best-selling book teaches over 125 drills for beginner, intermediate, advanced, and all-star footballers. Going through all the essentials related to tactics, possession, passing, ball control, and much more, Hargreaves' guide to coaching is an invaluable resource that can be applied in a range of different footballing contexts. Dedicated to preparing players for making intelligent on-field decisions, Skills and Strategies for Coaching Soccer can help football coaches and lovers of the game take their game to the next level.

17. The Modern Soccer Coach by Gary Curneen

Aimed at football coaches of all levels and with players of all ages and abilities, The Modern Soccer Coach offers a unique insight into modern football coaching, structured around a four-dimensional approach. Gary Curneen is a UEFA A Licensed coach, and his Modern Soccer Coach Podcast has over 2 million listeners, so you can be sure that the tactical, technical, and interpersonal knowledge communicated in this book comes from a trusted voice. In the text, he explains historical developments within the beautiful game, introduces some dynamic modern training methods, explores what sets coaches like Klopp, Guardiola, and Mourinho apart from others, and shares how to develop a competitive and enjoyable coaching environment for players.

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