Bennion Kearny publishes more than 50 football coaching books, written by the coaches, coach educators and sport psychologists who use these methods every week. Whether you call it football or soccer, and whether you coach an under-9s grassroots team, an academy squad or a professional side, you will find practical books here on tactics, session design, youth development, goalkeeping, the mental game and coach development.
Our authors include Ray Power, Peter Prickett, Andy Elleray, Dan Abrahams, Gary Curneen and DeAngelo Wiser, and many of their books have become international bestsellers, translated into several languages. The books are grouped below by what they will help you do. Titles published by our sister imprint, Hawksmoor Publishing, are included too.
Where to start
- New to coaching, or working with young players? Start with Making The Ball Roll or, for 5 to 11-year-olds, The Golden Age of Player Development.
- Need sessions for this week? Try the Deliberate Soccer Practice series or Maximise Your Training Sessions.
- Want to sharpen your tactical thinking? Read Coaching Through Superiorities and Football’s Principles of Play.
- Coaching goalkeepers? Begin with Goalkeeping Basics or the A-Z of Goalkeeping.
- Working on the mental side of the game? Soccer Tough is written for players; Soccer Brain is written for coaches.
Tactics and understanding the game
Books that help coaches see the game more clearly: how teams attack and defend, how the best coaches solve tactical problems, and how to turn those ideas into a game model of your own.
Coaching Through Superiorities: Tactical Problem-Solving in Football
Author: Ray Power | Published June 2025 | 152 pages
Ray Power’s newest book replaces fixed formations with a framework built on five kinds of superiority: numerical, qualitative, positional, cooperative and dynamic. It shows coaches how to spot and create overloads, adapt tactics to their players, and build ideas such as La Pausa, Positional Play and Relationism into their own game model, with reflective tasks throughout.
Football’s Principles of Play
Author: Peter Prickett | Published March 2021 | 140 pages
A distilled guide to the fundamentals of the game. Peter Prickett breaks football down into the in-possession and out-of-possession phases, examines the five attacking and five defending principles and the transitions between them, and challenges long-held assumptions, with more than 90 illustrations. Published in the US as Soccer’s Principles of Play.
Slot’s Masterstroke: A Tactical Analysis of Liverpool’s 2024-25 Title-Winning Season
Author: Peter Prickett | Published June 2025 | 222 pages
A game-by-game tactical breakdown of how Arne Slot followed Jürgen Klopp and won the Premier League at his first attempt. Through a coach’s lens and with tactical illustrations, it examines the formations, in-game adjustments and changes to player roles across all 56 games of the season.
What is Tactical Periodization?
Author: Xavier Tamarit | Published April 2015 | 132 pages
A clear introduction to the training methodology developed by Vítor Frade and popularised by José Mourinho and André Villas-Boas. It explains how to train around the four moments of the game – offensive organisation, defensive organisation and the two transitions – so that every exercise serves the coach’s game model.
Play Like Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona: A Soccer Coach’s Guide
Author: Agustín Peraita | Published September 2016 | 104 pages
Written by the FCBEscola Project Director at São Paulo, this guide dissects the possession-based football of Guardiola’s Barcelona and shows coaches how to bring its principles – ball retention, positional play and constant tactical reinvention – into their own training.
Universality: The Blueprint for Soccer’s New Era
Author: Matt Whitehouse | Published September 2014 | 210 pages
How the modern game is becoming faster, more technical and more tactically demanding, and what that means for player development. Using Germany and Pep Guardiola as case studies, it sets out the skills tomorrow’s players – from goalkeeper to centre forward – will need.
Soccer Tactics 2014: What The World Cup Taught Us
Author: Ray Power | Published September 2014 | 166 pages
Ray Power analyses the systems, game plans and key positions on show at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Download it free as a PDF.
Training sessions and practice design
Ready-to-use practices and planning tools for coaches who want sessions that look and feel like the real game, whatever the numbers, space and time available.
The Deliberate Soccer Practice series
Author: Ray Power
Ray Power’s bestselling series moves coaches away from static drills towards practices that keep every player engaged and making decisions. Each book contains 50 illustrated exercises that progress from simple to complex.
The 3v3 soccer coaching series
Author: Peter Prickett
Built on the triangle at the heart of football, Peter Prickett’s 3v3 method maximises touches and decisions for players of every age. The three books contain more than 325 illustrated training games between them, and are also available together in one 500-page Complete Collection.
Maximise Your Training Sessions: Football Practices for Ever-Changing Numbers and Spaces
Author: Rob McKay | Published January 2024 | 134 pages
For the coach whose players don’t all turn up, or whose pitch shrinks at the last minute. Rob McKay, Head Coach of Women’s Football at the University of Manchester, shows how to plan around space, numbers and equipment, and provides more than 45 practices that adapt to any setup.
The Bearded Coach’s Football Session Planner
Author: Peter Prickett | Published November 2024 | 100 pages
An A4, wire-bound planner designed by coach educator Peter Prickett. It includes guidance on principles of play, interventions and session format, example plans, and 40 blank double-page templates that open out to give an A3 working area for each session.
Find out more about The Bearded Coach’s Football Session Planner
Through the Thirds: A Systematic Approach to Planning Your Football Season
Author: Tony Mee | Published June 2020
A complete, possession-based season curriculum for coaches of players aged 12 and over. Developed and delivered by academy coaches with academy players, it offers logical progressions that develop play across every area of the pitch for the 11-a-side game.
Soccer Training Blueprints: 15 Ready-to-Run Sessions for Outstanding Attacking Play
Author: James Jordan | Published May 2016 | 134 pages
Fifteen detailed, game-based session plans made up of 75 exercises, written for busy coaches who need to make the most of limited contact time while developing attacking skills and a love of the game.
Pre-Season Soccer Training: A Seven Week, 50 Session Guide
Author: Vasilis Papadakis | Published May 2019 | 148 pages
The complete seven-week pre-season programme a UEFA A coach used in his team’s league-winning season, with more than 50 sessions and 165 illustrations that can be adapted for any age or level.
Youth development and grassroots coaching
For coaches working with children and young players, from the Foundation Phase through to the academy years.
The Golden Age of Player Development: A Guide to Foundation Phase Coaching
Author: Rob Porter | Published September 2025 | 122 pages
A no-nonsense guide to coaching 5 to 11-year-olds. FA tutor Rob Porter covers the coaching environment, working with parents, planning and observation, age-specific technique and the FA’s core player moves, match days and the coaching to avoid, with 20 proven practices.
Making The Ball Roll: A Complete Guide to Youth Football for the Aspiring Soccer Coach
Author: Ray Power | Published May 2014 | 358 pages
Ray Power’s international bestseller and a one-stop resource for youth coaches. Chapter by chapter it covers training practices, tactics, communication, psychology, physical development and age-specific considerations, brought to life by the experiences of real coaches.
Coaching Youth Football: What Soccer Coaches Can Learn From The Professional Game
Author: Ray Power | Published March 2020 | 360 pages
The follow-up to Making The Ball Roll draws on dozens of contributors from the professional, academy and grassroots games. It covers long-term player development, team building, modern playing positions, age-appropriate coaching, small-sided games, growth mindset, tactics and coach reflection.
Youth Soccer Development: Progressing the Person to Improve the Player
Author: Noel Dempsey | Published October 2015 | 150 pages
Noel Dempsey examines where youth coaching has come from and where it needs to go, arguing that developing better people is the surest route to developing better players, and that a young player’s whole environment must be part of the programme.
Developing the Modern Footballer through Futsal
Author: Michael Skubala and Seth Burkett | Published February 2015 | 140 pages
England futsal coach Michael Skubala and Seth Burkett explain how futsal develops the technical and tactical skills that 11-a-side players need, with practical guidance for coaches bringing the game into their programmes.
Find out more about Developing the Modern Footballer through Futsal
Goalkeeping and position-specific coaching
Specialist books for coaching goalkeepers, forwards and every other position on the pitch, plus strength training for players.
Andy Elleray’s goalkeeping books
Author: Andy Elleray
UEFA A goalkeeping coach Andy Elleray has written the most complete goalkeeping library we know of. It ranges from the basics for grassroots coaches to games-based training and research-led, age-specific development, and includes hundreds of illustrated practices.
- A-Z of Goalkeeping (2023)
- Games-Based Goalkeeper Training (2021)
- Goalkeeping Basics (2021)
- Age-Specific Goalkeeper Development (2020)
- Scientific Approaches to Goalkeeping in Football, 2nd edition (2019)
- 101 Goalkeeper Training Practices (2018)
- 50 More Goalkeeper Training Exercises (2018)
- 65 Goalkeeper Training Exercises (2017)
Developing Soccer Players: Forward-Specific Practices
Author: Dan Bolas | Published September 2018
Low-numbers practices that put forwards into game-realistic scenarios so they can rehearse finishing under pressure, whether working alone, with a coach or in small groups.
The Modern Soccer Coach: Position-Specific Training
Author: Gary Curneen
Instead of giving every player the same session, Gary Curneen shows how to develop the specific skills each position demands – from centre backs and full backs to holding midfielders and forwards.
Paul Webb Academy: Strength Training for Footballers and Goalkeepers
Author: Paul Webb | 220 pages
Two books from ex-professional footballer and strength coach Paul Webb, one for outfield players and one for goalkeepers. Each distils 20 years of experience into programmes that build strength, speed and power while keeping athletes healthy and resistant to injury.
The mental game: sport psychology for football
Psychology books for coaches who want to build confident, focused players and close-knit teams, and for players who want to take control of their own mindset.
Compete: Developing a Mental Playbook for Performance Under Pressure in Sport
Author: Dan Abrahams | Published May 2026 | 212 pages
Dan Abrahams’ newest book is a step-by-step guide to building a personal Mental Playbook for performing under pressure. It draws on more than 20 years working with Premier League clubs, NWSL teams, England Rugby and Aston Martin F1, and covers his Elite Competitor Model, focus techniques and pre- and post-game routines.
Soccer Tough and Soccer Tough 2
Author: Dan Abrahams
Dan Abrahams’ international bestsellers give players practical techniques – body language, mental scripts, self-talk and more – to develop focus, energy and confidence and play consistently under pressure. Both books are also available together in one volume.
Soccer Brain: The 4C Coaching Model for Developing World Class Player Mindsets and a Winning Football Team
Author: Dan Abrahams | Published June 2013 | 198 pages
Written for coaches rather than players, Soccer Brain focuses on the two sides of coaching that most books overlook – player mindset and team culture – and shows how the environment and relationships a coach creates underpin performance.
Coaching Psychological Skills in Youth Football: Developing The 5Cs
Author: Chris Harwood and Richard Anderson | Published March 2015 | 218 pages
A practical framework for coaching commitment, communication, concentration, control and confidence in players aged 5 to 16, including a complete 12-month development plan and sample exercises.
Find out more about Coaching Psychological Skills in Youth Football
Togetherness: How to Build a Winning Team
Author: Dr Matt Slater | Published May 2019
A concise, practical guide to creating togetherness in a team from a world authority on the subject. It shows coaches how to understand and harness their players’ group memberships to build a shared identity that drives performance and wellbeing.
Coach development, leadership and careers
For coaches who want to lead better, communicate better and build a career in the game.
Coaching Beyond The Lines: Influence, Inspiration, Integrity, and Impact
Author: DeAngelo Wiser | Published March 2025 | 246 pages
Hall of Fame soccer coach DeAngelo Wiser argues that coaches develop the person as much as the player. Built on four leadership pillars, it tackles attitude, conflict, player leadership and consistent decision-making, and closes with 24 team-building exercises.
Winning Your Players through Trust, Loyalty, and Respect: A Soccer Coach’s Guide
Author: DeAngelo Wiser | Published October 2016 | 148 pages
Drawing on more than 20 years coaching high school soccer, DeAngelo Wiser shows how trust, loyalty and respect give a coach’s words the power to inspire players and help teams over-achieve.
Find out more about Winning Your Players through Trust, Loyalty, and Respect
Building a Successful High School Sports Program
Author: DeAngelo Wiser | Published October 2017 | 182 pages
Practical guidance for coaches in any sport on building a lasting program while handling the daily decisions, demands and responsibilities that come with it.
Find out more about Building a Successful High School Sports Program
The Modern Soccer Coach series
Author: Gary Curneen
Gary Curneen’s acclaimed series covers the technical, tactical, physical and mental sides of coaching, position-specific training and pre-season. All three titles are also available in one 3-in-1 volume.
The Future Coach: Creating Tomorrow’s Soccer Players Today
Author: Tom Bates | Published December 2017
Tom Bates explores how the most successful coaches build high-performance cultures by focusing on mindset, human development and behaviour, preparing players to perform under pressure.
Let’s Talk Soccer: Using Game-Calls to Develop Communication and Decision-Making in Football
Author: Gerard Jones | Published April 2015 | 142 pages
How clear, individualised communication – and a shared language of game-calls – helps players understand the game and make better decisions on the pitch.
Coaching Abroad: How 8 Coaches Got Jobs and Succeeded Worldwide
Author: Blaine McKenna | Published November 2022 | 226 pages
The real stories of eight coaches without high-profile playing careers who have worked in 28 countries across five continents, full of practical dos and don’ts for anyone thinking of coaching overseas.
Refereeing
The psychology of officiating, for referees and for the coaches and players who work with them.
Blowing The Whistle: The Psychology of Football Refereeing
Author: Stuart Carrington | Published October 2019
A thoroughly researched look at the questions every referee faces: crowd influence, home advantage, big-name players, mental health, and how to prepare psychologically for a match.
The Sports Official’s Journal
Author: Stuart Carrington | Published May 2026 | 100 pages
A structured reflective journal for referees and umpires, built on research into confidence, resilience, motivation and decision-making, with exercises and reflection sheets to review performance and strengthen the mental game.
Reading around the game
Books on how football works, where it is heading and the people in it, for coaches who want to think more widely about the sport.
The Bundesliga Blueprint: How Germany became the Home of Football
Author: Lee Price | Published August 2015 | 184 pages
How Germany rebuilt its football after a humiliating Euro 2000, through a ten-year plan that transformed youth development and led to the 2014 World Cup.
The Way Forward: Solutions to England’s Football Failings
Author: Matthew Whitehouse | Published July 2013 | 236 pages
A coach’s diagnosis of English football’s underperformance and a multi-pronged plan for improving youth development and coaching.
It’s Just a Ball: Exploring the Complexity of a Simple Game
Author: Jon Townsend | Published April 2021 | 190 pages
Stories and interviews from players and coaches around the world who found success in unconventional ways, and a case for embracing soccer as a lifestyle.
The Footballer’s Journey: Real-World Advice on Becoming and Remaining a Professional Footballer
Author: Dean Caslake and Guy Branston | Published March 2014 | 164 pages
Candid advice on the realities of making it as a professional, from the odds and how academies work to mindset and having a plan B. Useful reading for young players, parents and the coaches who guide them.
One Football, No Nets
Author: Justin Walley | Published December 2018 | 350 pages
An amateur British coach becomes manager of Matabeleland and takes them to the 2018 CONIFA World Cup against fearsome odds: a funny, touching story about the pure spirit of football.
Free coaching resources
Alongside the books, we publish free extracts and articles from our authors in our football coaching articles collection, and you can download Ray Power’s Soccer Tactics 2014 free as a PDF. To hear about new coaching books first, join our soccer books mailing list, or browse every title in the soccer coaching books category.
Write for Bennion Kearny
We are always looking for coaches with something new to say, including in areas other publishers consider too specialist. If you are a coach, coach educator or player with an idea for a book, tell us about it.