What happens in the body when playing soccer? How much does a player work during a match? How do players cope with the physical requirements? How should players train and prepare for a match? This book provides answers to questions like these based on scientific results combined with practical experience. In a simple way it gives the reader an understanding of the principles of fitness training in soccer and how to perform the training in practice.

Manchester United’s Tony Strudwick leads an all-star panel in providing the most current research on soccer. Soccer Science features the world’s leading experts in soccer history, biomechanics, physiology, psychology, skill acquisition, coaching, tactical approaches, and performance and match analysis.

Physical training is a key part of preparing to play soccer (football) at any level, but organising a genuinely effective training programme requires both an understanding the physiological principles involved and a practical knowledge of the demands of the game. This book provides clear guidelines, an evidence base and a theoretical framework for proven effective soccer training. Includes: planning seasonal training to peak at the right time training for strength, speed, aerobic and anaerobic fitness designing appropriate sessions for training and rehabilitation best methods for recovery from exercise and reducing injury risk preparation for play in different environmental conditions evaluating the effectiveness of training programmes diet, sleep, lifestyle, young players and long-term development. Clear explanations of the physiological concepts and sport science research evidence are given throughout, and the book contains many examples to illustrate the training principles in practice. This is an essential text for students of the game and a valuable resource for coaches, physical trainers and sport scientists working in soccer (football).

Science and Soccer 2nd edition offers a comprehensive and accessible analysis of the science behind the world's most popular sport, and important guidance on how science translates into practice.

Take an inside look at the world’s most popular sport. Soccer Anatomy will show you how to elevate your game by increasing strength, speed, and agility for more accurate passes and powerful shots. Soccer Anatomy includes 79 exercises, each with step-by-step descriptions and full-color anatomical illustrations highlighting muscles in action. Soccer Anatomy goes beyond exercises by placing you on the pitch and in the game. Illustrations of the active muscles involved in kicking, heading, tackling, and diving show you how each exercise is fundamentally linked to soccer performance. From attacking to defending to goalkeeping, Soccer Anatomy will improve every aspect of your game. You’ll learn how to modify exercises to target specific areas based on your style of play, personal needs, and goals. And you can prepare for competition by minimizing injuries using a system developed by FIFA’s medical research program. Combining authoritative advice, expert instruction, and stunning four-color illustrations, Soccer Anatomy is truly an inside look at this one-of-a-kind sport. Whether you’re a player, coach, or fan, if you’re serious about soccer, this is one book you need to own.

Blending contemporary sports science theory with youth specific coaching practice, this book offers soccer development strategies that are tailored to the needs of young players.

In this book an international group of sports scientists examine the major sports and the physiological demands of each.

'A ground-breaking text...will inspire you to learn, develop and deliver' - Sir Alex Ferguson Science in Soccer offers a series of contemporary insights into the multidisciplinary approach to delivering sports science support in elite level professional football. With billion-pound television deals and multi-million player transfers, a football team's performance has repercussions far beyond the pitch and league table. As a result, sports science plays an increasingly important role in the game, helping to develop elite performers. Through exclusive contributions from leading academics and practitioners working with some of the world's leading football clubs. Science in Soccer covers broad topics such physiology, psychology, performance analysis and sociology. Experts in the field also focus on specific areas such as physical preparation of elite players, injury prevention, fitness assessment, nutrition, player development and performance analysis. Written by two leading football academics and practitioners, this authoritative, accessible text explores the important role sports science plays in professional football. Science in Soccer helps coaches, practitioners, students and academics translate theory into practice and is one of the most comprehensive books on football sports science to date.

Sports psychology, exploring the effects of psychological interventions on important performance-related outcomes, has become ever more popular and prevalent within elite level soccer clubs in the past decade as teams look to gain psychological as well as physiological advantages over their competitors. The Psychology of Soccer seeks to present the detailed understanding of the theories underpinning the psychological issues relating to soccer, along with practical insights into effective psychological interventions and strategies This book uses contemporary theory and research to elucidate key concepts and applied interventions. It includes world-leading expert commentaries of contemporary theoretical and applied approaches in understanding critical issues in soccer, and provides practical implications and insights into working effectively in soccer-related contexts. The Psychology of Soccer is an evidence-based resource to guide research and facilitate practice and will be a vital resource for researchers, practitioners, and coaches within the area of sport psychology and related disciplines.