Complete Soccer School (Soccer School Series)

I have the hardback edition, published in the U.S. in 1999, but the content is the same as this paperback edition. The book start with individual skills, with the first chapter on ball control covering receiving, turning, shielding, and dribbling moves. The book has many, many, excellent annotated pictures illustrating each skill. For most skills, the book diagrams a suggested skill-builder drill, which can either be done by players working on their own ("soccer homework"), or as part of a practice led by a coach.After the Ball Control Chapter, the book also covers Passing and Shooting, Dead Ball Skills, Defending, Attacking, Tactics, Goalkeeping, and Training and Fitness.The passing and shooting section has helpful diagrams of where on the ball to strike, and where on the foot, and has enough detail to answer most questions players or coaches would have about the details of how a particular skill should be done.In the tactics area, and throughout the book, there are also many diagrams and color artwork pictures illustrating player positioning and movement in a way that makes the tactics clear.I have many soccer coaching books, but this one is the one I go to when I want authoritative information and refresher on key points for teaching a particular skill. I've used many of the drills in my practices, and they have always gone well.The book has excellent information, and realistic and helpful step-by-step action pictures that demonstrate skills.The only real criticism I have is that sometimes I need more steps in the action pictures, particularly some of the dribbling moves, to see how the player got from A to C, and I feel like step B is missing.Now my two daughters (12 and 14) play with an elite club team that wins 2-5 state championships a year (out of 8 girls age groups) and I recognize so many of the key components of that program being effectively taught in this book. This book is tremendously sound in terms of both the skills and terminology it teaches, and the highly effective way it presents and teaches them.If you are a coach looking for an effective organization of skills and tactics to teach, or a player, especially one without access to expert, state-of-the art soccer skills training, I highly recommend this book. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, and this book is loaded with well-thought out pictures, artwork, and diagrams, players as young as 10, perhaps younger in special cases, could read the material and get very good use out of it. This book is simply excellent, and highly recommended for any soccer player and coach who wants to improve by learning and mastering the details of the skills and tactics needed to become a high-level soccer player.