The Art of Soccer [Paperback]

Mark Catlin (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: Soccer Books (June 23, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962683426
• ISBN-13: 978-0962683428
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Content & theory excellent, pictures & diagrams not as good, March 5, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (St. Paul, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Soccer (Paperback)

This is my current favorite book on soccer.

The quotes from Sun Tzu (The Art of War) are very appropriate. The book goes from the very general, a thorough discussion of space and its importance in war and on the pitch, to the very specific.

Catlin concentrates much more on the concept of roles as opposed to positions. When teams recognize that functional roles are much more important than positions and when the team members learn that they should be interchangable, the dynamics of play can become much more interesting.

Also helpful is the fact that the most important points are clearly highlighted, making it easy to focus on each of them as a teaching point.

I have developed a fairly large soccer library, and this book, even with its flaws, is one of the best. Clif Brittain

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book covering why specific tactics are used., August 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Soccer (Paperback)

Most soccer books describe soccer skills and tactics in either a "how-to" or "what it is" presentation. This book covers the reasoning behind specific tactics. This book explains why specific strategies and tactics work. This book is a must have for any coach or player.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, but unfocused and overlong, June 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Soccer (Paperback)

There are some good insights in this book (and some really nice pictures). However, I was put off by the author's tone, which is pedantic and mildly condescending, and I was unimpressed by his grocery-list application of the insights to the game. The Sun Tzu quotes were appropriate but gratuitous, and the author does not apply the simplicity which has made "Art of War" such a classic. Where "The Art of War" is about fifty pages (including third-party commentary), "The Art of Soccer" is about four times that length.

Brevity would have greatly improved this book. The real insights (primarily regarding the importance of using space in effective soccer) were covered fully in the first chapter or two; the details in the later part are covered more eloquently and carefully in other works (see "Coaching Soccer Successfully," by Roy Rees et al ...

For an intermediate coach or player this book could be quite helpful, but I suggest skimming rather than reading it.