100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Auckland Bookstore open 8:30am-5pm on Sat & Sun

How To Watch Football

62 rules for understanding the beautiful game, on and off the pitch
3.91 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 830 ratings, 95 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How To Watch Football by Tifo - The Athletic offers an insightful guide into understanding and appreciating the beautiful game at a deeper level. It breaks down complex tactics, key player roles, and the evolution of strategies over time, making it accessible for both novices and seasoned fans. With engaging analyses and vivid descriptions, readers are equipped to enjoy football with a more informed perspective.
Read More
Format: Hardback
$2700
Elsewhere:
$3000
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are keen on deepening your understanding of football tactics and strategies. It offers insightful analysis on the beautiful game, helping you appreciate the nuances and intricacies that occur on the pitch. Whether you're a seasoned fan or new to the sport, it provides a fresh perspective on how matches unfold.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A pithy, funny, illustrated guide to football, publishing just in time for the 2022 World Cup.

'I love Tifo' Ian Wright
'Tifo are great' Alan Shearer
'Tifo have changed the game when it comes to football analysis' Elis James

RULE #1- DON'T WATCH THE BALL

Yes, football is about stars, goals and glory. But it's also about the intense calculations and movements being made by the twenty-one other players on the pitch. It's about the ticking clock, and the bellowing fans, and their impact on player psychology. It's about the coach, the club owner, and the director of football, who are watching, scouting and scheming from the side-lines. It's about money and data, about geopolitics and architecture, and even about climate change.

Football is the most popular sport in the world, and Tifo Football is one of the world's most popular football channels. In this short, illustrated guide, its creators share fifty-two simple 'rules' for understanding and enjoying the beautiful gameβ€”both on and off the pitch.

Covering the key concepts, tactics and philosophies that are shaping the sport today, How to Watch Football reveals surprising new perspectives on familiar elements of gameplay, while highlighting lesser-known aspects of the industry and its history.

Whether you're a casual fan or a football obsessive, the fifty-two golden rules in this pocket-size guide will deepen your delight in the world's favourite sport.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

How To Watch Football by Tifo - The Athletic has received praise for being an essential guide for those looking to expand their understanding of the game, with positive feedback highlighting its ability to simplify complex topics and cover a range of subjects from fundamental aspects of the sport to critical contemporary issues. Esteemed figures such as Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, and Elis James commend the book for its insightful analysis and its contribution to elevating discussions about football.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241609378

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 17 November 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Particular Books

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 157.0mm

Weight: 440g

Pages: 256

About the Author

With well over 1 million subscribers and 100 million annual views, Tifo Football is one of the world's best-loved football media outlets. Launched in 2016 to provide intelligent, illustrated analysis of the sport, it is widely regarded as a trusted source of information and insight, with videos and podcast episodes regularly explaining basics, busting myths, and sharing surprising new findings with fans. It is part of The Athletic, who provide unrivalled football insight and coverage across a range of formats from written to video and audio. Having assembled the best team of football writers, reporters and analysts in the world, The Athletic helps fans catch up, get in-depth analysis, and join the conversation on the most important happenings in the world of football.

More from Sports

View all
  • Formula One 2026
    The world's bestselling Grand Prix handbook is back for the new season. This is the definitive guide to Formula One 2026 β€” a complete examination of all the teams, drivers, and tracks featured in the packed Grand Prix calendar. Also including a full review of the 2025 season and a breakdown of the new rules and regulations for 2026, this...
    Paperback
    $3800
    Elsewhere:
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Legends and Soles
    The brilliant autobiography from the β€˜saviour of Nike’ If you’re a sneaker head, you know him as the saviour of Nike. If you’ve watched Air, you saw Matt Damon’s portrayal of the man who discovered Michael Jordan and how he revolutionised the payment structure of endorsements for athletes. Legends and Soles tells Sonny’s story – his blind-sided firing by Nike...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Surviving to Drive
    A hugely entertaining access-all-areas account of a year inside Formula 1, from Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner, star of Drive to Survive, one of the most successful Netflix series of all time. THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Gripping to read. Funny, real, exciting. It's a brilliant book.' - Chris Evans 'Fearless and candid... A gleeful guide to...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Good, the Bad & the Rugby – Unleashed
    The long-awaited book from rugby stars Alex Payne, James Haskell and Mike Tindall. Rugby megastars James Haskell, Mike Tindall, and Alex Payne get together to discuss the highs and lows of their podcast, friendship, and rugby. Among the key questions answered: What happened when Mike took their shambles of a podcast inside the walls of Windsor Castle to meet the...
    Hardback
    $5500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Gloves Off
    The unflinching autobiography from the two-time world heavyweight champion and British People's Champion, Tyson Fury, now out in paperback, Gloves Off is an enthralling journey into the life of one of boxing's most charismatic and controversial figures. From his humble beginnings to his meteoric rise and dramatic falls, Fury’s story is a testament to the indomitable human spirit. In this...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Salt Path
    The Salt Path is a deeply moving and profoundly inspiring true story that captures the essence of human resilience and the profound impact of nature on our well-being. This compelling narrative, a Sunday Times bestseller and shortlisted for the prestigious Wainwright Prize, recounts the life-changing journey of Raynor and Moth Winnβ€”a couple who, facing monumental life challenges, find solace and...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Salt Path
    The bestselling true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey not of escape but salvation, soon to be a major motion picture starring Golden Globe winning Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • States of Play
    The International Bestseller & Winner of the Football Book of the Year Award A Times Sports Book of the Year A Telegraph Book of the Year An Irish Times Book of the Year An Irish Independent Book of the Year 'Important, perfectly timed and hugely necessary.' The Guardian 'A monumental piece of investigative journalism.' Irish Times 'A must-read on how...
    Paperback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Swimmer of Auschwitz
    Pre-order
    The Swimmer of Auschwitz
    'Propulsive... Readers will be hooked' - Publishers Weekly Based on the extraordinary true story of Alfred Nakache, subject of the Oscar-nominated short film Papillon. Alfred Nakache, a Jewish child from Constantine, never imagined that he would one day swim for France at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936, nor that he would achieve a world record, as he did...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Pre-order
    Out 11 Aug 2026
  • The Formula
    A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'HANDS DOWN THE GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN ABOUT F1.' - Sam Walker, author of The Captain Class 'MODERN F1 IS THE SPORTS STORY OF THIS ERA AND NO ONE COULD TELL IT BETTER' - Kevin Clark, ESPN 'THE FASTEST READ YOU WILL EVER PICK UP' - A.J. Baime, author of Go Like Hell F1 is...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Breath
    Discover the transformative power of breathing in Breath by esteemed journalist James Nestor. This revolutionary book delves into the science and history of one of the most fundamental human activities - breathing. From the bustling streets of SΓ£o Paulo to the serene temples of India, Nestor embarks on a global journey to uncover the secrets of ancient breathing techniques such...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Forever Forward
    With a foreword by McLaren CEO Zak Brown and written with inside access, this is the real-time, unfolding story of one of F1's greatest ever teams, as they rise back up from oblivion. Few names in motorsports carry the same authority as McLaren, and with their remarkable victory in the 2024 constructors championship, they are now returning to form in...
    Hardback
    $4000
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.