Welcome, sports lover! If you’re looking for the best sports books to download for free, you’ve come to the perfect place.
Here you will find a wide selection of works that cover a variety of sports disciplines, from soccer to swimming, so you can dive into the exciting world of sports.
We understand that knowledge is power, and that’s why we strive to provide you with the necessary resources to help you improve in your favorite sport. Our sports books offer advice, techniques, and the inspiration you need to achieve your goals.
We know that life is busy, and that’s why we make sure our collection of sports books is easily accessible in PDF format. This way, you can download and read them on your preferred device, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Don’t wait any longer, start your sports adventure now! Download our free sports books and dive into a world full of action, passion, and perseverance.
1) American Football Books
American football is a type of contact sport that originated in North America, which in turn is derived from another well-known sport in England called rugby. It is a contact sport, where the attacking team must carry the ball into their scoring zone, while the defensive team must prevent them.
Some rules of this game were created by Walter Camp, from Yale University, who altered the usual practice of rugby by mixing certain concepts from European or English football, known as soccer in the United States. Thus, American football was born.
Two teams of 11 players each face off on a field with a length of 100 yards divided into 10 equal parts and during four periods of 15 minutes. Each team has four opportunities or downs to advance 10 yards, which are marked on the field.
2) Athletics Books
The etymology of this term comes from the Greek “athlos”, which means “competition”. Known as the oldest sport, with a solid and organized structure, athletics consists of a set of sporting events based on running, jumping and throwing.
Athletics is considered one of the oldest sports in the world. Its appearance dates back to the first Olympic Games that took place in ancient Greece in 776 B.C. But it was in Europe during the 19th century that many of the rules and disciplines that are known today were established.
Many consider it an art because it is in charge of surpassing the performance of athletes in speed, distance, endurance or height.
3) Basketball Books
The name «Basketball» is composed of two words: «basket» which is the net where the ball is shot and «ball». This sport is colloquially referred to as “hoops”.
FIBA – International Basketball Federation was created in 1932 and basketball was first included in the summer Olympic Games in 1936. By 1946 the United States professional league, the National Basketball Association – NBA, was founded, which has become the main league of this sport worldwide. In this league have participated the best players in history such as Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.
Basketball is currently one of the most played sports in the world. There are numerous leagues and championships taking place worldwide.
4) Bikepacking Books
To help you enjoy bike adventures to the fullest, we bring you a wide selection of free bikepacking books in PDF format.
With the aim of providing you with interesting details and showcasing beautiful natural trails, we offer the best texts on bikepacking, perfect for planning an unforgettable bike trip with a well-equipped backpack.
Consult and learn all the necessary information to experience memorable two-wheeled adventures, traversing mountainous trails surrounded by nature.
5) Bodybuilding Books
Bodybuilding is classified as a sport that consists of carrying out a weight training program with the intention of developing and controlling the muscles, and that they obtain and maintain the greatest definition and symmetry.
A good symmetry represents a perfect balance of muscle mass between both sides of the body, while a good proportion indicates that our muscle groups are developing front to back and side to side.
Frequently, in the field of bodybuilding, the Weider Principles of bodybuilding are named, a basis or laws of training that have been used with success by some champions of this discipline, among these principles are: Principle of overload, Principle of isolation, Principle of muscle confusion …
6) Boxing Books
Boxing, also known as box or pugilism, is one of the oldest sports as well as wrestling. This is a contact sport, in which two people fight using only their fists, which are covered with a special glove. The objective of boxing is to hit the opponent as many times as possible above the waist and inside the ring.
The origins of boxing go back to Egypt and the Orient in the time of the fourth millennium before Christ. In the history of Greek games, boxing was practiced as one of the disciplines that most attracted people. The first boxing fight in modern times was in 1681 in England when the Duke of Albemarle planned a fight between a butcher and his butler.
If you want to learn more about this exciting sport, we invite you to visit our selection of books on Boxing in PDF format. You won’t regret it!
7) Calisthenics Books
Calisthenics can be understood as a training method or system based on the use of the body’s own weight. Calisthenics works on muscle groups or chains and takes into account the plasticity and aesthetics of the movements, as it also aims to achieve harmony and beauty.
Like any training system, calisthenics has its own tables of exercises. Many of these movements are common to other disciplines, such as cross-fit or functional training.
The exercises performed in calisthenics are divided into basic, which are common exercises for strengthening muscles; static, based on advanced exercises that consist of maintaining the same position for some period of time; and dynamic, which are advanced exercises that consist of movement, used in freestyle.
8) Chess Books
Chess as we know it today, was born in Europe in the 15th century, as a new version of the game of Persian origin called «shatranj», which in turn arose from an older one called “chaturanga” that was played in India during the 6th century.
By the 16th century the tradition of holding chess competitions began, and in 1886 the first world chess championship was organized. This game is considered as a sport by the International Olympic Committee, and the international tournaments are controlled by the International Chess Federation – FIDE.
In our selection of chess books you will find all the details of this attractive and challenging strategy game. As well as its history and origin.
9) Crossfit Books
CrossFit is a total strength and conditioning program based on increasing the ten physical capacities most recognized by specialists in sports weight training: agility, coordination, balance, flexibility, strength, power, precision, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance and speed.
CrossFit was originally chosen by numerous military academies, police forces, martial artists and hundreds of elite athletes around the world as a standard strength and conditioning training program. Today, however, CrossFit has become popular among all sectors of the population.
Frequent vocabulary:
Box: Training place where CrossFit is practiced.
WOD: It is the workout that is performed every day. It changes daily and is never the same.
RX: Means that the athlete has performed the WOD according to the weight and modality prescribed.
PR: It is the highest amount of weight that the athlete can lift in a specific exercise.
10) Cycling Books
Cycling is one of the sports that encompasses several activities where the bicycle is the real protagonist. We know the history of cycling from the first velocipedes, but its development as such took place at the end of the 18th century.
It is a competitive sport, prepared for both team and individual work. Each of the types of cycling has something to contribute to our maintenance and in addition, the benefits of cycling bring us thousands of advantages for our health.
If you want to enter the exciting world of cycling, you can do so by visiting the link below with our selection of cycling books.
11) Diving Books
Scuba diving is an underwater activity that can be done for recreational, research, or sports purposes. It involves entering the water and submerging the entire body, generally with the help of some type of equipment that allows the diver to stay underwater without needing to surface for air.
Today, diving can be practiced not only in natural spaces such as the sea, rivers, or lakes but also in artificially created spaces designed for such activity in order to train the body and better prepare it for the original experience.
To practice diving, it is essential to have basic training, as it requires having a certificate with knowledge about this activity. Anyone interested in diving must take preparatory courses and obtain a certification.
12) Fishing Books
Fishing is an activity based on the collection of various types of animals and plants from the aquatic world, primarily for use as food or as resources for industries such as cosmetics or medicine.
Fishing is one of the oldest activities that mankind has developed to procure food. Even today, whether on an industrial or artisanal scale, fishing remains one of the world’s primary economic activities.
Similarly, fishing has become a sport and leisure activity that can be enjoyed with friends and family. However, whether in freshwater or saltwater, fishing requires a range of materials, much like investing in tools for a workshop, including hooks, fishing rods, reels, lines, and lures.
13) Formula 1 Books
Following the emergence of the first automobiles in the late 19th century, sports competitions began to be organized, and in 1950, a new global championship was initiated, Formula 1. The cars used in this category are single-seaters, which stand out for their engine power and aerodynamic resistance.
Also known as the “pinnacle of motorsport” or “the highest category of motorsport,” it is the most popular international motor racing competition. Each race is called a Grand Prix, and the series of races is known as the Formula 1 World Championship.
This sport is practiced on a circuit, which, depending on the country, may have specific architectural constructions and dimensions.
14) Golf Books
Golf is a sporting and recreational activity whose main objective is to insert a small ball about 46 mm in diameter into a hole, using various clubs, specially manufactured for this sport and classified according to the player’s requirement for a specific moment.
In a golf course, therefore, there are numerous holes (usually eighteen). Each golfer must follow the set order, attempting to get the ball into the corresponding hole: first into hole 1, then into hole 2, and so on. To achieve their goal, they must use the fewest possible number of strokes.
The duration of a game is limited, typically a maximum of 4 and a half hours to cover the 18 holes. The winner is the golfer who completes the itinerary with the fewest number of strokes.
15) Gymnastics Books
Gymnastics is a sports discipline in which systematic sequences of physical exercises are executed to develop different body skills, such as strength or elasticity. Etymologically, the word gymnastics comes from the Greek γυμνός by way of the related verb γυμνάζω translated as “train in gymnastic exercise”.
Modern gymnastics was born in Germany in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Johann Friedrich and Friedrich Jahn, physical educators, designed exercises for children and young people using a series of apparatus invented by themselves with a pedagogical purpose. Subsequently, Spanish Colonel Francisco Amorós introduced this educational gymnastics in France and Spain and gymnastics gradually evolved towards a sporting use.
The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) is the organization in charge of regulating the sport of gymnastics. This association recognizes six disciplines: general, artistic, aerobic, acrobatic, rhythmic and trampoline.
16) Hiking Books
If you are an enthusiastic individual who enjoys walking as a form of exercise while exploring outdoor trails, our free hiking books in PDF format are perfect for you.
With comprehensive and detailed information, you will be able to immerse yourself in useful tips for practicing hiking in the best way possible, as well as discovering special or popular locations to engage in this non-competitive physical activity.
Browse through the options of books we present to you this time and enjoy all the benefits that this non-competitive sports practice can offer you.
17) Hockey Books
Hockey is a sport that pits two teams against each other, with players using a stick to propel a ball or a puck that they must put into the opponent’s goal to score a goal. The team that scores the most goals is the winner.
This sport is played with a stick and has differentiated versions: on skates, on grass, on ice, and lacrosse. Other variations of hockey are less known, such as beach hockey, floorball, or skater hockey.
Each team is composed of attackers, midfielders, and defenders, plus a goalkeeper, and all desired substitutions are allowed. Except for goalkeepers, the rest of the players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or feet. Instead, they control the ball, which is roughly the size of a baseball but slightly lighter, using the flat side of their sticks.
18) Martial Arts Books
This combative discipline has existed for hundreds of years, and there are countless writings and treatises on the subject. In Egypt, passing through Greece, Rome, Africa and Asia, Martial Arts have been known since ancient times.
Currently, the practice of Martial Arts is carried out by thousands of people around the world. Usually this discipline is learned and executed for health purposes, for personal development, for personal protection, to increase self-confidence, or as a mental discipline.
Everything related to the origin, development, evolution and implementation of the different techniques of combat that make up this ancient practice, you can learn in detail by consulting the best Martial Arts books we have selected for you.
19) Physical Education Books
Physical education was not always compulsory in the educational system. As a subject it is relatively new, but there is not a moment in the history of humanity where physical activities have not had relevance and / or prominence.
Human beings need body movement in order to develop normally and in a healthy way. When the body is not physically active, it soon begins to fail. Its importance, then, is undeniable.
As a branch of education, it must have pedagogy as its center and the desire to serve the students so that together with the instructor they achieve common objectives and find in this discipline a form of expression, entertainment, health and dynamism.
20) Poker Books
Poker is an English term that, in our language, is translated as “póquer” or “póker”. It is a popular game played with playing cards. Some believe that poker is a derivation of the game “as nas” (of Persian origin), which would have reached New Orleans (United States) through settlers from France.
Players make their bets based on an initial foundation. The ultimate goal is to have the best combination of cards to win the total sum of the bets made or, at least, to make the other players withdraw from the game. There are different types of poker: Omaha, Ruzz, Stud, Chinese poker, horse poker… with Texas Hold’em being the most common.
It is played with a standard English deck of 52 cards, ordered from highest to lowest as follows: ace, king (K), queen (Q), jack (J), ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, and two.
All suits are of equal value in any of the plays. Two to seven players can play, although the most interesting games are those with five or six players. Each player plays for themselves, without a partner.
21) Rugby Books
Rugby is the name of a sport that involves two teams, each consisting of fifteen players. The goal is to carry an oval-shaped ball to the end of the field behind a line, or to kick the ball between two posts and a crossbar located on that line.
The sport is called rugby because it originated in 1823 in the English town of Rugby, which is in Warwickshire County. It was initiated by William Webb Ellis, who would later become a clergyman, while he was a student at the prestigious Rugby School. During a football match, disregarding the rules of the sport, he picked up the ball with his hands, desperate to prevent his team from losing.
Despite its enormous popularity, rugby has not escaped a barrage of criticisms and controversies due to the strong physical contact inherent in the game, which often results in severe injuries to the players.
22) Self-defense Books
Self-defense consists of the series of methods that a person uses to repel an attack against him or her, to safeguard his or her physical integrity and/or property. The law protects personal defense and exempts from liability when the defense has been carried out against an unjust provocation and the methods used have been in accordance with the offense received.
The martial arts are part of these systems of personal defense, and were originated in the 19th century, where fighting techniques are intermingled with ethical standards.
It is also important to note that there are no «miracle» techniques. Even the most experienced person is not exempt from suffering an aggression, an assault, a robbery or any other unpleasant situation. However, it is all a matter of probability. The more prepared you are physically and mentally, the less likely you are to fail.
23) Soccer Books
It is a sport played by two teams of eleven players, with the participation of referees who are responsible for ensuring compliance with the rules. It is considered the most popular sport worldwide, as it is practiced by millions of people around the world.
The term “soccer” is an abbreviation of the word “association”, and is used to distinguish it from other sports related to the word football. A clear example is what happens in the United States, where football refers to American soccer.
It is also known as “futbol” in Europe, Latin America and other countries around the world.
The governing organization of soccer is the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), and the most prestigious competition is the World Cup held every four years by that organization.
24) Sports Nutrition Books
In order to provide you with relevant information on health for people who engage in sports, we are sharing a collection of free sports nutrition books in PDF format.
Through this branch of nutrition, you have the opportunity to learn about the most suitable foods for proper maintenance of your body while exercising.
To discover which foods to avoid and which ones to prioritize, you can consult all the texts we share in this section.
25) Stretching Books
Stretching is a technique based on increasing mobility through the elongation of shortened muscles and adjacent connective tissues (tendons), The purpose of stretching is to give elasticity to the muscle-tendon system.
Muscle stretching is a necessary practice for the proper functioning of the musculoskeletal system helping to prevent injuries, to gain efficiency and to recover after an intense work, to achieve a better rehabilitation in those who are recovering from an injury or in people who have already suffered an injury.
Among the benefits of stretching we can mention: Before training, they help to increase the temperature of the musculature, decrease joint and muscle pain, increase muscle strength, help improve body posture…
26) Surf Books
Surfing is a water sport that involves performing pirouettes, tricks, or acrobatics on a board while gliding over ocean waves. The fundamental aim of surfing is to remain on the board for as long as possible. In competitive surfing, a panel of judges assigns scores to each surfer based on their technique.
Modern surfing evolved from a practice carried out by the indigenous peoples of Hawaii and Oceania. In the 20th century, surfing began to gain popularity in California (United States), particularly from the 1960s onwards.
To practice surfing, logically, a board is needed. The choice of one board over another depends on the type of swell, the weight of the surfer, and the characteristics of the waves. For the board to glide properly, it must have appropriate dimensions and a specific thickness.
27) Swimming Books
The origin of swimming is clearly utilitarian, although with the passage of time this activity has acquired the sporting orientation it has today. It is known that swimming races were already held in ancient Egypt, and that the sport was widespread in the civilizations of Greece and Rome.
However, it was in London, in 1869, where the first association of clubs with swimming pools was created, that swimming was established as an organized sport. This sport became an Olympic sport in 1896 in the men’s category, and in 1912 the women’s category was included.
The swimming events can correspond to these styles: Front crawl; freestyle; backstroke; breaststroke, in which the swimmer is with the chest down and the back up; and butterfly.
28) Tai Chi Books
For you who are always looking for options that allow you to enjoy a fulfilling life and constant well-being, we bring a complete selection of Tai Chi books.
This practice, originating in China, features various styles and a wide range of positions and movements that allow you to relax both your body and mind, in harmonious connection with your breathing.
Read the content of our free collection of Tai Chi books, and gain a sense of inner calm to enjoy a much healthier and more serene existence.
29) Tennis Books
The term “tennis” comes from the English word “tennis,” which in turn is derived from the French word “tenez.” When a tennis player (tennis player) put the ball in motion, he would exclaim “tenez!” which means “here it goes!” in French.
This sport originated in Europe at the end of the 18th century and spread to English-speaking countries, particularly among the upper class. Today, tennis is played worldwide. In 1926, the first tour was created, turning this discipline into a professional sport. And in 1896, it became an Olympic sport at the Athens games.
A tennis match consists of parts or “sets.” The first player to win a given number of sets is the winner. Each set is composed of games. In each game, one of the players serves, and this alternates. And each game is made up of points: 15, 30, and 40.
30) Training Books
We define training as the set of procedures and activities carried out to increase physical capacity, developing an individual’s qualities in the most suitable manner and according to circumstances.
It is almost mechanical as it involves carrying out predefined series of exercises to develop certain skills or increase muscle mass. The aim is to achieve maximum potential within a specific period.
Typically, it will begin with a warm-up lasting approximately 10 minutes, which may involve activities such as walking, jumping rope, or cycling, among others. Following the warm-up, a series of aerobic and anaerobic exercises will be performed to improve lung capacity.
31) Volleyball Books
Volleyball is a sport discipline in which two teams compete on a court that is divided in half by a net that is one meter wide. The objective is to propel the ball over the net so it lands on the surface of the opponent’s court.
It is worth mentioning that the ball can be propelled with any part of the body through clean strikes. However, usually, the hands and forearms are used. During the game, the ball cannot be held or retained.
Games are played in 5 halves, and the winner is the first to achieve 3 halves. To win a half, one of the two teams must reach 15 or more points with a minimum of 2 points advantage. On the court, each team can hit the ball up to 3 times before passing it to the opponent’s court and no player can hit the ball 2 times in a row.
32) Weightlifting Books
The concept of weightlifting refers to the Olympic discipline involving the lifting of weights. The metal bar that the athlete must lift, which has discs or balls on its ends, is known as a barbell.
Contrary to what may appear at first glance, it is not simply a sport of brute strength. In this sense, the following aspects are very important: correct execution of lifting technique, great coordination of movements, and a high level of concentration.
Weightlifters, or lifters (athletes who practice weightlifting), perform two movements known as the snatch and the clean and jerk. In this sport, muscle size, or muscle hypertrophy, is not as important. The athlete’s strength is paramount.
33) Sport Psychology Books
Sports psychology is a branch of psychology that is gaining more and more relevance due to its great contribution to the achievement of athletes‘ goals. Having a psychologist to help from your field can mean in many cases the difference between reaching a goal or staying on the road.
Sports psychology studies how, why and under what conditions athletes, coaches and spectators behave the way they do as well as investigating the mutual influence between physical activity and participation in sport and psychophysical well-being, health and personal development.
There is no country in the world where some kind of sport is not practiced. Thousands of articles have been written about the benefits of practicing sport, whether amateur or professional, and how this regular practice is related to both physical and mental health.