Most scouting report guides give you a list of headings and leave you staring at a blank page.
They tell you to include strengths, weaknesses, and a recommendation. They don't tell you how to actually think about each section, what the reader needs, or what separates a useful report from a forgettable one.
I write scouting reports professionally at a global football agency. I also review member reports every week inside The Recruitment Room.
The people who struggle aren't missing information - they're missing structure and clarity about what the person reading the report actually needs from it.
By the end of this article, you'll have a complete template you can use immediately, with context on what goes in each section and why. Not just the headings - the thinking behind them.
What is a scouting report?
A scouting report is a structured document that evaluates a football player's abilities, playing style, and suitability for a specific club or role.
The purpose is straightforward: give decision-makers enough information to act. Whether that's signing a player, adding them to a monitoring list, or passing entirely.
It's worth noting the difference between a scouting report and a match report. A scouting report is player-focused - it evaluates an individual across multiple observations. A match report analyses a team's performance in a specific game. Different purpose, different structure.
Formats vary between clubs and agencies, but the core structure is consistent. A good scouting report answers one question: should we act on this player, and why?
Who reads scouting reports?
Understanding your audience changes how you write every section.
- Head of recruitment - wants the recommendation upfront. Needs to know if this player fits the profile they're searching for. They're reading dozens of these a week.
- Coaching staff - cares about playing style. How does this player fit their system? What's their tactical flexibility? Can they play multiple roles?
- Technical director or sporting director - looking at the bigger picture. Age, contract situation, market value, development trajectory. They're thinking about the squad two years from now.
- Agents - need to understand how a player compares to others in their position. What are the selling points? Where does this player sit in the market?
The biggest mistake in scouting reports is writing for yourself instead of writing for the person who has to make a decision based on it. Every section should serve the reader, not demonstrate how much you know.
The scouting report template
This is the template I use as a starting point. I'll walk through each section with an explanation of what to include and why it matters.
Player information
Name, age, date of birth, nationality, position(s), current club, contract expiry, estimated market value.
Keep it factual. This isn't the place for opinion. The reader needs context before anything else.
A 22-year-old out of contract is a completely different proposition to a 29-year-old with three years left on their deal. Those details shape how the rest of the report is interpreted.
Executive summary
Two to three sentences maximum. Your recommendation goes here, upfront.
Think of this as the section someone reads if they only have 30 seconds. It should include what type of player they are, their standout quality, and your recommendation - sign, monitor, or pass.
Most people bury the recommendation at the end. Put it here. Decision-makers don't want to read 1,000 words to find out what you think.
Playing style and role
What type of player are they? How do they play? What system do they suit?
Be specific. "Progressive ball-carrying centre-back who's comfortable stepping into midfield" is useful. "Good defender" is not. If you're writing for a specific club, mention how this player would fit their system.
This section bridges the gap between the executive summary and the detailed analysis below. It gives the reader a mental picture of the player before you get into the evidence.
Key strengths
Three to five strengths, each backed by evidence from matches or data.
Don't just say "good in the air." Say "won 72% of aerial duels this season and consistently attacks the near post from set pieces." Combine what you've seen on video with what the numbers show.
Each strength should be a claim supported by proof. That's what makes it useful rather than just an opinion.
Areas for development
Honest assessment of where the player needs to improve. Not just weaknesses - development areas with context.
Frame it constructively. "Struggles under high press" is more useful than "bad under pressure." The first gives the reader something to work with. The second tells them nothing about when or why.
This is where credibility lives. A report that's only positive reads as if you haven't watched enough. From reviewing member reports, the most common mistake is either skipping this section entirely or being so vague it's meaningless.
Statistical profile
Key metrics relevant to the player's position. Percentile rankings to give context - for example, "88th percentile for progressive carries among centre-backs in the Championship."
Don't overload with numbers. Pick four to six metrics that tell the story. Always contextualise: raw numbers without comparison are useless.
The goal here isn't to show you can pull data. It's to support the picture you've already painted with video evidence. Data and the eye test should work together.
Comparison players
One to two players with similar profiles, ideally at a higher level (aspiration) and at the same level (peer comparison).
This isn't about saying a League One midfielder is the next Modric. It's about giving the reader a reference point for the type of player you're describing.
"Similar profile to [Player X] in terms of progressive passing range and defensive positioning" helps the reader immediately understand what kind of player they're looking at.
Use data-driven comparisons where possible, not just vibes.
Recommendation
Sign, monitor, or pass. Be decisive.
Include your reasoning: why this player, why now, what's the risk. If it's a monitor recommendation, say what you'd want to see before upgrading to a sign.
A report without a clear recommendation is just a description. Anyone can describe a player. The value is in the judgement.
Want a ready-made version of this template? Download the free Analysis & Scouting Toolkit which includes this template and more.
How to watch a player for a scouting report
Watch at least three to five full matches before writing a report. Not highlights. Full matches.
Highlights will show you what a player can do. Full matches show you what they actually do.
Mix home and away games, ideally against different quality of opposition. A centre-back who looks composed against a bottom-half team might fall apart against a high press. You need to see both sides.
Focus on moments with and without the ball. Body language. Decision-making under pressure. Positioning when the play is on the other side of the pitch. Take notes during the match, not after - you'll forget the details that matter.
A practical tip: watch one half focusing solely on the player. Then rewatch that half focusing on their interaction with teammates and the system. You'll catch completely different things.
The difference between watching as a fan and watching as a scout is intention. Fans watch what happens. Scouts watch why it happens. That shift in perspective changes everything about what you notice.
If you're interested in that distinction more broadly, I wrote about the two types of football analyst and how their observation methods differ.
Using data to support your report
Data doesn't replace your opinion. It backs it up or challenges it.
The best scouting reports blend what you've seen with what the numbers say. If your eye test says a player is a prolific dribbler but the data says they attempt one dribble per 90, something needs investigating.
Key platforms: Wyscout for video and basic data, StatsBomb for advanced metrics.
FBref used to be a strong free option, but since losing its Opta data licence in January 2026 it's become far less useful for detailed statistical work. It's still worth knowing about, but don't rely on it as your primary source.
Use percentile rankings to add context. Telling someone a player makes 5.2 progressive passes per 90 means nothing in isolation. Telling them that puts the player in the 91st percentile among centre-backs in their league - that means something.
Not everyone has access to paid platforms, and that's fine. A well-structured report based on thorough video analysis is still valuable. But if you can layer in data, it strengthens everything.
Common mistakes in scouting reports
These are drawn from reviewing member reports every single week. I see every one of them regularly.
- Being too vague - "good passer" tells the reader nothing. Good at what kind of passing? Over what distance? In what situations? Specificity is what separates a useful report from a pointless one. This is the most common mistake by far.
- Only writing positives - it reads as if you haven't done your homework. Every player has areas for development. Acknowledging them shows you've watched enough to give an honest assessment.
- No context - stats without comparison, opinions without evidence. A number alone means nothing. An observation alone is just a feeling. Combine the two.
- Too long - a scouting report isn't an essay. Decision-makers are busy. Aim for one to two pages. If it's longer than that, you're probably including information that doesn't help the reader make a decision.
- No clear recommendation - the whole point is to help someone decide. If you've written a report and the reader still doesn't know what you think they should do, you've missed the purpose entirely.
- Copying the player's Wikipedia page - career history isn't analysis. Where the player has been tells you nothing about what they can do now.
Before and after - what a strong report section looks like
This is the difference between a report that gets skimmed and one that gets used.
Take the key strengths section. Here's a weak version:
"He's a good passer and reads the game well. He's comfortable on the ball and can play out from the back."
Now a strong version:
"Completes 87% of passes into the final third (91st percentile among Championship centre-backs). Consistently identifies and executes line-breaking passes into the half-space, particularly under moderate press. In the 3-1 win vs Leeds, he completed 4 progressive passes into the final third in the first half alone, two of which directly created shooting opportunities."
The second version works because it's specific, evidence-backed, and gives the reader something they can act on. The first version could describe hundreds of players. The second describes one.
That difference - between vague and specific - is the single biggest factor in whether a scouting report is useful or not.
If you're building a portfolio of reports and want them to stand out, this level of detail is what hiring managers notice. I wrote more about that in why your online portfolio matters more than your CV.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a football scouting report be?
A good scouting report is typically one to two pages. Decision-makers are busy - they need clear, concise analysis, not an essay. Focus on quality of insight over quantity of words. If you can't make your case in two pages, the issue is usually structure, not length.
What software do scouts use to write reports?
Most professional scouts use platforms like Wyscout or Hudl for video analysis, and StatsBomb for data. Reports themselves are usually written in Word, Google Docs, or directly into a club's internal scouting database. The tool matters less than the structure and quality of the analysis.
Can I write a scouting report without access to data?
Yes. Data strengthens a report, but a well-structured report based on thorough video analysis is still valuable. If you want free statistical context, FBref still provides some basic data, though its usefulness has dropped significantly since losing its Opta licence.
How many games should I watch before writing a scouting report?
At minimum, three to five full matches across different contexts - home and away, strong and weak opposition. Highlights are not enough. You need to see what a player does across a full 90 minutes, not just the moments that made the edit.
What's the difference between a scouting report and a match report?
A scouting report evaluates an individual player's abilities and suitability for a specific role or club. A match report analyses a team's performance in a specific game. Different purpose, different structure, different audience.
Do I need qualifications to write scouting reports?
No formal qualifications are required. What matters is your ability to analyse players clearly and communicate your findings in a structured way. Qualifications like the PFSA can help build foundational knowledge, but they're not a prerequisite. If you want a broader overview of the pathway into scouting, I covered that in detail in how to become a football scout.
How do professional scouts structure their reports?
Most professional scouting reports follow a consistent structure: player information, executive summary, playing style, strengths, development areas, statistical profile, comparison players, and a clear recommendation. The template in this article follows exactly that structure - it's the same starting point I use in my own work.
Where to go from here
A good scouting report is structured, specific, evidence-backed, and ends with a clear recommendation. That's it. No mystery to it.
The template above is exactly what I use as a starting point. Adapt it, make it yours, but keep the principles: clarity, evidence, and a recommendation the reader can act on.
If you want the full template plus additional tools, the Analysis & Scouting Toolkit has everything in one place - it's free.
And if you're looking at the bigger picture beyond report writing - how to actually build a career in scouting or analysis - the free career roadmap maps the whole journey out step by step.