Changing the Playbook: How Women Have Transformed Professional Football

The inspiring history of women in and around the NFL

Since the inception of the NFL in 1920, professional football has long been dominated by men. But there is a rich history of women who have made profound impacts on the sport for decades whose stories have never been collectively told--until now.

In Changing the Playbook: How Women Have Transformed Professional Football, the amazing stories of these football pioneers are finally revealed. Featuring women such as NFL owner Virginia Halas-McCaskey, scout Connie Carberg, CEO Amy Trask, journalist Lesley Visser, NFL coaches Jen Welter, Jen King, and Callie Brownson, and many more, their lives and careers reveal unique backstories, historic achievements, and incredible impact. These trailblazers faced many obstacles, misogyny, and hostility, but their persistence has led to a new generation of women joining the NFL ranks, forging a legacy that will not be forgotten.

From the “no women in the locker room” policies of the past to female coaches, scouts, executives, media, and officials in the present, professional football has come a long way. Inspired to tell these women’s stories for his own daughters, Cash Lambert poignantly shares the courageous and powerful history of women in the NFL, their growing influence on the sport, and how they are changing football for the better.

• Publication date: 3 September 2026
• Page count: 248
• Dimensions: Height 160 mm; Width 237 mm; Thickness 21 mm
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9798216201786