I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

[NewNapkin]

Hey all!

So, a little background. I don't come from a soccer/football loving family background, but the game always interests me. For that reason, I will buy the newest version of FIFA every once and a while.

I bought FIFA 15 on the PS4 today, and I am determined to actually learn how to play this game realistically, and not get so frustrated with my play. So, I am really just looking for some general knowledge on how to play good defense, and how to generate scoring chances. I already understand all the rules of the game, I just always let up a ton of shots and never create any. Can anyone help a frustrated American FIFA player out?

[JHedges2]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

Hey all!

So, a little background. I don't come from a soccer/football loving family background, but the game always interests me. For that reason, I will buy the newest version of FIFA every once and a while.

I bought FIFA 15 on the PS4 today, and I am determined to actually learn how to play this game realistically, and not get so frustrated with my play. So, I am really just looking for some general knowledge on how to play good defense, and how to generate scoring chances. I already understand all the rules of the game, I just always let up a ton of shots and never create any. Can anyone help a frustrated American FIFA player out?

I'm in the same boat! I got the 'soccer bug' when the WC hit this summer and have been HOOKED (to say the least...) since. Even upgraded my Directv so as to get NBCSN so I can watch BPL games every weekend lol.

With that said, I've been playing a lot of FIFA, as I bought the game on release day. Thing is, I feel as though it's more of an 'arcade' experience, as I really don't know a lot about formations. I've tried using different ones, but I feel like I generally 'play' all of them the same.

The guys on here all have been super helpful explaining different nuances about the game, but I still feel like I play the same game of football whether I use a 4-3-3 or 4-1-2-1-2. I watch it on TV and can't tell one formation from another--unlike American football where it's obvious to see a defense in a 4-3 or 3-4, or using the nickel or dime package.

I've learned the position names and where they play on the field and such--but generally just don't know how I should facilitate the offense & defense when playing with different formations.

Anyway, I guess that's my long-winded version of saying 'me too friend', lol.

[NightRaven3]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

You know a simple way to learn is to watch it on tv. I know that sounds cheesy but if you watch an actual real game and just look at how they pass the ball and try to implement it whwn you play this game it works. But skills wise and formations ill leave that to someone else to explain

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

You know a simple way to learn is to watch it on tv. I know that sounds cheesy but if you watch an actual real game and just look at how they pass the ball and try to implement it whwn you play this game it works. But skills wise and formations ill leave that to someone else to explain

I actually think there's a lot you don't get from watching on tv. Stuff like understanding overall team movement and positioning relative to how the opposing team is positioned in a given instance during a match, but it is a good start.

My points:

For the love of god switch off all the semi-assisted and auto control settings in favor of manual.

Try to build up attacks with a variety of passes, and try to be contextually aware. If you have a good numbers advantage forward, or are in a good position for a counter, don't over pass the ball along the ground. More than anything, don't always try to play tiki-taka.

One thing that helped me years ago was simply making sure I didn't get too locked into the player I was controlling with the ball. I would constantly hold the ball too long and miss windows of space, open players, or favorable 1 on 1 matchups to play the ball into.

While you possess the ball, learn to look around and try to assess the things I just listed from moment to moment. Also try to imagine a couple potential passes and off-ball movements ahead of time. It's not an instant thing, but try to keep it in mind and it will come.

For defending don't chase. Try to stay in your lane (within reason) in order to maintain overall team defensive shape. Be judicious about when to actually go in for a tackle. Try to close down the opposing players' space before making a high percentage tackle.

[kashik]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

In Fifa, offense is very arcade like. If you want to generate lots of good scoring chances, you'll be playing a lot of counterattacking while trying to get the ball to your forwards as quickly as possible. Don't expect build-up play to be a big part of your strategy.

For defense, it is more realistic. I find the best advice is to keep your players in position by not remaining in control of a single player for too long. Generally, if you don't understand the game so well, switch to the player closest to the attacker with the ball that you want to mark, don't bring a player that is further away out of position to mark them.

Also, I like the 4-1-2-1-2 and 4-2-2-2 formations. In these formations I spend most of my time controlling the defending mids to defend. Let the ai control your back line while you cut passing lanes and apply pressure with your defending mid(s)

You will probably become better at defending first. Just play conservatively in the back and it will cut down a lot of scoring chances. Attacking will take more time as you need to learn to recognize what leads to good scoring chances in Fifa.

[RagazzoKobe]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

You need only few buttons.

Step 1: You need fast players like all the cheesy players have. Someone like Ibarbo, Emenike or Victor Ramos who are in reality just solid players will do magic for you.

Step 2: Press L1+triangle when your midfielder has the ball to get the ball in front. Sometimes just pressing triangle works, but if you want to make it sure, press L1+triangle.

Step 3: As you see Ibarbo running like a cheetah while your opponents defender are still looking for the ball just press R2 so that you can be even faster.

Step 4: Try to as close to the goal as you can and press shooting button, it's usually circle, or square

Step 5: You just scored the GOAL, you can celebrate as you are winning and your opponent is trying to calm himself down because he just broke his last gamepad few days ago

Step 6: There's no step 6, just repeat first five steps every time you get the ball, simple isn't it

And to mention as a Step 0.5: You'll need one of those before the game. Just as your opponent is trying not to brake his new gamepad because of how freaked out his, that will, very possibly, happen to you at some time.

You can get one of those aswell

[IlianGeorgiev]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

If you want to know how to play in FIFA world cup then you must have a passion about football playing. without passion is any game we can't play properly. practice everyday for playing and running with football then you can play football properly.

[olig23]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

I would say there are two schools of thought in terms of how to "improve" at Fifa.

The question you need to answer, in my opinion, is. What is your priority? Is it to win games online, vs other people either in seasons or FUT? Or is it to play realistic football and enjoy improving your understanding of the game through interactive virtual recreation of the sport? For me the two are largely exclusive of one another. Although, not definitely so.

You will here lots of things about how pace matters, and how Fifa's attacking is "arcade" like etc, I disagree with that entirely in the sense that the game is not forcing you to play in that manner. In practice the majority of people play that way - by choice.

However, the reality is that if your goal is to win games online, the "arcade" style is what presents the most straight forward means of getting wins. You can have a much lower understanding of how football works and win games online by following some fairly simple principles. Those can be found all over the internet, so I won't go into too much depth but they essentially involve having pacey forwards, ideally a tall and fast striker, hitting people on the counter-attack using a combination of lob-through passes and simply exploiting the pace of your players.

You do not have to play that way though. You can play realistic football AND win. I've won Division 1 online in both seasons and FUT so it is perfectly attainable. Just be prepared for plenty of losses too.

This is going to come off as bragging (and I suppose it is if you're impressed by football things) but I have played every iteration of Fifa (Good Old FIFA International Soccer on the Mega Drive) pretty much to death, save for a few years of Pro Evo, and played football at a professional level (youth team anyhow). The reason I mention this is not to massage my own ego but to illustrate that we're starting from a different perspective in that football has always been part of my life and so I have the advantage of experience. That makes playing realistic football easier, since it becomes less of a conscious act and more of a habit formed over time. This is important because I have found that players have to make a conscious decision to play "sim style" if you want to call it that. Eventually, it becomes second nature. But it takes a long time. What I would expect is that the natural instinct is to attack all the time and be aggressive without the ball. Even if you decide to try and play realistic football there will be times some dude has three goals from through balls you just cannot stop and you just lose it and begin charging forward. I think everyone tries to fight that instinct because the game does lend itself to that.

In the end it's about having some values or principles that guide how you play. It sounds rather serious for a video game. I can see that myself and that is why the initial question is what matters. I have absolutely no issue with guys playing arcade football online, because I accept most people just want to compete at a video game and have fun. There's nothing wrong with that. They are using the games design to maximize their results. I hate people moaning about "sweaty" teams. It's the game itself that allows it, the players just win however they can.

Nevertheless, I'm the guy who cares about having players rated correctly, and playing the game just like the sport. Ultimately I am a football fan first and not really a gamer outside of sports games. That dictates my style to a large extent. Since I don't play anymore, Fifa, and going to matches is my way of interacting with the sport I love.

On that basis here are a few thoughts I would offer to anyone wanting to play a more realistic game:

• Lay off the sprint button - unless there is an obvious reason. Use it in smaller bursts without the ball to maintain position
• BE PATIENT - with and without the ball. Realistic football is usually played (with two evenly matched teams) with longer periods of possession for each team. Not constant back and forth. When you don't have the ball, take away passing options. Don't go haring towards the ball carrier. With the ball play safer passes and don't be afraid to go backwards
• IN SEASONS MODE: Play in the style of the team you choose. I love playing as Barcelona and having 70% possession and trying to open teams up that way. But what is just as fun is picking Stoke or West Ham and using the wings, getting crosses into the box (traditionally anyway).
• IN FUT: Think about how you want to play, and build a team in that style. Don't buy into the notion that you have to have Luiz, or Sturridge or Ibarbo. You don't you just need to have players that work for what you do.
• Overall, there is lots of mis-information. People find Walcott to be a beast not because he is a beast but because most players play with pace and thus use his best skill. People love Real in seasons because they have great players on the counter-attack. Which is how many people play. People love Dortmund, not because they are inherently better but because people press on deference a lot and Dortmund's tactics are set to do that.
• Adjust your team mentality based on your opponents. In FUT, so many players want to hurt you on the break. As a result I play almost all games with a defensive mentality so I don't over-commit full-backs. I play with the initiative by having the ball and trying to dominate the mid-field with patient build-up play. But your mentality can help you overcome the guys who will aim to hit it over the top immediately (you still have to get your CB moving back quickly when the opponent has the chance to go over the top). There is nothing more satisfying than having your opponent give you the ball back all the time.
• Accept you will lose more games playing this way. My record is not amazing by any stretch. But I win far more than I lose. It is frustrating at times, but I would rather lose playing in a way I enjoy that feels realistic than win playing in some prescribed manner exploiting the most effective tactics.
• Full back play is key (as in real life). Defensive skills matter in full backs. They are the protection for the heart of the defence. Be mindful that everyone wants to get into the middle of the pitch. You can identify guys early in games who will play to cross or constantly look to cut inside and shoot (Real guys in particular). Don't be afraid to let them have the ball, don't let people have an easy way in the middle around the box. That's where practically all goals come from.
• use the opponents momentum in your favour. You see this a lot in real life. I find many guys will use the first touch to go with the direction the ball is already travelling or towards goal. I like to move toward my own goal or back where the ball came from. It often catches out the guys who press a lot. There are a few other ways you can do that. On the edge of the box with your back to goal. Don't run just hold the sprint button and guys can be turned, many are over aggressive. Also running in the channels sometimes hit L1 and take your finger of the direction to stop suddenly. These are things you see in football that get under utilised in FIFA.

Anyhow, that got waaaaay longer than I planned haha.

Bottom line, there are many ways to win. People tend to play one way, because it's how people instictively play football themselves. It translates online too.

[olliekse]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

this has sold many copies, great book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverting-Pyramid-History-Football-Tactics/dp/1409128644

[IlianGeorgiev]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

@olliekse hi i have also single copy of this book. that is really nice ..

[NewNapkin]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Yeah, I probably should have said that I am an offline sim-style player just looking to have some realistic gameplay.

My main struggles seem to be passing and defense. My passes are accurate (I do use full manual controls), but I just make stupid passes that make me throw my controller down constantly. On defense, I don't chase, but I can't stop them from getting into my box, resulting in highly skewed shot stats.

I am using the OS Community Sliders, and everything is good except for those two phases of the game that I struggle with. I know all of the positions and their jobs, all the rules of the game, so I just need to work on my decision-making and find a way to slow down the opposition whilst defending.

[DataBull]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Yeah, I probably should have said that I am an offline sim-style player just looking to have some realistic gameplay.

My main struggles seem to be passing and defense. My passes are accurate (I do use full manual controls), but I just make stupid passes that make me throw my controller down constantly. On defense, I don't chase, but I can't stop them from getting into my box, resulting in highly skewed shot stats.

I am using the OS Community Sliders, and everything is good except for those two phases of the game that I struggle with. I know all of the positions and their jobs, all the rules of the game, so I just need to work on my decision-making and find a way to slow down the opposition whilst defending.

You know, you might want to slow down game play for a while. There is a slider for that in Game Settings somewhere. Slow it down a bunch so you can start to recognize situations and how to react. Then slowly ramp it back up to "normal".

[moose141]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

this has sold many copies, great book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverting-Py.../dp/1409128644

I have this, it's a fantastic read for anyone interested. Though I'd say it's a bit long for someone just looking for the basics to play some good ol' FIFA. Like everyone has said, watching the real sport as well as playing FIFA and visually moves ahead of time both on and off the ball will really get you a feel for how you want to play the game.

And also, if you're playing career mode or FUT or whatever, the players at your disposal always will dictate how you should play the game as well. If you have fast wide players and a big striker, you'll probably get the ball up the wings and hit a lot of crosses into the box. If you have a technically skilled team, you'll probably play a more possession based style of play. Same thing with your formation, it really depends on the players you have at your disposal which affects both how you set the team up in a formation and then the style of football that you play.

So there is definitely plenty to learn but just through visuals and practice it helps to figure things out.

EDIT: Going off of what the O.P. said in reply above, I would offer the advice that don't always worry about what the "stats" say because I've seen games where shots I've taken just don't register with the game for some reason and have even won games where it said the CPU outshot me by a ton when I know that wasn't true just because things didn't always register. But as for keeping them from your box, just work on trying to force passes to the outside of the area into less dangerous positions to prevent shots. As for your passing, like I said about visualizing and such, I think this more or less comes down to the old adage of "practice makes perfect."

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

Also worth mentioning it's good to get in the habit of holding LB/L1 for pace control when attempting to dribble through tight spots.

[ManiacMatt1782]

Re: I need to learn how to play FIFA properly.

Also worth mentioning it's good to get in the habit of holding LB/L1 for pace control when attempting to dribble through tight spots.

Pretty sure that's LT/L2. LB/L1 calls for your teammate to make a run. Another tight space dribbling tip is to pull both triggers, or both 2 buttons. This will make you slowly face up dribble, when you are ready to explode in a direction, release the Left Trigger only, keep holding the right tigger and the dirction you want to go.