FIFA for beginners?

[jakeandrew]

Hi all,
I recently got bit by the soccer bug after watching the World Cup and really want to get into the FIFA series. The problem is, I know very little about the sport. I generally understand the basics (things like offside and such) but am in need of some hand holding tutorials.
I've been looking on YouTube but can't find a good video that explains things to me like I'm 5.
I want to learn, for example, the positions and their responsibilities, things like why players are where they are and their purpose for being there. Set pieces and corner strategies.
I mean, all I really know is that you can cross a ball in from outside the box and try to kick it in, or kick the ball in on a corner and try to head it in, or just run at the goal and shoot... but I want to know what to look for and where my players should be.
It would be like if I wanted to learn to play NBA2k but only know that in basketball, the ball goes in the hoop, ya know what I mean?

Thanks guys!

TL;DR Can someone point me to articles or videos that break soccer (FIFA series) down for a beginner?

[Zac]

This should help.
http://worldsoccer.about.com/od/soccer101/u/Basics.htm

Also google understanding soccer, there is a lot of good info out there.

[jaateloauto]

Never been a big fan of the sport myself but I bought FIFA 14 on a sale and have been playing it for a while now.

Best advice for me was to understand that it really is a game of possession. The longer you have the ball the less chance the opponent has to score. The game is lengthy enough that you shouldn't make risky plays unless necessary. You can always play it back to your defense and restart the offense if you don't have an opportunity to do anything.

Set pieces and corner tips you can easily find on youtube by searching for them.

On crosses and corners most of the time you want to head the ball the corner the cross came from to get goals. When you have a chance to shoot most of the time you should put it to the wide side of the goal.

Most useful buttons a beginner might not know is LB + A (Xbox controller) gives you a lob through ball which can get you open. LB + X gives you an early cross and X/O + A makes you fake a cross/shot which can get you a lot of space if you're inside the box.

[pujolsformvp21]

Formations are what mostly tell where players should be and for what area of the pitch they are responsible for both offensively and defensively, although tactics and runs and movement changes during a course of the game for the most part things are broken down into left middle right and a right sided player pretty much plays on that side for the game and vice versa.

Typically you will see them as numbers without the goalie, the first number is # of defenders, 2nd is # of midfielders, 3rd is # of attackers. They are always read from GK to DEF to MID to ATT in that order and you can actually easily visualize how the formation will look in the game, meaning just buy reading 433 you know how many of each "type" of player there formation is using but also where each player will be playing. Some common ones are 433, 442, 4231,41212, 352, 532 ( I will show how each of these look at the end)

Players are broken down into these categories (usually)

GK- Goalkeeper
DEF- Defenders
MID - Midfielders
ATT- Attackers

Goalies I am sure you understand, but for each of those positions they are further broken down into these categories (usually). For the most part players are placed

DEF- Centerbacks (CB), Fullbacks (RB,LB) for left and right back and some times wingbacks are used which are typically defenders that are quick and can also come forward in the attack often. Teams for the most part play with 4 defenders in a configuration like this:

LB----LCB-----RCB-----RB
GK

Although 3 and 5 defender formations are also used like so:

LCB-------CB---------RCB
GK
LWB RWB
---CB--CB--CB---
GK

Typically central positioned defenders are taller and slower while sided players are smaller and can cross the ball into the box when they come forward.

MID- Central Midfielder (CM) Right Midfielder (RM) Left Midfielder (LM). Central midfielders can also be broken down further into Central Defending Midfielder (CDM) and Central Attacking Midfielder (CAM), midfielders that are more geared towards defense may be in a cdm position and those that are good at attacking may be in CAM position. This also usually means they will move up or down in the formation depending on the role and another number is added to the formation name, like 41212 where the middle 3 numbers 121 explain the midfield set up. Some teams may not use a LM or RM and instead use 3 CMs. Teams will often use 3,4 or 5 midfielders in common set ups like this:

CM---CM---CM (This would be how the midfield looks in 433)

or

LM--CM--CM--RM (442)

or
CAM
LM-----------RM (41212)
CDM

or

LM----CAM----RM (4231)
CDM CDM


Typically central midfielders are small, quick, great passer, great dribbler, and can control the ball and not lose it when pressured by the defense. Their is a common phrase in football, possession wins and having possession means you have great midfielders because on average over 60%-70% of the game will be spent only in the midfield as teams constantly fight over possession and get the ball and advance then lose the ball and retreat and repeat etc.



ATT- Strikers (ST) Left Wing (LW) Right Wing (RW) Strikers tpyically play in the center of the pitch while left and right wings of course will be on their respective sides but much much higher up and more attacking than a LM or RM would be, which is why they are classified in the ATT section. Typically players who play these positions can play both, ie LM-LW and RM-RW, just the formation will dictate whether they are part of the midfield or attack.
Typically if you have 2 strikers you wont have any LW or RW although you may have a LM or RM (ill show later).Most teams will use either 2 or 3 attackers like this and perhaps only one in cases like a 4231

ST----ST (442)

or

LW---ST---RW (443)

Strikers will be typically taller and can head the ball while LW and RW will be smaller quicker players that can pass the ball to the ST or can attack and shoot themselves.

COMMON FORMATIONS

433

LW ST RW
CM CM CM
LB CB CB RB

442
ST ST
LM CM CM RM
LB CB CB RB

4231

ST
LM CAM RM
CDM CDM
CB CB CB

41212

ST ST
CAM
LM RM
CDM
LB CB CB RB

352

ST ST
CAM
LM RM
CDM
CB CB CB

532

ST ST
CM CM CM
LWB CB CB CB RWB

Idk what else I missed but let me know what other questions you have! Also, of course each team can only have 10 players not counting the goalie so it is a strategy decision by the coach of which formation to use and they all have positives and negatives. If you play with 3 defenders youll have more attackers and can score easier but then you are more susceptible to getting scored on and such.

[jakeandrew]

Wow, Thank you!

[pujolsformvp21]

Quote: Originally Posted by jaateloauto

Never been a big fan of the sport myself but I bought FIFA 14 on a sale and have been playing it for a while now. Best advice for me was to understand that it really is a game of possession. The longer you have the ball the less chance the opponent has to score. The game is lengthy enough that you shouldn't make risky plays unless necessary. You can always play it back to your defense and restart the offense if you don't have an opportunity to do anything. Set pieces and corner tips you can easily find on youtube by searching for them. On crosses and corners most of the time you want to head the ball the corner the cross came from to get goals. When you have a chance to shoot most of the time you should put it to the wide side of the goal. Most useful buttons a beginner might not know is LB + A (Xbox controller) gives you a lob through ball which can get you open. LB + X gives you an early cross and X/O + A makes you fake a cross/shot which can get you a lot of space if you're inside the box.

What you say about LB + A is actually not true. A is a regular pass, LB + A is where your player will do a "1-2 pass" meaning he will pass and then immediately turn and cut towards the goal. These types of passes will often get the guy who cuts open and THEN you can press Y which gives you a through ball ( a pass that is designed to go upfield on a direct path and with more speed to allow the player to run into space and catch up to the ball in full stride) LB + Y is what you meant to say I think as that is how to do a lobbed through ball (a through ball that goes high into the air or just off the ground and over the top of the defense rather than on the ground).

A very successful strategy exploited by alot of people online is to do 1-2 pass followed immediately by a lobbed through ball. So LB + A(first player passing to second) and LB + Y (second player lobbing it back to the first who is cutting upfield).

Not to bash you, just wanted to make sure the OP has the current controls.

[pujolsformvp21]

Quote: Originally Posted by jakeandrew

Wow, Thank you!

If you are on xbox 360 add me, gt dexta dex. Im a fifa addict since 06 and know every possible thing/tip about it. we can get some games sometime

[PaLiiBoY]

Quote: Originally Posted by jakeandrew

Hi all, I recently got bit by the soccer bug after watching the World Cup and really want to get into the FIFA series. The problem is, I know very little about the sport. I generally understand the basics (things like offside and such) but am in need of some hand holding tutorials. I've been looking on YouTube but can't find a good video that explains things to me like I'm 5. I want to learn, for example, the positions and their responsibilities, things like why players are where they are and their purpose for being there. Set pieces and corner strategies. I mean, all I really know is that you can cross a ball in from outside the box and try to kick it in, or kick the ball in on a corner and try to head it in, or just run at the goal and shoot... but I want to know what to look for and where my players should be. It would be like if I wanted to learn to play NBA2k but only know that in basketball, the ball goes in the hoop, ya know what I mean? Thanks guys! TL;DR Can someone point me to articles or videos that break soccer (FIFA series) down for a beginner?

I'm right with ya bud. I got the same bug after this World Cup. I went out and got FIFA 14 a couple weeks ago. I've never played FIFA (minus like 2-3 games on FIFA 13) before this. I've always been a Madden/NCAA player. During the World Cup, I remember watching and gasping every time here was a close goal, etc. I find myself doing the same exact same thing in game! The drama is real. The satisfaction when scoring a goal and devastation when conceding one is REAL! So many times I've raged on Madden for people running no huddle same plays running around with fast QBs, pissed me off. FIFA 14 is a challenge and will take some time getting used to controls for me also. I watch a lot of michs09usa videos and AmanSeddiqi streams/vids.

Watching them also got me really into Ultimate Team which is VERY fun. Again, though, challenging since I do not know players and such either.