Competent defense is the basis of playing FIFA. Without this skill, you will endlessly lose to the most average opponents and are unlikely to enjoy the game. We have compiled the main defensive rules that will help newcomers to FIFA23.
It’s not easy to defend in the game. Many players find it quite difficult to understand this mechanic, so they turn to boosting companies. A player that employs game boosting uses outside assistance to advance through the game more rapidly.
In FIFA 23, game boosting may assist players by giving them access to football cards with better ratings, assisting in match victories, and assisting in moving up the online rankings. Moreover, several game-boosting services promise to fulfill particular tasks or assignments, enabling gamers to get access to awards and bonuses. Also for example on this site, gamers can buy coins – the main in-game currency with which players can assemble their dream team.
Now let’s take a look at the main defensive techniques.
Configuring control in protection
First, let’s define the control settings. Immediately put the “Competitive mode” on which you will play in FIFA Ultimate Team. The most interesting point is auto-switching. “Auto Switch” is too slow, so select “Riding and Orphan Balls”. The top left button on the joystick is responsible for manually switching control between players. Turning the right stick works a little faster, but both methods are not ideal.
The classic FIFA layout doesn’t need to be changed, although there are a few tweaks. Goalkeeper Exit and Player Containment are rare functions but occupy important buttons: Y (triangle) and A (cross). Here you can put “Deterrence by a partner.”
How to tackle the ball in FIFA?
Active defense (jockey) is a manual defense method that replaced one-button tackles in 2010s FIFA. Use the combination LT+RT (L2+R2) to close the distance and the select button or jockey without acceleration for more accurate reception at close range.
Don’t forget to manually follow when you’re in front of an opposing player from the side. Read the game, cover obvious passing areas, and pair with a jockey when needed. The easiest way to practice the skill is in the offensive zone after losing the ball.
It looks interesting blocking jockey on someone else’s half of the field. It requires almost no movement but instantly closes the pass zones around your player. Opponents expect manual pressure or careful following and often lose the ball when coming out of defense after a set piece.
Tackling (B/lap) without a jockey is rare in FIFA. They are effective in shoulder-to-shoulder martial arts or in obvious situations where your player is directly in front of the opponent. Tackling from less-than-ideal positions is almost useless and will complicate things by losing position. However, sometimes the selection of a strong defender from behind slows down the attacker and allows the goalkeeper to go out.
Another popular type of selection is pressure. Controlled player containment (A/cross) is useless and is only applicable to close the distance in standard situations – only then the player moves in a straight line. If you press containment on the side and behind the opponent, then the player will lose the gate and miss him.
Team pressing (cross down and to the left) increases the onslaught of the players, although it does not work for long. Pressing with two players (2x RB/R1) will involve two players at once, who will follow the nearest opponents, but their participation in the pressing is formal.
Finally, the most effective form of pressure is partner containment (RB/R1). With one player you manually control the passing zones, while the other player actively attacks the opponent with the ball.
The main task of automatic pressing is to attract players to the opponents’ players. Press carefully: the high effectiveness of the reception is leveled by empty zones that are created by involved players.
Tackles (X/square) are an important element of the defense. Jump in front of or at a slight angle from the opponent, but never creep to the side and behind – this is too dangerous and leads to ridiculous red cards. Experienced players make “empty” tackles and block areas for obvious passes.
Playing on set pieces
Set pieces in FIFA can be unpredictable, so don’t lose focus. During free throws, switch to a player in front of a crowd of players. If the standard is far from the goal, run the outer players out of the wall. This way you will create a big advantage in case of a short play of the ball.
The situation is similar with corners. Choose a solid central defender or just the tallest player and manually cover the opponent’s striker. The maneuver will not protect against scripts, but it works better than the automatic positioning of players. In the case of a short rally, be sure to close the distance and block access to the penalty area.
Playing the ball from the center of the field is a separate type of standard in FIFA. Players often attack bravely and run through defenders, so it’s important not to get confused and calmly stop the attacker with a jockey or a tackle.
Goalkeeper game
Playing as a goalkeeper is the most subtle part of FIFA gameplay. It is situational, so the main conclusions will come through experience. The only obvious chance for the goalkeeper to get out (Y/triangle) is a far throw of the ball by the opponent during the sprint. In most cases, the loss of position with a one-on-one exit ends in a goal conceded.
There is a lot of talk about the movement of the goalkeeper. For beginners, it is harmful: you will open the zone and are unlikely to outwit the enemy. The goalkeeper’s exit during corner kicks looks interesting (pressing the right stick + moving it to the side). You will definitely catch all the passes into the center of the penalty area, but a sophisticated opponent will spin the ball into the goal.
Penalties are a game of nerves. FIFA 23 no longer has the attacker’s cheat look, so you’ll have to guess. If you are sure of hitting the corner, take an extra step to the side (left stick) and jump there (right stick) or trick your opponent and close the center. However, it is still much easier to score a penalty.
So you can see that it’s not so simple to defend in FIFA 23. Because of its realistic gameplay, this game is allegedly popular. Due to the favorable reviews from the audience, it gets a high Metacritic rating.
