You want to get straight into FIFA 22 and not give your opponents a chance? We’ve got 10 hot tips for you that will take your FIFA success to the next level.
1. The defence – 6 basics for long-term success
As we do every year in our FIFA Profit Tips we start with the basics. Also in FIFA 22 the first thing that matters is: A stable defence. It’s not said for nothing: Offence wins games, defence wins championships. If you put these six Tips into practice, your opponents will have a hard time scoring goals.
1.1 Don’t pull centre-backs out of defence
Pulling one of your centre-backs out of the defensive line is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. This creates large gaps that the opposing players can mercilessly exploit to make dangerous slant passes.
1.2 Run back with a midfielder
To leave the centre-backs in the defensive chain, but still be able to defendwith a player far in front of your goal, you should run back with one of your midfielders. This way, you also generate an outnumbered game and have another player with whom you can block your opponent’s attacks. This makes it more difficult for your opponent to find gaps in your defence.
1.3 The Right Pressing
With targeted pressing it is possible to force your opponents to lose the ball. To do this, use the R1 or RB button to constantly build up pressure on the player with the ball with another player. The more aggressive you are, the more you confuse the attacker. But be careful: At the same time, pressing the R1 or RB button aggressively opens up your defensive line for more strikers. So weigh up how often and how aggressively you want to press R1 or RB.
Already in FIFA 19 there was a revolutionary innovation. You can now see which additional player you are using to build up pressure when you choose to press R1 or RB. While your selected player has a red symbol above his head, you will see a grey symbol above another of your players. This is the player you can use to build pressure with R1 or RB. This is also the player you will see selected when you change players (L1 or LB). This innovation made defending in FIFA better a few years ago. It is now less common that you get a different player than you wanted when changing players.
1.4 L2/LB-defence remains mandatory
You can’t do without defending with the L2 or LB button in FIFA 22. If you don’t press L2 or LB when an attacker is running towards you, you won’t have enough grip in the duels and you’ll let the opponent pass too often. With L2 or LB, you stand better, move in a smaller radius and can defend optimally by moving faster in a small space.
There was already an important innovation in FIFA 20: Sprinting is no longer disabled when pressing L2/LT. If you press L2/LT and R2/RT at the same time, you move faster and still have your eyes on the player with the ball. So even at high speed, you can now defend really well with L2/LT. But there are still situations in which you should briefly do without L2/LT. For example, there is a sprint duel on the sidelines and you need your maximum speed in order not to let your opponent run away. In order to stand up to him in terms of speed, you only press the R2/RT button. As soon as you no longer need that much speed and you are heading for a duel, don’t forget to press L2/LT again in addition to R2/RT.
1.5 It pays to defend manually
Many FIFA players have been happy to leave defending to the CPU players in recent years. On the one hand because they had problems with it themselves and on the other hand because the CPU players behaved intelligently for the most part. In the meantime, the latter has been toned down considerably. Already in FIFA 20 we had advised you against relying solely on the CPU defence. Our recommendation was to defend more manually, because that is more worthwhile again. In FIFA 22 this development is confirmed. The CPU players don’t do much, so you have to defend actively more than ever. Only if you have absolute top players in the defence – like Virgil van Dijk for example – the CPU defence can be helpful now and then. Conclusion: Especially in high-level games, you will be better off with optimal manual defending than with a primarily CPU-controlled defence. Practice manual defending with our tips above and defend yourself!
1.6 Reward for proper one-on-one timing
Since FIFA 21, timing is more important in one-on-one battles than ever before. This is because the ball doesn’t bounce straight back to the opponent if your tackle is made at the right moment. This is also the case in FIFA 22. If you are in the best possible position with your defender and then tackle at the right moment, you will also get the ball. The “ping pong” of earlier years has (fortunately) come to an end. However, you cannot expect a player with an overall rating of 60 and a tackle value of 40 to win every tackle just because you are in the right position. The higher the tackle value, the greater the chance of success. The fact that you are also rewarded with more ball wins for optimal tackles also speaks in favour of taking care of your defence yourself and not just trusting the CPU.
2. the build-up to the game – with calmness and control to victory
Continuing with the basics, now we come to the build-up of the game. For a safe build-up, it is especially important that you stay calm – even when your opponent is putting you under pressure. If you are restless and too hectic, you run the risk of making the wrong pass, running into counterattacks and conceding unnecessary goals. Good ball control and safe passing are essential in the build-up to the game!
2.1 Good ball control
For good ball control, you first need to be calm. You must not get nervous when an opponent is just approaching. Have confidence in your abilities and stay calm. If you get hectic, you have often already lost. In addition to calmness, coolness and self-confidence, good ball control also requires effective dribbling. If you know how to dribble, you can better withstand your opponent’s pressing. In tight spaces, keep the ball close to your foot and use lightning-quick movements to keep your opponent off the ball.
2.2 Secure Passing
Calmness and patience are also required for a safe passing game. If you press the X or A button too frantically, you will play an inaccurate pass and, in the worst case, an incorrect pass. Important: When you play a pass, the direction of the pass should also be the direction the player is facing. If, for example, you look forward with your player and pass to the left or right, the ball may arrive inaccurately or not at all to your team-mate. So try not to pass until you are looking at your team-mate. In the end, it’s just like in real football: the players have no eyes on the right, left or back!
3. the offensive – many goals thanks to variable attacking play
Basic Chapter Three: The Offense. There are many different ways to score goals. You can play through the middle, through the outsides or try long range shots. The only thing that matters is that you choose a mix of all these options and don’t play too monotonously. If you always choose the same play, you will be too easy to calculate and will not be successful in the long run. In the offensive it is especially important to be variable.
3.1 Attacking through the middle
If you choose to play through the middle, you can expect to have to make a lot of quick decisions in tight spaces. Fast passing, dribbling and skill moves are essential to let the many opponents run into nothing. Then, at the right moment, the pass must come into the intersection to create a scoring opportunity. As already mentioned in the tips for defending, the steep passes have already become better in FIFA 21. And also in FIFA 22 they are dangerous. If you play a steep pass with a top player like Kevin De Bruyne at the optimal moment, it often arrives in an outstanding way. This is also due to the fact that the running paths of the players have become smarter.
3.2 Attacking play via the outsides
When you play through the outsides, you often have more space than when you play through the middle. This is positive at first. However, you will be further away from your opponent’s goal and will have to decide how to get the ball back into the middle. There are several options. Either you choose the simplest solution and hit a high cross into the middle from far outside. However, with high crosses you often have to cover a long distance and therefore the accuracy sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. If one of your players is not completely empty in the penalty area, you should think twice about whether you want to pass the ball with a cross or keep it on your foot.
Another possibility is to move back into the middle from the outside – either with quick, targeted short passes and powerful passes into the penalty area (X/A + R1/RB) or a skilful solo run – peppered with skill moves. Often your opponent doesn’t expect it, is overtaxed and the defence is unsorted. Moving from the inside to the outside and then from the outside to the inside again can therefore be effective.
However, we would like to talk about high crosses again. Crossing is more worthwhile in FIFA 22 than it used to be! Especially if you have strong headers in the centre of attack, we recommend you to use high crosses more often again. There was an interesting innovation with headers in FIFA 21: With manual headers you can take complete control and decide better than ever where exactly you want to head. This applies to both goal attempts and passes that you play with your head.
Extra-Tip: You should also use high balls into the middle for corners from time to time. In FIFA 20 we had recommended you to take the corners short, because corners hit high into the middle usually didn’t lead to anything. Already in FIFA 21 it was different – and also in FIFA 22 high corners can lead to success again.
3.3 Shoots more from distance
We’ve been preaching it for years and we’re still doing it in FIFA 22: Shoot more from distance and don’t always try to carry the ball into the goal! Shots outside the penalty area are more effective than many of you might think. In addition, it is more difficult to score a goal inside the penalty area in FIFA 22 because of the improved goalkeepers. But of course you can’t shoot from every possible situation. If you shoot from a distance, you should have the right player and spot for it. You need enough space and the ball should be on your strong foot. Do you have both? Then shoot!
Extra tip: In FIFA 22, shots outside the penalty area work even better than in previous years. Especially finesse shots to the far corner are promising. In addition, the Timed Finishing – a shooting technique introduced in FIFA 19 – celebrates its comeback! With the right use of Timed Finishing, long-distance shots can be an effective means of scoring goals in FIFA 22. By regularly interspersing long range shots, you become even more variable in your goal scoring and you create moments of surprise. This way, your opponents will have a hard time guessing what you are going to do in your attacking game.
4. the comeback of timed finishing
Through the comeback of Timed Finishing we would like to introduce and explain the optional shooting technique introduced in FIFA 19 once again. So to say as a learning repetition, so that you really remember to use the Timed Finishing in FIFA 22. Because if you don’t, you can’t use the full potential of your offensive actions.
What is Timed Finishing and how does it work?
When it comes to finishing a goal, timing is the most important thing in real football. Since FIFA 19, this is now also true on the virtual pitch. With “Timed Finishing”, publisher EA introduced a new shooting system. If you want to get a perfect shot, you now press the shoot button twice. The second press of the shoot button is particularly important. This decides whether the ball goes into the goal or far off/over. The second press should be made at the moment when the player has the ball exactly in front of his foot. By the way, for those who don’t feel like dealing with a new shooting system or just can’t get used to the innovation, we have good news: Timed Finishing is still OPTIONAL! You can also shoot normally by pressing the shoot button only once.
Nevertheless, our tip is that you learn timed finishing and perfect it. If you practise a lot and master the new shooting system, you will be rewarded with more accurate and better shots! As described, the Timed Finishing in FIFA 22 is especially recommended for shots from a distance. When shooting from a distance or when you are free in front of the goal, it is better to shoot normally. The risk that the ball flies into the clouds if you use timed finishing badly is too high.
It is clear that it takes some time to perfect timed finishing – especially if you have never really used it in previous FIFA years. But patience is needed here: No master has fallen from the sky yet!
5. the dribble – essential for success
If you want to succeed in FIFA 22, you should master the dribbling better than ever before. Not only will it make you harder to defend, but it will also help you get out of pressure situations with heavy opposition pressing. Besides the classic dribbling with the left stick, there are two more options for dribbling in FIFA 22:
5.1 The Penalty Dribble
Already known from FIFA 20 is the Penalty Dribbling, which is basically the previously introduced Skilled Dribbling. You get into the penalty dribbling with the L1/LB button and the left stick. The difference to the normal dribbling is that you move in a tighter space, touch the ball in shorter time intervals and thus perform faster movements.
To perform the penalty dribble in all directions – not only in the direction of the opponent’s goal – you have to use the locked angle penalty dribble. This is done by pressing L1/LB and R1/RB at the same time. If you do this, your player enters the penalty dribble immediately and does not have to turn towards the opponent’s goal to perform the penalty dribble.
A valuable move before using the penalty dribble can be to pull the ball back. This allows you to avoid a tackle from the opponent and change your direction. This works with L1/LB and pressing the left stick in the direction you want to run. Important: The main thing here is to anticipate your opponent’s behaviour. Keep an eye on your opponent and think about when he is likely to try to separate you from the ball.
The penalty dribble can also be used to buy time – for example, to wait for a teammate who is about to run free. You use the penalty dribble to keep the opponent away from you and wait for the right moment to make a pass.
Of course, you can also use the penalty dribble for a very long time at a stretch to make several opponents look old. However, you should bear the following in mind: When you use the penalty dribble, you do not protect the ball from your opponent with your body. This means that as soon as you anticipate an opponent’s step incorrectly, the ball can quickly be gone. Our recommendation is therefore to combine the normal and the penalty dribbling and also to include pulling the ball back in your dribbling. This way you have the best chance of executing a successful dribble over a longer period of time.
Another way to get past your opponent with the penalty dribble is the double step. The double step is a fakemove where you pull the ball back but do not run in a different direction, but return to normal dribbling after only one contact with the ball and execute the exit move in the same direction. In the best case for you, your opponent thinks that you will change direction after pulling the ball back. He tries to anticipate this and already moves his player in that direction. With the exit move in the same direction, you then leave your opponent behind you quite easily.
What you should always keep in mind when penalty dribbling: The more technically skilled your player is, the better the execution. The most important attributes are dribbling, agility and balance. In general, you should not use the penalty dribble with tall, stiff centre-backs, for example. If you lose the ball, your opponent will have a clear path to your goal. And one final note: After you have used the penalty dribble, the player may take a while to execute the next action. This depends on how the ball is positioned and which foot your player will use for the next action.
5.2 The Agile Dribble
In FIFA 21, another form of dribbling has been introduced with the Agile Dribbling. You use it with R1/RB and simultaneous movement of the left stick. As the name suggests, you are more agile in your dribbling moves, you move faster and more precisely with the ball. The higher your player’s dribbling value, agility value, reaction value and ball control value, the faster, more precise and better he can control the ball on his foot.
Another new feature is the contextual Agile Dribbling, which is optional but activated by default. If you have activated it, your players will automatically perform agile dribbles in certain situations, for example when they are in a 1-on-1 against an opponent. You can turn off contextual Agile Dribbling in the controller settings.
Extra-Tip: We can only recommend that you incorporate Agile Dribbling into your offensive game from time to time. However, you really need very good and technically skilled players to actually gain an advantage with the Agile Dribbling. If you use it with weak or average players, the Agile Dribbling will not work as desired. In addition, you should not use the Agile Dribbling in an inflationary way. In other words, too much agile dribbling at a time can be counterproductive, because the ball is not so close to your foot and you create attacking surfaces for your opponents. So if you manage to pass opponents with the agile dribble, you should then quickly switch back to the normal dribble in order to secure the ball better. So don’t be too playful and only use the agile dribble when it really makes sense!
6 Passes and Crosses – Accuracy and vision matter
6.1 Passes
We have already emphasised that a secure passing game is decisive for your success in our tips on game structure above. In principle, every FIFA player should be aware of this. Nevertheless, it is often neglected to play controlled passes. Instead, the X or A button is pressed frantically in order to get forward as quickly as possible. There were certainly FIFA offshoots in the past in which this worked. But now it doesn’t work any more. You have to think about every pass. This is especially true in FIFA 22! After the first few hours of playing the new game, it was already clear that the passing game is more challenging than ever.
If you lack accuracy, you will often miss passes. You can play accurate passes by:
- Looking at your station and not standing sideways or with your back to it
- Do not stand too far away from the face-off station
- Make sure there is no opponent in the passing lane
- Plays controlled balls, if possible with prior ball reception and ball taking
- Press the X or A button only as long as the passing path requires (for example, if you have a very short pass, it is sufficient to press the pass button only briefly)
6.2 Crosses
Of course, it’s not enough just to master the passing game on the way forward. An effective means in FIFA 22 to bridge spaces and create dangerous situations are crosses. They are more useful than in FIFA 21 because they are hit with more speed – the balls don’t fly through the air as long and reach your teammates faster.
The most important thing here is a good overview. Are you under pressure and see a player standing free on the other side of the pitch? Then don’t hesitate and pass the ball in a high arc! It is also a good idea to take a look at the radar – here you can see more precisely where there are free spaces on the pitch.
7. skill moves – 3 simple and effective special moves
When it comes to skill moves, many players are still quick to shy away. Special moves are basically too complicated, require too much time to learn and ultimately lead to nothing. We have finally dispelled this myth in recent years! There are numerous moves that are not complicated at all. And the best thing about them is that they are extremely effective and improve your game enormously. We present you three simple special moves that can already make the small but fine difference and that you should therefore also have in your repertoire in FIFA 22.
7.1 The Drag Back – Two-Star Skillmove
For years the Drag Back has been one of the most popular FIFA skill moves. And that has two good reasons: The execution is simple and you can eat up the opponent in some game situations.
Execution
To execute the Drag Back, first press R1/RB and at the same time pull the left stick backwards starting from the running direction of your player. If you are running straight towards the right goal, press the left stick to the left, if you are running towards the left goal, press the stick to the right.
This will first pull the ball back. Now comes the decisive move that makes the drag back so unpredictable and effective. You can execute the exit move of the drag back in any direction. That means: either you keep the left stick pressed back, or you press it to the right, left or front.
Application
The beauty of the drag back is that an application is useful in many game situations. The different possible exit move directions make it difficult for your opponent to guess what exactly you are trying to do with the Drag Back. To give just two examples of possible applications:
You are caught up by a defender during a sprint. With a successful use of the drag back, you let the opponent run into nothing and create space for yourself again.
You play your striker in the penalty area. Use the drag back to let your opponent off and get into shooting position
7.2 The Fake Shot – One Star Skillmove
The Fake Shot is often enough to make your opponent look old. Most of you probably know the classic shot deception, but the crucial thing is the different versions.
Execution
Basically, you first press the shot/flank button and then the pass button to execute the shot deception. At the same time, you use the left stick to decide in which direction you move after the shot. In this way, you also decide whether you want to maintain the speed or take it out with a complete change of direction, for example. It is also possible not to touch the left stick at all. In this case, you execute a standing shot. There is also a shot deception followed by a speed boost. How does this work? It’s simple: You press L1/LB in addition to the normal shot. So if you want to execute a shot deception, for example, diagonally to the right or left and want to gain speed, definitely use the L1/LB button. If you can get past your opponent with it, it will be extremely difficult for him to catch up with you again.
Application
The Fake Shot helps you in numerous situations. For example, you can use the shot deception to put yourself in promising finishing positions in the penalty area and around the sixteen. With the Fake Shot in the Stand, you can break up running duels with your opponents. If the opponent continues to run, you have space again for a short time and you get the opportunity to create new game situations. The shot deception with tempo boost is especially useful on the outer lanes when you need additional speed for sprints with your wingers.
7.3 The Ball Roll – Two-Star Skill Move
The ball roll is also a useful special move that is extremely simple to execute.
Execution
All you need for the ball roll is the right stick. You press the stick in the direction in which you want to perform the ball roll. Example: If you are running straight towards the right goal and you want to roll the ball to the right, press the right stick to the right. Important: In order for the ball roll to work, you must hold the stick down in the respective direction for a short time. However, the longer you press the stick in this direction, the more ball rolls your player will perform.
Application
For the optimal application of the ball roll, it is especially important to choose the right time. Example: You are running forward with your player and an opponent is running towards you. You anticipate that your opponent will now tackle you to take the ball from you. Just before the tackle, the ball roll comes into play. With the ball roll you avoid the tackle and let the opponent tackle into space. Without much effort, you can pass your opponent and get a bit closer to the goal. But as I said, timing is important. If you use the ball roll too early or too late, it won’t bring the expected added value and in the worst case your opponent will take the ball from you.
Conclusion: If you have never used these three skill moves before and are only now integrating them into your game, you will quickly notice that you will achieve better results in FIFA 22. The Drag Back, Fake Shot and Ball Roll will make your game more creative and unpredictable.
Extra-Tip: In FIFA 22 it is more important than ever to use your skill moves specifically and with the right timing. If the timing is not right, it is now easier for your opponents to separate you from the ball. That means: In FIFA 22 it requires more skill and ability to get past your opponents with special moves. It’s no use just applying skill moves somehow. The timing has to be perfect to bring about the desired effect and to gain an advantage with the various special moves.
8. penalty kick – how to become king of the spot!
The penalty kicks have already been completely revised in FIFA 20. Since then, you no longer determine with an arrow, but with a target cursor, where you want to shoot. Important to know: You can see this cursor in all game modes – also in FUT Champions. This simplifies the execution of an optimal penalty kick. Up to and including FIFA 19, in Weekend League you did not have the arrow as a support, but had to aim completely free.
The more you charge the shot with the shoot button, the more powerful the penalty kick will be. But be careful: more power also means a greater spread. This means that with more shooting power, the probability increases that the ball will not land exactly where you aim – in the worst case, next to or over the goal. The larger the white area around the cursor, the greater the scatter. You can reduce the spread by shooting the penalties with top-class players. Since FIFA 20 it is more important than ever to start with a good shooter. You select the shooter with the R2/RT key.
8.1 Timing Penalties
The Timed Finishing shooting system is also available for penalties. Just before the shooter shoots, you can activate Timed Finishing (TF) by pressing the shoot button a second time. This means that, as with shots from within the game, it is optional whether you choose a TF finish or a normal finish.
Our tip: Practice and apply TF shots on penalty kicks. Even with extremely good players, there is a certain amount of scatter without TF. With a perfect TF penalty, you aim more accurately and the probability is very high that the ball will go in.
8.2 Finesse and Lupfer
In addition to the normal shot with the circle or B, you also have the option of converting your penalty kick with a finesse shot or a loupe. For the finesse shot, press Circle/B and the R1/RB button as before. If you want to lob the ball, press Circle/B and the L1/LB button.
9. mental strength – success is all about the head
Gameplay-wise you are now well prepared for FIFA 22. But mastering the gameplay is not everything. You also need to be mentally up to speed. Be honest: You know this scenario: You dominate the game, but the ball just won’t go in. And then you concede an unfortunate goal. You boil over with rage, freak out, leave the game and/or even destroy your controller. No question: Emotions – both positive and negative – are just as much a part of FIFA as they are in real football. Everyone wants to win – and if that doesn’t work, you’re just not happy. But your freak-outs won’t get you any further! If you lose your nerve, you lose the game.
Our tip: When you’re behind and nothing seems to work, keep calm. Try to keep your concentration high and stay mentally strong. FIFA is also about your head! If you start to get angry about game situations, your players or FIFA in general, you’ll immediately be on the losing track. Because then you’ll get carried away and find fault with every little thing. This will destroy your game and you won’t be able to play to your full potential. Only those who are mentally strong throughout and stay focused the whole game have what it takes to become FIFA champions.
10th Esport – Learn from the Best
Last but not least: There are many esports players who produce learning content and give you lots of help on their streams. If you haven’t had enough after our pro tips and the many other FIFA 22 tips on global-esports.news and want to learn more, then visit the YouTube, Twitch and TikTok channels of the pros from RBLZ Gaming – the FIFA team of Bundesliga football club RB Leipzig. The Red Bull athletes Umut Gültekin and Richard Hormes offer you regularly exciting and helpful content about FIFA 22 and especially about FIFA 22 Ultimate Team.
Our tip: Don’t just watch tutorials. Take the time to watch complete games of the Leipzig pros on YouTube or Twitch. For example, follow the livestream at their pro tournaments every now and then and try to analyse for yourself and find out what makes the pros so strong. At best, you can learn defensive and offensive behaviour, moves, standard variations, goal finishes and much more and integrate what you have learned into your own game.
You have read and understood all our FIFA 22 tips? Then you can now start sweeping your opponents off the pitch in FIFA 22. But remember: Practice makes perfect – not everything can work right away. We wish you good luck!
