How to Defend in FIFA 21

by Falagar / Articles, Misc. Guides / 30 Sep 2020

Defending is a big part of the game, and you need to have a basic understanding of how to defend your half of the field, preventing the opponent team to score.

Defending in FIFA has always been tricky. You can try to nick the ball from opposing attackers with standing tackles and sliding tackles, jockey strikers away from goal, or press with two players at once, but like when a pundit suggests that a defender should ‘show him down the line’, it’s easier said than done. Especially when it’s Messi.

With the introduction of 50/50 battles, defending is more complex than ever in this year’s game, but this guide will explain how to defend in FIFA 21.

Operation	PlayStation	Xbox or PC
Change Player	L1	LB
Change Player (Manual)	RS + direction	RS + direction
Clearance	◯	B
Contain	X (Press and Hold)	A (Press and Hold)
Display Defensive Tactics	Down on D-pad	Down on D-pad
Engage Shielding Opponent	L2 + L Towards Dribbler	LT + LS Towards Dribbler
Goalkeeper Cross Intercept	△ + △ (Press and Hold)	Y + Y (Press and Hold)
Hard Tackle	◯ (hold)	B (hold)
Jockey/Grab & Hold	L2 (Pull and Hold)	LT (Pull and Hold)
Offside Trap	Down on D-pad then press down on d-pad again	Down on D-pad then press down on d-pad again
Overload Ball Side	Down on D-pad then press Left on d-pad	Down on D-pad then press Left on d-pad
Pull and Hold	◯ (hold)	B (hold)
Pull and Hold (when chasing)	◯ (Press and Hold)	B (Press and Hold)
Push or Pull (when chasing)	◯	B
Quick Get Up After Slide Tackle	▢	X
Running Jockey	L2 + R2 (Pull and Hold)	LT + RT (Pull and Hold)
Rush Goalkeeper Out	△ (Press and Hold)	Y (Press and Hold)
Sliding Tackle	▢	X
Striker Drop Back	Down on D-pad then press up on d-pad	Down on D-pad then press up on d-pad
Tackle	◯	B
Team Press	Down on D-pad then press Right on d-pad	Down on D-pad then press Right on d-pad
Teammate Contain	R1 (Pull and Hold)	RB (Pull and Hold)

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
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