FIFA 23 is back and the game looks like a major upgrade on its predecessors. With the HyperMotion 2 Gaming Technology, FIFA comes quite close to real-world football. And this upgrade is not just in the sense of Graphics, the AI motion and movement, the upgrades in attacking, skills, dribbling, and defending can be seen quite clearly. While all these upgrades are good, you will have to learn how to handle all the actions that EA Sports has brought onto FIFA 23. This guide is on the defensive changes of the game. More accurately, we will show you how to defend like pro players do in FIFA 23. So let’s check out this guide and improve your defense.
How to Defend in FIFA 23
There are a number of defensive options that EA Sports has made available for FIFA 23. The HyperMotion 2 that we mentioned earlier has picked up data from actual football matches and then developed the AI to provide a feeling similar to actual football. While you look to become a pro player, defending is one of the arts you will have to master. So here’s how to defend in FIFA 23:
Defensive Positions
One of the toughest aspects of defending is the player positions. Here’s what will help you with your defensive positions in FIFA 23:
- Partial Team Press –
- To perform this action, double tap and hold R1 for PS users and RB for Xbox users. With Partial Team Press, two of your players will closely mark the opponent’s passing options. While this might help you get possession, you might place your players out of position. And in doing so, you will open the doors for an easy run towards your goal.
- Depth Tactics –
- EA has differentiated the tactical depths of the teams. Thus Higher Depth teams will hold the defensive line high and in doing so, allow forward press much faster. While Lower Depth teams will sit deep and not push up.
- Defensive Awareness –
- Say your defender moves out of the position he is supposed to defend. The Defensive Awareness attribute will adjudge the time it will take him to recover back into position. High rated defenders generally do it much quicker.
Defensive Actions in FIFA 23
Here are actions that will help you defend well in FIFA 23:
- Blocking –
- While Reflex Blocks have been added in FIFA 23, they are uncontrolled and might deflect the ball into the goal. Rather control blocks are much more better action when it comes to defending. To do so, you can press O on PS and B on Xbox.
- Tackling –
- Hard Slide Tackles have been introduced to FIFA 23. These are used for urgent situation and will dispossess the opponent. However, it will clear the ball for a farther distance and you might not recover it. Best to use this near the box while you stop an attack. You can perform this by pressing R1 + Square on PS and RB + X on Xbox.
- Players with high Defensive Awareness will also perform Backheel tackles.
- You can even Shepherd the ball if it was touched by the opponent and is heading towards a Throw In or out for a Goal Kick. Perform this by holding L2 on PS and LT on Xbox, with no analog movement.
- Apart from the normal clearances, you can also perform a Bicycle Clearance. To perform this, press L2 + O on PS and LT + B on Xbox.
That covers all on how to defend on FIFA 23. While you are here, make sure you check out how to do Griddy and our guides for more content with Gamer Tweak.