Does the defense still frustrate you in FC 24? Do you think you have all the knowledge you need to know about defense before getting into advanced techniques?

If you make the simple mistake of defending fundamentals, then we are going to solve this problem by understanding the 4 different important aspects that build the fundamentals of defending. It’s important to know them, so you need to master them as soon as possible!

Confirm Your Positioning

Let’s start with positioning. The primary goal of defending is to prevent dangerous opportunities, and you do this by moving your defenders into the right positions.

First, you need to stay between the attackers. If you open that line, then the opponent will pass easily. When you stand in front of him, you need to keep a safe distance and observe his intentions. In most cases, a distance of around 1 meter is ideal. Because you can react immediately after he moves without getting punished like that.

Finally, look at potential targets he can pass to and try to take two steps into that area without losing the original intention of covering the original ball carrier.

Let’s look at an example of counterattack. I switch to my centre-back, who is the only player capable of stopping the incoming danger, so spending FC 24 Coins to strengthen the centre-back is crucial.

I see multiple players rushing towards the box, but first I need to get a screen between the first player and the goal.

I used a jockey mechanism here to get closer to the attacker. Meanwhile, I see a pass opportunity for the side and I immediately cover it as my next position without moving away from the initial target.

If I over-commit myself and walk away, opponent could easily get by. But since I stayed in front of him, I could still control him by mirroring his movements with my positioning, and staying in front of him forced him to get stuck and eventually he would lose the ball.

However, when the opponent passes the ball and changes the direction of play, you don’t just have to control one defender on the pitch, you also need to switch to another player and position him accordingly.

The faster you switch, the more time you have. Therefore, the switching of these players must be accurate and timely, otherwise the opponent will become more dangerous.

There are two methods involved in player switching. The first is done by pressing L1/LB button, which allows you to switch to your player. The downside to this mechanic is that you can’t select a specific tagged player.

Of course, you can also use the more advanced right stick switch. Imagine your currently selected player as the center of the right analog stick, decide which player you want to switch to, and then push the right stick in that direction.

This technique may take some time to master, but it's great for practicing with AI, and the right stick switching is more precise. Therefore, it is crucial to find the perfect balance between the two technologies and use them in the right place.

Intercepting

Next, let’s talk about intercepting, which will take you to the next level.

Remember, when you’re heading into passing lanes, don’t over-commit and push players out of their spots, as this will open up the backyard. You need to get as close as possible to the potential target while controlling the passing lane to the right, where the opponent is out again.

For counterattacks, as much as I wanted to rush out and put pressure on the ball carrier, I saw that the runner behind the defensive line could easily catch the ball with AI instead of still in the passing lane. So I get right up to the runner and cover the passing lane there so I can get physical with him in case he somehow gets the ball before me.

A very helpful mechanic for interceptions is jockeying when L2/LT button is pressed, you will find that your players have different defensive stances in this situation. Their speed will slow down, but their defensive hitting range will increase.

But a really nice trick with Jockey is that you can use it with sprinting buttons. In this way, in a wider space, the impact of the first slowdown effect on this mechanism will be weakened.

You can use Jockey mechanic anywhere on the pitch, ensuring you get an excellent defensive position with the left stick. Jockey even lets you get the ball without actually solving the problem.

You just need to use Jockey in the right position in front of your opponent. Once you get close, you’ll automatically retrieve the ball. Same as interceptions, try to get in between passing lanes by having your players hold down your Jockey button to slow down and steal the ball away from your opponent.

Applying Pressure

These two basic steps lead to another basic step, applying pressure.

You may have realized that it is more important than ever. But as mentioned before, you can’t pressure your opponent all you want. Because whenever you apply pressure, you take a risk and most likely move a defender out of his position before you can do that.

You need to make sure you cover all other options safely, otherwise you might lose an easy scoring opportunity later on.

There are several ways to apply pressure when your opponent passes the ball. You can get to the receiver by switching early and get the ball from him while he’s still vulnerable or dribbling.

For example, we take a risk and decide to go out and apply pressure, and if that fails, we have a back-up defender to defend. But you can also choose not to do this. Once the ball is safely away from your opponent, you can use a tackle to win the ball back while applying pressure.

Wait for the opponent to push the ball away from his feet and then he becomes vulnerable and you can make your move here. You can pick defenders from behind and then suddenly slide in, which can break up potential counterattacks. Especially when you are putting pressure on your opponent, make sure you only use the tackle when you are 100% sure you have the ball.

Coping With 1v1 Defensive Situation

Even if you do everything right, sometimes you’ll end up in a 1v1 defensive situation with your opponent. Here, you must use every aspect we have mentioned in this guide. If you don’t, then you’re giving up simple scoring opportunities. Let’s look at a few examples of 1v1 defense.

In the open, the opponent receives the ball and my center back is the only one who can guard her. So, I put myself directly next to my opponent. In the meantime, look around at potential targets she could pass the ball to. That’s why I move my players slightly downward while trying to cut off the passing lane when this happens.

But when she brought the ball up, I started to stop and pressure her. When she pushes the ball away from her foot, that’s when I get it back.

In another situation, the opponent plays a long pass and I immediately switch to my defender. I used Jockey button to take a defensive stance and see his next move. My reaction was to stay close to that passing lane while shaking to cover the dribble opportunity. Once I got into a safe distance and had the chance to make a tackle and deflect the danger, it was a smooth goal!

Defending successfully feels good, and if you’ve ever wondered how crazy it feels when you outsmart your opponent, don’t miss this guide!