How to Defend in FIFA 22

With the way the modern game of football is evolving, nobody can deny that having a reliable attack can win you games, but having a strong defense can win you championships. 

High-scoring football matches have become more and more common throughout FIFA, which is why it’s so important to learn how to combat these high-octane offenses. In the following guide, we’ll go over how to defend in FIFA 22. 

How to defend in FIFA 22

1. Don’t pull your defenders out of position
2. Don’t slide tackle unless you are guaranteed to get the ball 
3. Experiment with Custom Tactics

FIFA 22 has brought about countless new changes and improvements, allowing for even more control and immersion than ever before. Specifically, this year FIFA has introduced new variations of attacking AI enhancements, which means that how you handle yourself on the defensive end will be pivotal. 

This year, your opponents are going to be faster, stronger, and smarter, so you’ll have to learn how to adjust to this. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to defend in FIFA 22, but if you follow these tips and tricks, you should be able to shut down the likes of PSG and Man U in no time. 

Don’t Pull Your Defenders Out of Position 

This is one of the most easily forgotten rules in FIFA, which is why it’s so important. When your opponent’s charging down the middle of the field, with a seemingly easy path to the net, it may seem like the only logical solution would be to pull your defenders towards the ball to try and prevent the scorer from taking advantage of their wicked field position. 

However, by removing your last line of defense from their designed position, you’ll likely be leaving one side of the field totally wide open and vulnerable to the opposition. Hence why most formations are designed to have your defenders spread out and cover all field angles. 

Don’t Slide Tackle Unless You’re Guaranteed to Get the Ball

Another important point to consider on defense is that even though it can be extremely tempting to dive feet first into a player with the ball in the open field, it’s advised to avoid this unless it’s completely necessary. 

There’s a good chance that by flying in with a sliding tackle as soon as your opponent’s even remotely close to the box, you’ll end up fouling the player. Which will result in even more of a headache than what could have happened had you just let them go. 

Instead, only use the slide tackle, or any sort of aggressive tackle, when you’re 100% sure that you’re going to win the ball. Also, the tackling animations can take a little while to complete, so you could easily fall victim to a ‘mistimed’ tackle as well.  

Experiment with Custom Tactics 

‘Custom Tactics’ are paramount in all aspects of the game, but especially when it comes down to defending in FIFA 22. One particular custom tactic that has proven extremely beneficial for players is the ‘Stay Back While Attacking’ option for your team’s full-backs. 

For this, you will want to go into your left back and right back’s attacking instructions and set it to ‘Stay Back While Attacking,’ as opposed to ‘Join the Attack,’ or the default setting. Even though having your full-backs join the attack can allow for even more scoring options and versatility on that side of the field, it leaves you completely exposed to a counter-attack on the back end. By keeping your full-backs further back in position, you can help to prevent these quick build-ups. 

For more FIFA 22 content and guides, you can check out our website’s FIFA section.