Passing in Soccer is a crucial mechanic that can make or break your team, and a strong foundation in this fundamental can help you win most matches in EA FC 25. The latest entry to the franchise saw some tweaks to gameplay physics and style, so it's a good time to revisit and learn the basics of passing to increase your overall expertise in the game. This guide will provide some of the most helpful tips to improve your skills in this aspect of the game.
EA FC 25 Passing Overview
Passing refers to moving the ball from one player to another, and while it sounds straightforward on paper, many gamers still have trouble getting down pat. There are a lot of misconceptions in passing that players are not aware of, and knowing their existence can make a difference in how you play the game. This guide will cover many of these elements to improve your passing skills. Here’s everything you should know about to enhance your ball movement:
Leave Assisted Pass On
Many players prefer to avoid AI input and turn off the Assisted Pass or Aim Lock mechanic, wanting to instead do all these things manually. However, doing so means you must be as accurate as possible. Leaving Assisted Pass on lessens your chances of making mistakes and making split decision passes while worrying about throwing it out of bounds. Because of Precision Pass, you don't need to turn off the AI assist to do manual passes. If you want to kick the ball to an area manually, you can use this feature, which will automatically be the same as doing an unassisted pass without turning off the Assisted Pass.
Pass Assistance to the Nearest Player in the Area You're Aiming at
Some players may need to know how exactly Pass Assistance works in EA FC because some believe they’ll automatically pass the ball to the nearest teammate by default. While this is true to an extent, the ball will only go to the next ally if you aim in their vicinity. If you aim at an area without a teammate, even if one is near you in another direction, the ball will fly aimlessly to the open field.
If you want to take advantage of this feature, you must ensure you’re aiming at an area with teammates. The ball will fly towards the closest ally no matter how far they are from you and the aim marker, as long as they’re in the general direction. You can also use this knowledge to intercept ball passes from enemy teams. You’ll need to know the closest enemies in the general direction an enemy player faces to better position yourself for a steal.
When to Do a Through Ball
Through Ball is a mechanic in which you exploit the space behind your opponent by passing the ball straight in a specific direction, even if there aren't any teammates in that area. You do this by pressing the triangle or Y button, which does not require a combination of other keys. It's one of the most straightforward special passes you can make, but knowing when to it execute is different.
It would help if you never did a Through Ball when it’s on your side because it’s easier to intercept. You only want to execute this pass when you’re attacking the enemy's goal because there’s less space for them to try and intercept it. However, it would help to be mindful of whether the person you’re passing to is offside. Many gamers tend to do a Through Ball as soon as the players they’re giving the ball to have overtaken the one guarding them, but you have to make sure that they’re on the side, or else you’ll get a penalty.
Long Ball Meta Pass
Currently, the meta favors Long Ball passes wherein you lobby the ball directly to the far side, which places it closer to the enemy side. Long passes are generally a massive gamble because they leave the ball unattended for a period, mainly if you aim it in an area without any people. However, if your opponent actively uses an athlete close to the ball's current placement, doing a Long Ball pass will catch them off guard and allow you to maneuver and score a goal before your opponent can reorganize or react.
Stop Running When Making a Manual Pass
Running while making a pass is considered a hard touch, so your kick will be much more robust and less accurate. If you do not take your time to receive the ball when making a quick pass or slow down when doing a manual pass, the aim will be less precise due to the momentum, so it's always a good idea to stop sprinting before executing this maneuver.
Don't Force Your Passes
Passing is a great way to take the ball from one side to the other in a fast manner, so many gamers try to force it even though they shouldn’t. Many steals happen because gamers force themselves to pass the ball despite no open receivers or are highly guarded. The best thing to do here is always to play the ball or kick it back to your side. Ensuring the play is in your possession gives you more opportunities to score a goal than hurrying your team to take the ball to the enemy goal side. Playing the ball also lets you create better angles to let it pass through to the next player with more ease.
Be Quick with Your Rotations
While you shouldn't pass your ball in unfavorable conditions, you should always ensure it constantly moves back and forth between players if you can. Quick ball movement confuses the enemies and makes it harder to pin you down. Being too slow, however, makes you more open and predictable, so opponents can easily steal possessions. The key here is to create favorable situations that allow you to pass the ball quickly while also playing slowly and creating better angles if faced with unfavorable circumstances.
