One of the big changes that EA Sports made for FIFA 20 was to alter how defending worked. Holding X/A to contain the other team no longer works as well as it used to, with other tactics being far more useful. So that you can concede as few goals as possible, here’s everything you need to know about how to defend in FIFA 20.
How to Defend in FIFA 20
Defending Basics
The first thing to go over is the basics of defending in FIFA 20. There are a few different ways of tackling and some extra button inputs to know. They are:
| Platform/Input | PS4 | Xbox One | Switch |
| Stand Tackle | Circle | B | A |
| Slide Tackle | Square | X | Y |
| Contain | Hold X | Hold A | Hold B |
| Jockey | Hold L2 | Hold LT | Hold LZ |
| Switch Player | L1 or Right Stick | LB or Right Stick | L or Right Stick |
Trust the AI & Avoid Using Your Defenders
This may sound counter-intuitive, but actually using your defenders to defend in FIFA 20 can be a bad idea.
Due to through balls behind the defense being a meta tactic, you need to make sure that there are as few holes as possible in your defense.
Therefore, running around with your midfielders, trying to tackle with them, will often be a better idea than switching into your defenders and using those, due to how unreliable tackling still is.
If you make a mistake or the game’s RNG isn’t in your favor when tackling with a defender, you’ll be very likely to concede.
Jockey & Mark Space – How to Defend in FIFA 20
While tracking opposition players, it’s better to block passing lanes and jockey them than to dive in with tackle after tackle.
Just hold L2/LT to make the player you’re controlling run around and follow the position of the attacker, so that it’s easier to tackle when the opportunity comes.
You can also hold sprint to make sure your defending player can keep up with the attackers. You do need to pay close attention to the attackers though, so that you can quickly let go of jockey and make tackles or intercept.
Player Switching
You need to learn when and how to player switch too as you defend. Just spamming L1/LB isn’t going to be very effective, so you need to start using the right thumbstick to switch into other players quickly when you need to.
When your opponent gets in behind your backline, you will need to switch into your defenders, so using the right stick should be more reliable than the standard player switch button.
All player switching in FIFA 20 is pretty bad though, so it’s a mix of hope and precision that’ll help you defend properly.
Choose Custom Tactics That Work For You – How to Defend in FIFA 20
Before you go into a match, be sure to set custom tactics that you are comfortable with.
A lot of people use Drop Back with low depth, because it makes you hard to break down. But if you’re more aggressive with your defending, it might be better to set it to Pressure on Heavy Touch and have your back line start higher up the pitch.
They both have their benefits, so try them all and work out which one matches your playstyle best.
That’s everything you need to know about how to defend in FIFA 20. For more tips and tricks on the game, be sure to check out our wiki guide. We have also listed some other helpful guides on the game down below.
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