FIFA 21 Tips: Passing, Crossing And More
We all know that passing and crossing are the key in FIFA. Tthrough the thoughtful and efficient transfer of football between players, you can literally tear up your opponent's defence, get under the penal field and create a shooting opportunity.
Well, if you are Lionel Messi, and you already have enough FIFA 21 Coins, you can simply go from one end of the pitch to the other without a pass or two. But apparantly we are not, so we really need to learn a lot of skills to master passing/crossing in FIFA 21.
In this article, you will know more details about passes and crosses, what can be made during the match and how to do them best.
Let’s start with the basics. You pass the ball with X (PS4) or A (Xbox), which is a very simple “ground pass”. The longer you hold the button in, the harder and further your player will pass the ball. That’s as simple as it gets.
The second basic is the “lob pass”. This aerial pass gets some lift for your ball, and let’s you pull off those long-ranged cross-field passes. Pull this off with Square/X. The same theory is at play here too; press for longer for more distance.
1. Manual Control
This method is used by many FIFA professional gamers. In FIFA 21, this may happend to you: AI runs around during the attack, which causes you losing a good attack opportunity. So if you use manual control of the player's movement, you will see the gap eventally, and you'll have the opportunity to pass the ball.
And this is how it works: when your player is dribbled the ball, you press the left rocker and the right rocker at the same time (note that the left and right rocker are regarded as two buttons to vertically press down, not push the rocker). Then, you push the right rocker to the player you want to control, and the dot cursor will jump to the player's head, and then you can control the player's movement. AI will carry the ball by itself, you don't have to worry about it. When you run to the position, press the pass key, the AI will pass the ball to you, and then you can continue to control the player's attack.
2. Double click the pass
The specific operation of double-click passing is to press the pass key twice, and the player will pass a half high ball without touching the ground. The advantage of this pass is that, whether the opponent is manual defense or AI automatic defense, this half high pass is very difficult to intercept. Most of the time, if you pass the ball on the ground, the opponent will intercept it; if you double-click the pass, you can pass it.
3. Low pass
We should also be very familiar with this passing method. When passing, press and hold R1 / Rb + to pass the ball, and the ball speed will become faster. The main application scenario is when the straight plug plays the counter attack, or when 2 passes 1, an R1 / Rb + straight plug, the ball can pass more forward.
4. Push over the top
This method of passing the head ball will also make the ball faster. The specific operation is: press and hold L1 / lb + R1 / Rb + straight plug when passing. Strong overhead pass is very easy to use in counterattack. Sometimes the speed of ordinary overhead pass is slow and it takes a long time for the opponent's guard to chase back. If this kind of strong overhead pass is replaced, the effect will be much better.
5. Short ground pass
Short ground passes are the most commonly used way of playing the ball and getting the action out of one's own penitentiary. Always target short ground passes to players who are close to the footballer you control so that the rival is not able to take over the ball. To do a short ground pass, press the button responsible for the short pass and choose the direction in which the action should be done.
6. Long ground pass
Long ground passes are used primarily to transfer the weight of the game to the other side of the pitch or as a starting pass for the appropriate player (winger, side midfielder, side defender). To do a long ground pass, press the button for a short pass, hold it a little longer and choose the direction in which you want to play.
7. Through ground pass
Through ground pass to the player running behind the defenders' backs is a great way to surprise the rival's defense and a great chance to score a goal. Due to their very high effectiveness in FIFA 21, through ground passes should be used as often as possible. To make a through ground pass, press the button responsible for through pass and choose the direction in which you want to send the ball.
8. Heel pass
Heel pass is an extremely finesse and often surprising way to play the ball without losing pace. A heel pass is useful, among other things, to withdraw the ball or to play it with another player coming from behind the back of the player leading the ball. To make a heel pass, press the pace control button and the pass button and select the direction in which the action should be made.
CROSSING:
Speaking of crossing, if you find out defending is particularly difficult in FIFA 21, then you should learn the Low Cross as a attacking weapon.
Low crosses are ideal from the wings but can be well-suited to squaring the ball while a player is already in the box, too. It's a great tactic to use with pacy wingers, as they can lay it on a plate for your forwards.
To perform a Low Cross on FIFA 21, Xbox One players will need to press the X button twice in quick succession (X + X), whilst players on PlayStation 4 will need to press the square button twice in quick succession (Square + Square). This will instruct your controlled player to perform a cross that travels along the floor, perfect for if you have an attacking player free in the box following a quick counter-attack.
Aim for your striker and let their finishing stat do the rest - a nice first-time finish could be the difference between a successful cross and a wasted opportunity. Time it when your striker sneaks in at the front post for maximum efficiency.
2. Driven Ground Cross.
Another effective way of crossing is by using the Driven Ground Cross. This is similar to the Low Cross, but is much more powerful, which makes is really difficult for your opponent to defend.
To perform a Driven Ground Cross on FIFA 21, Xbox One players will need to hold the RB button whilst pressing the X button twice in quick succession (RB + X + X). Players on PlayStation 4 will need to hold the R1 button whilst pressing the square button twice in quick succession (R1 + Square + Square).
3. Floated Cross.
To do a floated cross in FIFA 21, you’ll want to first play the ball out to one of your players out wide on the pitch like a winger or a midfielder on the left or right-hand side.
Once you’ve got the ball here, make a run down the sides of the 18-yard box. When you’re in a good position, move the left analog stick in the direction of where you want your cross to go and press and hold LB and X on Xbox One, L1 and Square on PS4, or L and Y on Nintendo Switch to perform a floated cross.
The longer you hold the buttons down for, the more power you’ll put on your cross, so be sure to let go sooner if you want to put the ball in towards the near post or hold it down for longer if you’re trying to float the ball over for someone to head it in at the back post.
The floated cross is particularly effective when trying to find a player coming in at the back post. As it’s a floated cross, the ball tends to travel through the air a little higher than a normal cross, making it difficult for the keeper to catch or punch away.
MORE FIFA 21 PASSING AND CROSSING CONTROLS:
Lob Pass/Cross (▢/X) — Lob pass is an aerial pass used to send the ball to a teammate in a high arc. Players can also cross with this method.
Through Pass (△/Y) — The through pass is a forward pass that travels into an open space through your rival’s defenders so your attackers can run onto the ball.
Threaded Through Pass (R1 + △/RB + Y) — A through pass which is more straight and lets the ball bounce so it brings more perspective to your pass.
Lofted Ground Pass (X + X/A + A) — A short ground pass that flies low and close to the ground in order to avoid the interceptions by defenders.
Lofted Through Pass (△ + △/Y + Y) — A through pass which goes over the head of your opponent’s defenders – technically, a combination of through ball and lob pass.
Driven Lobbed Through Pass (L1 + R1 + △/LB + RB + Y) — A lobbed through pass which is more straight and lets the ball bounce so it brings more perspective.
Driven Lob Pass/Cross (R1 + ▢/RB + X) — A lob pass that has more power and pace than a lob ground pass.
High Lob (L1 + ▢/LB + X) — A lob pass with more height. Can be useful for crossing to bypass your opponent’s defenders and keeper when you have tall strikers.
Flair Pass (L2 + X/LT + A) — A fancy and powerful ground pass which is less accurate than Driven Pass, but more powerful.
Flair Lob (L2 + ▢/LT + X) — A lob pass with even more height than a high lob.
Whipped Cross (R1 + L1 + ▢/RB + LB + X) — These fast, dangerous crosses travel through the box and are perfect for a teammate to just ‘put their head in the way’.
Driven Cross (R1 + ▢/RB + X) — Similar to whipped crosses, this cross is fast and dangerous, but tends to travel at waist height, being ideal for a volley or shot.
Ground Driven Cross (R1 + ▢, then ▢/RB + X, then X) — An extremely fast cross that travels on the ground.
But then, knowing is not mastering. You should know that only after a lot of practice can we master Passing, Crossing in FIFA 21. You can practice 1-2 passing/crossing methods at a time, then it can become your muscle memory. Sooner or later, you'll become a shining star in FIFA 21.
Well, if you are Lionel Messi, and you already have enough FIFA 21 Coins, you can simply go from one end of the pitch to the other without a pass or two. But apparantly we are not, so we really need to learn a lot of skills to master passing/crossing in FIFA 21.
In this article, you will know more details about passes and crosses, what can be made during the match and how to do them best.
PASSING:
Let’s start with the basics. You pass the ball with X (PS4) or A (Xbox), which is a very simple “ground pass”. The longer you hold the button in, the harder and further your player will pass the ball. That’s as simple as it gets.
The second basic is the “lob pass”. This aerial pass gets some lift for your ball, and let’s you pull off those long-ranged cross-field passes. Pull this off with Square/X. The same theory is at play here too; press for longer for more distance.
1. Manual Control
This method is used by many FIFA professional gamers. In FIFA 21, this may happend to you: AI runs around during the attack, which causes you losing a good attack opportunity. So if you use manual control of the player's movement, you will see the gap eventally, and you'll have the opportunity to pass the ball.
And this is how it works: when your player is dribbled the ball, you press the left rocker and the right rocker at the same time (note that the left and right rocker are regarded as two buttons to vertically press down, not push the rocker). Then, you push the right rocker to the player you want to control, and the dot cursor will jump to the player's head, and then you can control the player's movement. AI will carry the ball by itself, you don't have to worry about it. When you run to the position, press the pass key, the AI will pass the ball to you, and then you can continue to control the player's attack.
2. Double click the pass
The specific operation of double-click passing is to press the pass key twice, and the player will pass a half high ball without touching the ground. The advantage of this pass is that, whether the opponent is manual defense or AI automatic defense, this half high pass is very difficult to intercept. Most of the time, if you pass the ball on the ground, the opponent will intercept it; if you double-click the pass, you can pass it.
3. Low pass
We should also be very familiar with this passing method. When passing, press and hold R1 / Rb + to pass the ball, and the ball speed will become faster. The main application scenario is when the straight plug plays the counter attack, or when 2 passes 1, an R1 / Rb + straight plug, the ball can pass more forward.
4. Push over the top
This method of passing the head ball will also make the ball faster. The specific operation is: press and hold L1 / lb + R1 / Rb + straight plug when passing. Strong overhead pass is very easy to use in counterattack. Sometimes the speed of ordinary overhead pass is slow and it takes a long time for the opponent's guard to chase back. If this kind of strong overhead pass is replaced, the effect will be much better.
5. Short ground pass
Short ground passes are the most commonly used way of playing the ball and getting the action out of one's own penitentiary. Always target short ground passes to players who are close to the footballer you control so that the rival is not able to take over the ball. To do a short ground pass, press the button responsible for the short pass and choose the direction in which the action should be done.
6. Long ground pass
Long ground passes are used primarily to transfer the weight of the game to the other side of the pitch or as a starting pass for the appropriate player (winger, side midfielder, side defender). To do a long ground pass, press the button for a short pass, hold it a little longer and choose the direction in which you want to play.
7. Through ground pass
Through ground pass to the player running behind the defenders' backs is a great way to surprise the rival's defense and a great chance to score a goal. Due to their very high effectiveness in FIFA 21, through ground passes should be used as often as possible. To make a through ground pass, press the button responsible for through pass and choose the direction in which you want to send the ball.
8. Heel pass
Heel pass is an extremely finesse and often surprising way to play the ball without losing pace. A heel pass is useful, among other things, to withdraw the ball or to play it with another player coming from behind the back of the player leading the ball. To make a heel pass, press the pace control button and the pass button and select the direction in which the action should be made.
CROSSING:
Speaking of crossing, if you find out defending is particularly difficult in FIFA 21, then you should learn the Low Cross as a attacking weapon.
Low crosses are ideal from the wings but can be well-suited to squaring the ball while a player is already in the box, too. It's a great tactic to use with pacy wingers, as they can lay it on a plate for your forwards.
To perform a Low Cross on FIFA 21, Xbox One players will need to press the X button twice in quick succession (X + X), whilst players on PlayStation 4 will need to press the square button twice in quick succession (Square + Square). This will instruct your controlled player to perform a cross that travels along the floor, perfect for if you have an attacking player free in the box following a quick counter-attack.
Aim for your striker and let their finishing stat do the rest - a nice first-time finish could be the difference between a successful cross and a wasted opportunity. Time it when your striker sneaks in at the front post for maximum efficiency.
2. Driven Ground Cross.
Another effective way of crossing is by using the Driven Ground Cross. This is similar to the Low Cross, but is much more powerful, which makes is really difficult for your opponent to defend.
To perform a Driven Ground Cross on FIFA 21, Xbox One players will need to hold the RB button whilst pressing the X button twice in quick succession (RB + X + X). Players on PlayStation 4 will need to hold the R1 button whilst pressing the square button twice in quick succession (R1 + Square + Square).
3. Floated Cross.
To do a floated cross in FIFA 21, you’ll want to first play the ball out to one of your players out wide on the pitch like a winger or a midfielder on the left or right-hand side.
Once you’ve got the ball here, make a run down the sides of the 18-yard box. When you’re in a good position, move the left analog stick in the direction of where you want your cross to go and press and hold LB and X on Xbox One, L1 and Square on PS4, or L and Y on Nintendo Switch to perform a floated cross.
The longer you hold the buttons down for, the more power you’ll put on your cross, so be sure to let go sooner if you want to put the ball in towards the near post or hold it down for longer if you’re trying to float the ball over for someone to head it in at the back post.
The floated cross is particularly effective when trying to find a player coming in at the back post. As it’s a floated cross, the ball tends to travel through the air a little higher than a normal cross, making it difficult for the keeper to catch or punch away.
It’ll take a while to figure out how much power you need to put on your floated crosses for them to find the player in the box that you want, but when you get this down, you’ll be banging goals in left, right and center.
MORE FIFA 21 PASSING AND CROSSING CONTROLS:
Lob Pass/Cross (▢/X) — Lob pass is an aerial pass used to send the ball to a teammate in a high arc. Players can also cross with this method.
Through Pass (△/Y) — The through pass is a forward pass that travels into an open space through your rival’s defenders so your attackers can run onto the ball.
Threaded Through Pass (R1 + △/RB + Y) — A through pass which is more straight and lets the ball bounce so it brings more perspective to your pass.
Lofted Ground Pass (X + X/A + A) — A short ground pass that flies low and close to the ground in order to avoid the interceptions by defenders.
Lofted Through Pass (△ + △/Y + Y) — A through pass which goes over the head of your opponent’s defenders – technically, a combination of through ball and lob pass.
Driven Lobbed Through Pass (L1 + R1 + △/LB + RB + Y) — A lobbed through pass which is more straight and lets the ball bounce so it brings more perspective.
Driven Lob Pass/Cross (R1 + ▢/RB + X) — A lob pass that has more power and pace than a lob ground pass.
High Lob (L1 + ▢/LB + X) — A lob pass with more height. Can be useful for crossing to bypass your opponent’s defenders and keeper when you have tall strikers.
Flair Pass (L2 + X/LT + A) — A fancy and powerful ground pass which is less accurate than Driven Pass, but more powerful.
Flair Lob (L2 + ▢/LT + X) — A lob pass with even more height than a high lob.
Whipped Cross (R1 + L1 + ▢/RB + LB + X) — These fast, dangerous crosses travel through the box and are perfect for a teammate to just ‘put their head in the way’.
Driven Cross (R1 + ▢/RB + X) — Similar to whipped crosses, this cross is fast and dangerous, but tends to travel at waist height, being ideal for a volley or shot.
Ground Driven Cross (R1 + ▢, then ▢/RB + X, then X) — An extremely fast cross that travels on the ground.
But then, knowing is not mastering. You should know that only after a lot of practice can we master Passing, Crossing in FIFA 21. You can practice 1-2 passing/crossing methods at a time, then it can become your muscle memory. Sooner or later, you'll become a shining star in FIFA 21.
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