FC 27 defensive settings: what each one does and how to choose

EA explains both options in the menu, and it's worth reading. The short version:

• Advanced Defending means you choose the tackle. Circle is a standing tackle, X a shoulder challenge or a block, and in every duel you decide which one the situation calls for. Whether you win the ball is on you.
• Tactical Defending gives that choice to the game. You press Circle and it decides whether a standing tackle or a shoulder challenge comes out.

Tactical is the easier way in, and a reasonable start if you're new to the game or have never tried the other option, because the game will often bail you out. Its cost shows up when it reads the situation wrong, picks the challenge you didn't want and the attacker walks through. You chose to hand over that decision, so decide whether it's a trade you can live with.

FC 27 has five Auto Switching settings:

• Manual: you always switch yourself, with L1 or the right stick.
• On Air Balls and Loose Balls: the game may switch for you on high balls, loose balls and crosses.
• Only on Loose Balls: automatic on loose balls and crosses, but not on high balls.
• Automatic: the game switches to whoever it thinks is best, constantly, in every situation.
• Only on Air Balls: automatic only on high balls and crosses.

What each one gives you and what it costs in a real game:

Manual

You switch, nobody else. When a ball is played in behind and you have both a centre-back and a full-back who could get there, you decide which one goes. None of the automatic options give you that: they lock you onto whoever the game picks. What Manual costs you is time. There are moments where you simply won't switch fast enough, and the typical one is a rebound in the opponent's box: your shot comes back off the keeper or the post, drops to the other striker, and by the time you've found him the chance has gone.

On Air Balls and Loose Balls

The game will often correct your switch so you can clear, especially on L1 + Triangles, when the ball goes to the other side and on corners. The problem: once your player locks onto the ball, you can't switch off him. If the sensible choice is another player altogether, you're stuck with the game's pick.

Only on Loose Balls

Good for the usual rebounds around the pitch: the game fixes your switch so you can clear or win the second ball. The problem is crosses. It often won't switch you to the player you want, and when it locks onto one you didn't choose, you're stuck. Think of a cross, a knockdown and a goal from inside the box. With Manual you'd switch to the other centre-back to cover the pass. Here you're locked onto the player going up for the header, and if that's a 1.60 m player against a 1.90 m one, you're done for.

Automatic

The option Gravesen likes least, because it hands the game every switching decision. In its favour, it will pick a player for you on loose balls, on corners and when play switches to the other side, so if crosses, corners and L1 + Triangles are where you concede, it will rescue you often. The problem is everything else. The menu says L1 overrides the game's choice; in practice, once a player has locked onto the ball you can press L1, super cancel, anything, and you stay on him. On rebounds the game doesn't switch for you at all, so you still need to be sharp with L1. And when the sensible move is to close down with a full-back and the game has already given you the centre-back, you're left watching.

The question is always the same: how much do you want the game to decide for you? More automation means more help on crosses and loose balls, and less say when a switch makes no sense. Pick the trade you're comfortable with, then set up the rest of your defence.

Right Stick Switching, L1 switching and Analog Sprint, the other three settings in the same menu, are covered in the Basic plan video “Player switching and analog sprint in FC 27”. Once your settings are sorted, the defensive model itself is in “How to defend in FC 27”.