FIFA 19 D-Pad Tactics Guide

FIFA 19 D-Pad Tactics give you more control over your team while in-game. If you don’t know what Quick Tactics are or how to set up them, read this guide where we explain everything you should know.

 
 

FIFA 19 D-Pad Tactics Introduction

Find out how to have more control over your team while in-game

You have created a squad with good players and decent chemistry. You also have picked your favourite formation but, even knowing you have good FIFA skills, you still don’t understand why you don’t win more often, right? Well, maybe something is missing. Most of the people ignore that, when they have their team almost ready, they need to make the final adjustments to make that team play the way they want. They need to give it their identity. If you feel that this may be happening to you, you still have to set up (in descending order of importance):

✔️ Tactics;
✔️ Player Instructions;
✔️ Player Roles.

While in-game, you can change your game plan moving your D-Pad to the left or to the right. However, there are a few quick tactics that you can use moving your D-Pad up or down. They will help you to change your play style in crucial moments.

Before anything else, it is important to make it clear that Quick Tactics, as D-Pad Tactics are also known, are not one-time actions (except offside traps). In other words, once activated, they stay until the end of the game. FIFA 19 D-Pad Tactics are a good option to quickly react to the current game situation and to give you more options of firepower. They can be very useful to adapt specifically to your opponent or when you don’t have a game plan of the dynamic tactics prepared which is suitable for the current situation.

You should also realize that, when you make a decision, you are adding good things to your team but at the expense of something bad. For example, when you pick ‘team press’, your players will probably take the ball from your opponent more times but they will also to be tired more often and will open more space on their back. It’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth it.

It’s also important to notice that FIFA 19 D-Pad Tactics have a higher priority than custom tactics and player instructions.

 
 

FIFA 19 D-Pad Tactics Explained

How to use each quick tactic

FIFA 19 D-Pad Tactics are divided into two groups. Depending on what you plan to do, you can choose between Attacking or Defending Tactics via the UP or DOWN Buttons respectively. As soon as the menu is opened, you have four options to choose from. It closes automatically after a few seconds. Every quick tactic is one of the four directions of the D-Pad. An activated tactic is highlighted in green, remaining grey if it is not. To deactivate a quick tactic, you basically have to choose it for another time.

 

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Get in the Box

? CONTROLS
UP on D-Pad to display attacking tactics and then UP again
UP on D-Pad to display attacking tactics and then UP again
UP arrow to display attacking tactics and then UP again

ℹ️ DESCRIPTION
This quick tactic will make more players get into the box for crosses. When selected, the players who are at the edge of the box will be going to get into the box for a cross but also the players back in the midfield will going to join the attack and will get to the edge of the box.
 
You can use this tactic if you love crossing or if you need to score a goal. ‘Get in the Box’ will make you have a higher chance to find a player in a good position to convert a cross and score a goal. Obviously, when this tactic is selected, you lose the defensive back up and you are more vulnerable to counter attacks.

 

Attacking Full Backs

? CONTROLS
UP on D-Pad to display attacking tactics and then RIGHT
UP on D-Pad to display attacking tactics and then RIGHT
UP arrow to display attacking tactics and then RIGHT arrow

ℹ️ DESCRIPTION
This quick tactic makes your Full Back Players go on the offensive to add more threats against your opponent. Remember to have Full Backs with good offensive skills if you are planning to use this tactic. You can also use this at a corner kick chance.

You can use this tactic to have more option on the attack but, on the other hand, your full-backs won’t be in a defensive position anymore and your opponent will have an easier time to be successful in the counter-attack.

 

Hug Sideline

? CONTROLS
UP on D-Pad to display attacking tactics and then LEFT
UP on D-Pad to display attacking tactics and then LEFT
UP arrow to display attacking tactics and then LEFT arrow

ℹ️ DESCRIPTION
This quick tactic changes the way how your outside players, usually the fullbacks and the wingers, are going to position themselves. This strategy will make them stay close to the sideline when attacking. This offers you new ways to switch the side with a lob pass.
 
You can use this tactic when you plan on doing a side attack for your offence. If your opponent is pressing, it can help to play in such wide positions because it will be very hard for him to cover all the ground. However, sometimes it is also hard to play such long low passes.

 

Extra Striker

? CONTROLS
UP on D-Pad to display attacking tactics and then DOWN
UP on D-Pad to display attacking tactics and then DOWN
UP arrow to display attacking tactics and then DOWN arrow

ℹ️ DESCRIPTION
This quick tactic, like the name suggests, makes another player take on the role as striker, giving the opponent more things to worry about. Usually, it is one of the midfielders with the best shooting stats who starts acting as another striker.

You can use this tactic when time is running out and you need to score. One more striker will improve your chances to score, but it will also lose one important player on the midfield making more difficult to recover possession.

 

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Striker Drop Back

? CONTROLS
DOWN on D-Pad to display defending tactics and then UP
DOWN on D-Pad to display defending tactics and then UP
DOWN arrow to display defending tactics and then UP

ℹ️ DESCRIPTION
This quick tactic makes your Striker or Strikers provide assistance when you are defending against the opposition. They will be in a more defensive position that will cover more runs and this will increase your defensive stability. When you want to make your team super defensive, this is the option.
 
You can use this tactic when you want to secure a lead in the last minutes of a game. However, it will be harder for you to counter-attack because you will be missing players up front.

 

Team Press

? CONTROLS
DOWN on D-Pad to display defending tactics and then RIGHT
DOWN on D-Pad to display defending tactics and then RIGHT
DOWN arrow to display defending tactics and then RIGHT arrow

ℹ️ DESCRIPTION
This quick tactic makes your team apply constant pressure to your opponent. It has the same effect of ‘Constant Pressure’ on defensive styles from custom tactics. When activated, your team will push up on the field and play pressing. This makes very hard for your opponent to find a secure way to pass it.
 
You can use this tactic when the time is running out and you need to put a pressure on your opponent to get to the ball. Be careful using it because it drains stamina. Besides that, when your opponent overcomes your team pressing, you are very vulnerable in the defence because you ‘re lacking defenders.

 

Overload Ball Side

? CONTROLS
DOWN on D-Pad to display defending tactics and then LEFT
DOWN on D-Pad to display defending tactics and then LEFT
DOWN arrow to display defending tactics and then LEFT arrow

ℹ️ DESCRIPTION
This quick tactic will position a lot of your players on the side of the pitch where the ball is located. This will tighten the space for your opponent and your defence will be more compact.
 
You can use this tactic to defend against side attacks and to make your defence more solid. Be careful as this leaves the other side of the pitch open for a lob pass. When ‘Overload Ball Side’ is activated, it’s harder for you to defend on the other side of the ball.

 

Offside Trap

? CONTROLS
DOWN on D-Pad to display defending tactics and then DOWN again
DOWN on D-Pad to display defending tactics and then DOWN again
DOWN arrow to display defending tactics and then DOWN arrow again

ℹ️ DESCRIPTION
This quick tactic moves up your defenders along the pitch to turn through ball passes by the opponent to offsides. This is the only tactic that you don’t turn it on and it stays on. Instead, when you activate it, it works immediately. When you do it, your defenders will push up for the offside trap and right after they will return to their normal position and behaviour. They won’t play an offside trap anymore unless you reactivate it.
 
You can use this tactic if you feel comfortable using it. The offside trap is relying on very good timing. Otherwise, there is a high risk that you give a very easy goal since you will leave your opponent with no defenders blocking them.