As we have explained in another guide, attributes are responsible for determining a player’s quality. However, when you look into a database, you may find that some players also have assigned traits, specialities and save styles. You probably don’t know what exactly they are or if they have any impact on your Ultimate Team player, but we will clarify it to you in our FIFA 20 Traits and Specialities guide.
Traits, Specialities and Save Styles
What’s the difference between them
First of all, it’s important to distinguish between traits, specialities and save styles.
TRAITS
Unique skill and play style of a player. They usually have impact on gameplay.
SPECIALITIES
Attributes and physical details of a player. They have no impact on gameplay.
SAVE STYLES
Goalkeeper’s types of saves. They have no impact on gameplay.
As you can see, only traits have impact on how a player performs. That’s why they are the focus of this guide.
FIFA 20 Traits
What FIFA 20 Traits are and which effect they have on your players
FIFA 20 Traits are used to provide players with unique skills and play styles in the game that match their real-life counterparts. Each Trait impacts some aspect of the player’s behaviour on the pitch or, in some cases, off of it.
Not all FIFA 20 Traits function the same way; some may change the way the player performs on the pitch, another may influence how often they are injured, and others may only have an impact when that player is being controlled by the CPU AI.
The CPU plays the game as you would, limited by the same input restrictions that a human player is. This means that the CPU team has an active player, just like you do, which we call the CPU AI-controlled player.
A CPU AI-controlled player exists in the following circumstances:
– On a team with no human players. For example, the CPU-controlled team in Squad Battles.
– On a team with human players who are all locked to specific players, that also has CPU teammates. For example, a Pro Clubs team, with less than 11 human players, with no “ANY” player.
A CPU AI-controlled player does not exist in the following circumstances:
– On a team with human players who are not locked to specific players. For example, a team in FUT Champions.
Each Trait has at least one effect that falls into at least one category, and in some cases, it may have more than one effect and/or effects that fall into multiple categories.
There are four FIFA 20 Traits categories:
ST STANDARD
Trait effects in this category impact the way that a player plays, both when controlled by a human and when controlled by the CPU AI.
AI CPU AI
Trait effects in this category impact the way that a player plays, but only when the player is being controlled by the CPU AI.
CM CAREER MODE
Trait effects in this category impact something in Career Mode, but they have no impact on the way that the player performs during actual gameplay.
VP VIRTUAL PRO
Trait effects in this category unlock something for your Virtual Pro in FIFA Pro Clubs or Player Career Mode.
The former official database featured traits and specialitiesList of FIFA 20 Traits for Ultimate Team mode
FIFA 20 features more than 30 traits.
Chip Shot
Dives Into Tackles
Early Crosser
Fancy Passes
Finesse Shot
Flair
Giant Throw-In
GK Cautious With Crosses
GK Comes For Crosses
GK Flat Kick
GK Save With Foot
Injury Prone
Leadership
Long Passer
Long Shot Taker
Long Throw-In
One Club Player
Outside Foot Shot
Play Maker
Rushes Out Of Goal
Second Wind
Set Play Specialist
Solid Player
Speed Dribbler
Swerve
Takes Powerful Driven Free Kicks
Team Player
Technical Dribbler
Let’s analyse each trait in more detail.
ST AI VP FINESSE SHOT
A player with this Trait will get the full amount of curl when he takes a finesse shot when the ball is on the ground. This can change how the ball will get to the target, but it does not change the target itself.
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait is more likely to shoot in general, and will prefer to take a finesse shot.
Popular players with this trait: Lionel Messi, Eden Hazard, Robert Lewandowski and Isco.
ST VP OUTSIDE FOOT SHOT SHOT
A player with this Trait will be able to perform an outside of the foot shot regardless of their Finishing attribute value.
A player with this Trait will have reduced difficulty in executing an accurate outside of the foot shot.
Popular players with this trait: Luís Suárez, Gonzalo Higuaín, Samuel Umtiti and Ricardo Quaresma.
ST VP POWER HEADER
A player with this Trait will have more powerful headers.
A player with this Trait is more likely to be selected to fill a target position in the opposing penalty area during an attacking corner kick, and is less likely to be selected as the support player when the kick taker requests support for a short corner.
Popular players with this trait: Sérgio Ramos, Diego Godín, Edinson Cavani and Giorgio Chiellini.
ST VP LONG THROW-IN
When a player with this Trait performs a throw-in using the X/Square button, the maximum distance of the throw is longer than that of a player without the Trait.
If the opportunity for a quick throw-in has passed, players with this Trait will be more likely to be considered the optimal selection for taking a throw-in where executing a long throw could boost the chance for a scoring opportunity.
Popular players with this trait: Giorgio Chiellini, Gareth Bale, Azpilicueta and Jerome Boateng.
ST VP GIANT THROW-IN
When a player with this Trait performs a throw-in using the X/Square Button, the maximum distance of the throw is longer than a player without this Trait or with just the Long Throw-In Trait.
If the opportunity for a quick throw-in has passed, players with this Trait will be more likely to be considered the optimal selection for taking a throw-in where executing a long throw could boost the chance for a scoring opportunity.
Popular players with this trait: Eduardo Salvio, Faouzi Ghoulam, Antonio and Maxi Pereira.
AI VP EARLY CROSSER
A CPU AI player with this Trait will be more likely to attempt an early cross.
Popular players with this trait: Kevin De Bruyne, Azpilicueta and Aleksandar Kolarov .
ST AI VP TAKES POWERFUL DRIVEN FREE KICKS
A player with this Trait will start their free kick run-up from further back, producing a more powerful free kick.
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will be more likely to choose a driven free kick over a finesse free kick.
Popular players with this trait: Nathan Aké, Robin Krauße, Abdoulaye Sissako and Brendan Moore.
ST VP SWERVE
A player with this Trait will have reduced difficulty in executing an accurate outside of the foot shot.
A player with this Trait will have the full amount of curl when passing the ball on the ground. This can change the path for how the ball will get to the target, but it does not change the target itself.
Popular players with this trait: –
ST AI VP FANCY PASSES
A player with this Trait will be less likely to make errors when attempting flair passes.
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait is able to use flair passes.
Popular players with this trait: –
ST AI VP FLAIR
A player with this Trait will be less likely to make errors when attempting flair moves.
A human-controlled player with this Trait will sometimes execute a flair pass or flair shot without having used the flair modifier controls.
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait is more likely to use flair passes or flair shots.
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will be more likely to stutter during a penalty kick runup, and more likely to execute a chip shot penalty.
Popular players with this trait: Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, Eden Hazard and Isco.
ST INJURY PRONE
A player with this Trait has an increased chance of getting injured when a collision occurs.
Popular players with this trait: Giorgio Chiellini, Gareth Bale, Thiago and Benatia.
ST VP FLAT KICK
A player with this Trait has a reduced chance of getting injured when a collision occurs.
Popular players with this trait: Robert Lewandowski, N’Golo Kanté, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Leonardo Bonucci.
ST RUSHED OUT OF GOAL
A goalkeeper with this Trait will be more aggressive when coming out of the box to gather over the top or long through balls.
Popular players with this trait: Manuel Neuer, Marc-André ter Stegen, Hugo Lloris and Ederson.
ST GK CAUTIOUS WITH CROSSES
A goalkeeper with this Trait will only try to intercept a cross when they think they can get to the ball well before their opponent.
Popular players with this trait: Gianluigi Buffon, Keylor Navas, Bernd Leno and Mattia Perin.
ST GK COMES FOR CROSSES
A goalkeeper with this Trait will try to intercept a cross even if they think they will get to the ball barely before their opponent.
Popular players with this trait: Manuel Neuer, Jan Oblak, Thibaut Courtois and Marc-André ter Stegen.
ST GK SAVE WITH FOOT
A goalkeeper with this Trait will frequently choose to save the ball with his feet, allowing them to save a slightly higher frequency of close-range shots than a goalkeeper with the same attributes that did not have the GK Save With Foot Trait.
Popular players with this trait: David De Gea, Marc-André ter Stegen, Stéphane Ruffier and Kepa.
VP SOLID PLAYER
Not available for Ultimate Team mode
ST AI VP GK LONG THROWER
A goalkeeper with this Trait will have the ability to target players further away with thrown passes.
A CPU AI-controlled goalkeeper will sometimes decide to perform a driven-style throw when making a long throw.
Popular players with this trait: David De Gea, Manuel Neuer, Jan Oblak and Thibaut Courtois.
VP BICYCLE KICKS
Not available for Ultimate Team mode
VP SET PLAY SPECIALIST
Not available for Ultimate Team mode
VP SECOND WIND
Not available for Ultimate Team mode
ST LEADERSHIP
Used, along with One Club Player and Team Player, as part of the decision-making process in choosing a captain for a team if the designated captain is not in the lineup or is removed mid-game via a substitution or red card.
Popular players with this trait: Luka Modric, Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Ramos and Harry Kane.
ST CM ONE CLUB PLAYER
Used, along with Leadership and Team Player, as part of the decision-making process in choosing a captain for a team if the designated captain is not in the lineup or is removed mid-game via a substitution or red card.
Popular players with this trait: Lionel Messi, Mauricio Isla, Gregor Kobel and Kenta Tokushige.
ST CM TEAM PLAYER
Used, along with One Club Player and Leadership, as part of the decision-making process in choosing a captain for a team if the designated captain is not in the lineup or is removed mid-game via a substitution or red card.
Popular players with this trait: Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Buffon, Marek Hamšík and Iniesta.
AI DIVES INTO TACKLES
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will be more likely to use a sliding tackle instead of a standing tackle.
Popular players with this trait: Sergio Ramos, Diego Godín, Giorgio Chiellini and Nicolás Otamendi.
AI CHIP SHOT
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will be more likely to try to chip the keeper when given the opportunity.
Popular players with this trait: Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Gareth Bale and Mohamed Salah.
AI TECHNICAL DRIBBLER
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will be more likely to go on a long run or attempt a zigzag dribble.
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will be more likely to be called as a support player for a short corner kick.
Popular players with this trait: Neymar Jr, Luka Modric, Luís Suárez and Eden Hazard.
AI SPEED DRIBBLER
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will be more likely to go on a long run or to attempt a zigzag dribble.
Popular players with this trait: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr and Antoine Griezmann.
AI LONG PASSER
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait is more likely to attempt long passes.
Popular players with this trait: Luka Moric, Kevin De Bruyne, Toni Kroos and Mats Hummels.
AI LONG SHOT TAKER
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will be more likely to try and take long shots when running with the ball and more likely to try long volley shots.
Popular players with this trait: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric and Kevin De Bruyne.
AI PLAY MAKER
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will be given the ball by their teammates more often, allowing them to dictate more of the offense.
A CPU AI-controlled player with this Trait will make faster passing decisions.
Popular players with this trait: Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard.
Lionel Messi is one of the players with more traits in FIFA 20FIFA 20 Specialities
What are specialities
Specialties are used to indicate that a player has a specific set of qualities and/or skills. They are derived from the attributes and physical details of a player, and are intended to allow for easy identification of players that would fit into some of the most common roles in football.
On their own, Specialties have no impact on gameplay or how a player performs, they are purely informational and used to help in identifying players in certain situations, such as scouting in Career Mode.
Here is a list of all the Specialties present in FIFA 20, along with the requirements that a player must meet in order to be assigned the Specialty.
Poacher
Finishing: 85+ | Heading Accuracy: 85+ | Attacking Work Rate: Low or Medium
Distance Shooter
Shot Accuracy: 87+ ! Shot Power: 87+
Clinical Finisher
Shot Accuracy: 80+ | Finishing: 86+
Aerial Threat
Heading Accuracy: 75+ | Jumping: 85+ | Strength: 85+ | Player Height: 188cm+
Free Kick (FK) Specialist
FK Accuracy: 86+ | Curve: 85+ | Shot Power: 85+
Dribbler
Dribbling: 86+ | Balance: 75+
Playmaker
Short Passing: 86+ | Long Passing: 73+ | Vision: 86+
Crosser
Crossing: 86+ | Curve: 80+
Engine
Stamina: 86+« | Attacking Work Rate: High | Defensive Work Rate: High
Tackler
Standing Tackle: 86+ | Sliding Tackle: 85+
Speedster
Sprint Speed: 90+ | Acceleration: 90+
Strength
Strength: 86+ | Player Weight: 83kg+
Tactician
Interceptions: 86+ | Reactions: 80+
Acrobat
Agility: 86+ | Reactions: 80+
Complete Forward
Has Poacher Specialty and at least two of the following:
Clinical Finisher Specialty, Speedster Specialty, Aerial Threat Specialty, Dribbler Specialty, Strength Specialty
or has Clinical Finisher speciality and at least two of the following:
Speedster Specialty, Aerial Threat Specialty, Dribbler Specialty, Strength Specialty
Complete Midfielder
Has Playmaker Specialty and at least two of the following:
Engine Specialty, Crosser Specialty, Dribbler Specialty, FK Specialist Specialty, Clinical Finisher Specialty, Tackler Specialty
Complete Defender
Has Tackler Specialty and at least one of the following:
Acrobat Specialty, Strength Specialty and Aerial Threat Specialty
FIFA 20 Goalkeeper Save Styles
What are save styles
Goalkeeper Save Styles are assigned to keepers based on the types of saves that they are specifically known for making. They are purely used to drive the animations that play for the keeper when they are making saves and have no impact on the effectiveness of the keepers or whether or not they save a particular shot.
FIFA 20 features two save styles:
ACROBATIC
The keeper will make reflex saves using agile animations that often have them go to ground.
TRADITIONAL
The keeper will make reflex saves using animations that keep the keeper on their feet whenever possible.