Skills
What each player skill really does: when it works, which stats it reads and where it stops helping.
New move. The player can do something a player without the skill cannot: a feint, a shot type, a pass, a tackle animation.
Better action. Everyone can do it; the skill makes it faster, more accurate or safer.
Stat boost. Raises stats while a condition holds. Wasted on stats already at 99 (before boosters).
CPU behaviour. Changes what the CPU decides for him or his teammates. Not felt when you steer him yourself.
Dribbling
Most feint skills do not unlock the move: everyone has a basic version. The skill swaps in its own animation and times it with Dribbling counted 20 points higher (often 20 lower without the skill). See “Feints and the ±20 rule” above.
Scissors FeintEveryone can do a scissors. With the skill the command plays a quicker skill-only scissors, about 6–7 % faster at the same Dribbling.Flip FlapMakes the flip-flap direction always give a flip flap, with the skill animation played about 10 % faster.Marseille TurnEveryone has a slow basic Marseille turn. The skill swaps in a faster version, about 20 % quicker, and makes every turn input give a Marseille.SombreroRaises the chance of a clean sombrero flick (Ball Control +10 on its two rolls, capped at 99) and unlocks sombrero receptions.Cut Behind & TurnUnlocks the cut behind (cut command with the stick pointing back, to one side) and a special trapping turn, both timed as if Dribbling were 20 higher.Scotch MoveUnlocks the Scotch move on the cut command with the stick roughly forward, timed as if Dribbling were 20 higher.Sole ControlSpeeds up the basic cut that every player has (Dribbling counted 20 higher instead of 20 lower) and adds a sole double touch when an opponent is within 4 m.Double TouchEveryone has a double touch. The skill swaps in a quicker skill animation, about 9–10 % faster from Dribbling 60 up.Chop TurnEveryone can do a chop turn. The skill makes it about 16–18 % faster with tidier touches, and makes sideways turn inputs give the chop.Tap TrickUnlocks the tap trick on the cut command with the stick to the side (67.5–112.5°). It plays at his normal Dribbling.Heel TrickUnlocks heel-flick passes and a close-range first-time heel shot, adds +5 accuracy to every heel kick, and lets back-heel passes go 10 m instead of 7 m.RabonaUnlocks Rabona passes, crosses and soft shots in set situations. No stat decides it and it adds no accuracy.Momentum Dribbling+6 Dribbling, Tight Possession, Speed and Acceleration while he has the ball at least 18 m into the opponent half.Acceleration BurstUnlocks a special sharp-touch burst for a sharp change of direction with the ball, and makes his touches and pick-up slightly quicker when he sprints off from below 20 km/h.Magnetic Feet+2 Dribbling, Tight Possession, Physical Contact and Balance for each opponent within 5 m while he has the ball (up to 4 opponents, so +8).
Shooting
Long-range ShootingInstep shots taken from outside the penalty box are aimed as if Finishing were 5 higher. The skill adds no shot power in normal play.Long-range CurlerEvery Controlled Shot gets up to 3 km/h more speed (more with high Kicking Power) and a slightly lower flight; curling ones are aimed as if Finishing were 5 higher; from about 18 m with a strong bar he uses a special long-range curler animation.Blitz CurlerControlled Shots at 50 % power or more become a topspin curler: up to 4 km/h faster with high Kicking Power, dipping more with higher Curl, with 30 % smaller speed and height errors and a capped launch. It adds no Finishing and replaces his normal curl shot.Knuckle ShotA Stunning Shot struck with 50–65 % power at an almost still ball becomes a knuckle shot, aimed as if Finishing were 5 higher. How the ball then flies differently could not be traced in the code.Dipping ShotA Stunning Shot at 20–50 % power with his stronger foot becomes a dipping shot: it leaves at a steeper angle, usually with heavy topspin, and is aimed as if Finishing were 5 higher. On Stunning free kicks it adds topspin.Rising ShotA clean Stunning Shot at 65–95 % power with his stronger foot becomes a rising shot, aimed as if Finishing were 5 higher. How the ball then flies differently could not be traced in the code.Low ScreamerA Stunning Shot under 50 % power with his stronger foot uses the Low Screamer kick and is struck as if the power bar were 20 % fuller: roughly 3–15 km/h faster, more from distance. With the skill, a Stunning Shot under 50 % is never a Dipping Shot.Snap StrikeStunning Shots are struck 2–3 game ticks (0.07–0.11 s) sooner. The saving is almost fixed: Finishing only decides whether it is 2 or 3 ticks.First-time ShotOn first-time shots with the foot, the speed of the arriving ball counts 10 % less in the accuracy and mishit penalties for fast balls. No Finishing bonus and no new animation.Acrobatic FinishingShots with the game's acrobatic kicks are aimed as if Finishing were 5 higher, keep some of the incoming ball's pace, stay lower and mishit less; those kicks are allowed in more situations, and two extra finishing animations become available.Phenomenal FinishingShots from awkward body positions are aimed as if Finishing were 7 higher, lose much less speed to the awkward posture, and awkward-contact mishits become far rarer on almost every shot he takes.Chip Shot ControlChip shots are aimed as if Finishing were 5 higher, and when he chips on the run they lose far less height: no loss below 16 km/h, and about half the average loss at full speed.HeadingHeaded shots are aimed as if he had 5 more Heading, he heads the ball down twice as often, and only he can head a fast ball at knee height. He does not jump higher or win more aerial duels.Bullet HeaderHeaded shots get a 4 km/h higher speed limit, lose less accuracy when he heads across his body, jumps or is off balance, and mishit half as often when an opponent challenges. He does not win more aerial duels.Penalty SpecialistPenalties land closer to where you aim: the largest possible random miss shrinks by 0.1 m sideways and 0.1 m up or down. Penalty speed is unchanged.WillpowerEach shot he takes adds +1 Finishing and +1 Kicking Power for the rest of the match, up to +8. The bonus is cut at 99 before boosters, so a 95 Finishing gains only 4.
Passing
Through PassingHis through balls (ground and lofted) are aimed as if his Low Pass or Lofted Pass were 5 higher, and that +5 still counts at 99 and on top of booster points.Pinpoint CrossingHis crosses are aimed as if his Lofted Pass were 5 higher and curled as if his Curl were 5 higher, on top of booster points, and curling long balls open for him at Curl 76 instead of 81.Visionary PassAfter his pass, teammates control the ball with +6 Ball Control, and the next teammate to pass, shoot or head it aims as if that stat were 6 higher. A first-time pass or shot carries the bonus on.Phenomenal PassPasses played from awkward body positions get +6 to the passing stat, lose much less pace, and an awkward lofted through ball of 12 to 30 m gets its own kicking motion.One-touch PassWhen he passes, crosses or clears a moving ball first time, the game counts the incoming ball as 10 % slower, so a fast ball costs him less accuracy and causes fewer miskicks.Weighted PassLong forward lofted passes (over 45 m) get their own kicking motion that puts heavy backspin on the ball, so it checks up instead of running away. No accuracy bonus.Low Lofted PassHis long lofted passes (over 30 m) are planned up to 0.8 m lower, and an unpressured long pass to a teammate can be switched to a low lob that lands short of him and runs on. No accuracy bonus.Outside CurlerUnlocks the longer curling outside-of-the-boot passes (10 to 40 m), short outside-foot crosses, a dink and outside-foot shots; long balls bent with the outside of the foot keep 30 to 50 % of their sidespin instead of 25 %.Edged CrossingUnlocks a dipping topspin cross for 12 to 32 m crosses of a still or slow ball (under 30 km/h); that cross's height and pace errors are 30 % smaller.No Look PassUnlocks a no-look short pass (under 13 m, played almost behind his line of sight) and a no-look finish close to goal. No accuracy or stat effect.Game-changing PassFrom the second-half kick-off, while his team is level or behind, his Low Pass and Lofted Pass are 6 higher, but never above 99 before booster points.Attack TriggerWhile he has the ball, every other teammate gets +3 Offensive Awareness, which only changes how CPU-controlled teammates move and time their runs.Attacking Surge+3 Speed and +3 Acceleration while he is in the opponent half and a teammate has the ball, gone the moment he gets the ball himself.Long ThrowThrow-ins with more than 60 % power go up to 32 m instead of 25 m and fly faster (up to 55 km/h instead of about 49). No stat changes this.
Defending
InterceptionHe reacts 40 % sooner to a pass aimed at the man he is marking, and in the CPU's interception decisions his Defensive Engagement counts 5 higher.Man MarkingWhen the CPU uses him as a marker, he re-checks where his man is more often — as if he had 5 more Defensive Awareness (never above 99).Track BackFor 5 seconds after his team loses the ball, the CPU keeps him chasing the ball from up to 15 m away (instead of 5 m) and picks him as the chaser more readily.BlockerHis blocks are set up as if his Defensive Awareness were 5 higher (also above 99), blocked balls bounce off him a little softer, and CPU blockers never skip him when picking block positions.Aerial SuperiorityIn air duels his Physical Contact counts 5 higher, and an opponent with the skill counts 5 lower. He does not jump higher.Sliding TackleHis slides are worked out as if his Tackling were 5 higher (faster slide, longer reach), and near his own box one extra slide variant opens.Long-reach TackleUnlocks extra standing-tackle moves, and lets his far-reaching foot tackles be aimed 5.6° wider and reach further.Power TackleUnlocks two extra body-contact tackle moves, loosens when a body-contact tackle may start, and lets his hits knock the ball carrier down regardless of the carrier's Physical Contact.Acrobatic ClearanceUnlocks acrobatic clearances: two for a slow ball arriving from behind him, two for a fast ball from the front, and a heel clearance if he also has Heel Trick.FortressFrom the second half on, while his team is ahead, he gets +6 Defensive Awareness, Tackling, Aggression and Defensive Engagement.Aerial Fort+4 Physical Contact and +4 Jump while a high ball is played into or around his own penalty area.Shadow HuntA centre-back, full-back or defensive midfielder gets +3 Speed and +3 Acceleration while chasing back on an opponent's pass played behind him.GamesmanshipHe goes down from tackles that only graze him: the trip distance to the tackler's foot is 11 cm instead of 7 cm. The referee then judges the fall like any other.
Goalkeeping
GK Penalty SaverOn penalties the keeper's save rating is 5 points higher: a slightly longer save and, for keepers just under 90, one frame less reaction delay.GK Low PuntGives the keeper a low, flat punt. With the skill his normal punt is always this low punt; the high punt is not affected.GK High PuntLong high punts fly about 60 m instead of 50 m. Every keeper can already play the high punt; the skill makes the long ones longer.GK Long ThrowKeeper throws can reach 50 m instead of 30 m, and a throw into open space goes 10 m further at full power (40 m instead of 30 m).GK Directing DefenceIf your keeper has it, your centre-backs and full-backs get +2 Defensive Awareness and +2 Aggression while they are within about 34.5 m of your goal line.GK Spirit RoarIf your keeper has it and you are ahead in the second half or extra time, your centre-backs and full-backs get +2 Physical Contact, +2 Jump and +2 Acceleration.
Team & match
CaptaincyOnly works on the player wearing the captain's armband: tired CPU-controlled teammates keep working harder for longer. No stat boost, and stamina does not drain any slower.Super-sub+1 to 25 stats for the rest of the match, but only if he comes on at half-time or later.Fighting SpiritUnder pressure he loses 20 % less accuracy on passes, shots and headers. When the CPU controls him, he also keeps working harder when tired.
Upcoming skills
These skills are in the game code but not yet given to any player. In the game files they are named “Dummy”. Their effects below come from the current code and may change before release.
Upcoming: “Spring Cut”Upcoming skill, not yet released: turns the double touch into a new sideways cut when the stick points 67.5–112.5° to the side.Upcoming: “Thames”Not yet released. In this game version no match code uses Thames, so a player who has it plays exactly like one who does not.Upcoming: “Nile”Not yet released. A keeper skill: on crosses and other high balls the keeper comes for the ball more readily and gives way less to his own defenders.Upcoming: “Amazon”Not yet released. A dribbling skill: when a defender challenges him shoulder to shoulder from the side while he runs with the ball, he keeps running and pushes the defender aside, whatever their Physical Contact.Upcoming: “Mekong”Not yet released. A passing skill: +6 Low Pass and +6 Curl while he plays a pass along the ground to a teammate in the attacking third.Upcoming: “Congo”Not yet released. A defending skill: +3 Aggression, Tackling and Physical Contact while an opponent has the ball and he is within about 34.5 m of his own goal line.Upcoming: “Indus”Not yet released and not finished: in this version it only removes some shot options on bouncing or rising balls hit with less than half power, a slight handicap.