Aerial Fort
Stat boostChecked
In one sentence
+4 Physical Contact and +4 Jump while a high ball is played into or around his own penalty area.
Who does this affect?
Both: the boost is on his stats, so it counts for the player you control and for CPU control.
How it works
Aerial Fort is a conditional stat boost. It switches on when the ball will pass above his own head height where he stands (or he is already heading or clearing it in the air) and the ball, or he himself, is in his own penalty area. Then Physical Contact and Jump get +4, which helps header duels, jump reach and air contests. It adds no new move. Like all stat boosts it is added before the 99 limit.
When it applies
- High ball: the ball's predicted height where he stands is above his own height (a 190 cm player needs a ball above 1.90 m), or he is already in a header or clearance action.
- Ball in play.
- Box: the ball is in his own penalty area (for some restarts its landing point must be in the area too), or he himself is in his own penalty area.
- Re-checked all the time; the +4 disappears as soon as a condition fails.
Without it
Normal Physical Contact and Jump in the same situations.
Which stats it reads
Physical Contact raised by the skill
+4, capped at 99 before boosters (full up to 95, partial at 96–98, nothing at 99). In a contested header Physical Contact counts point for point, so +4 = 4 points of the −30 to +30 duel window.
Jump raised by the skill
+4, same 99 limit. Adds about 1.6 cm (standing header) to 2.9 cm (full jumping header) of reach, and 4 points in contested headers.
Height decides if it happens
Taller players need a higher ball to switch it on, unless they are already in a header or clearance action.
In numbers
Physical Contact or Jump before boosters → · points
Chart values
| 60 | 4 |
| 80 | 4 |
| 95 | 4 |
| 99 | 0 |
Common questions
Does Aerial Fort work anywhere in the defensive third?
Short answerNo
Only the penalty area counts: the ball or the player must be in it.
Does it make him jump higher?
Short answerPartly
Yes, by about 2–3 cm, because it adds 4 Jump; it is not a separate jump boost.
Is it active for every ball in the box?
Short answerNo
Ground balls do not switch it on; the ball must be above his head height or he must be heading or clearing.
Does the boost go past 99?
Short answerNo
A 99 Jump or 99 Physical Contact gains nothing from it.
Not yet confirmed
- The exact list of player actions counted as 'header or clearance action'.
- One extra condition in the action branch (an action flag that must be off) is not decoded.
The maths
ConditionNeeds a high ball (above his head height at his spot) or a header/clearance action, plus the ball or the player in his own penalty area.
Limit+4 is added before the 99 limit; wasted on a stat already at 99.
DetailStacks with Aerial Superiority: in his own box a contested header can get +4 Physical Contact, +4 Jump and the +5 from Aerial Superiority.
DetailSome CPU set-piece target choices read the card stats and do not see the boost.
DetailNot used by this skill: Heading, Defensive Awareness — not boosted.