Captaincy
CPU behaviourChecked
In one sentence
Only 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.
Who does this affect?
CPU-controlled teammates only (the player you control is skipped). The skill only counts on the player wearing the armband.
How it works
If your captain has Captaincy, every teammate the computer is controlling waits longer before easing off his running when he is tired: normally he starts easing off when 40 % of his stamina is left, with the captain's Captaincy only when 30 % is left. He also has to be 5 m further from the ball before he eases off. The player you are controlling at that moment is not affected, no stat is raised and stamina is used up at the same rate.
When it applies
- Your team's captain (the armband in your game plan) has Captaincy. Captaincy on any other player does nothing for the team.
- Applies to each teammate while the computer controls him, except the ball carrier, the player who last touched the ball and a set-piece taker.
- Without Captaincy he starts easing off at 40 % stamina left; with it at 30 % left.
- At that point he only eases off if he is more than 40 m from the ball (45 m with Captaincy). The distance shrinks as he tires: at 20 % stamina left (10 % with Captaincy) it is down to 5 m (10 m with Captaincy).
- After conceding a goal when not ahead, a player who himself has Captaincy plays a turn-around animation of about 3.5 s 60 % of the time (20 % without).
Without it
CPU teammates start easing off at 40 % stamina left and must be 5 m less far from the ball before they do.
Which stats it reads
Stamina (how much he has left) decides if it happens
Only matters for tired CPU-controlled teammates: they start easing off at 40 % stamina left, 30 % with the captain's Captaincy (25 % for a player with Fighting Spirit, 15 % with both).
Common questions
Does Captaincy boost the whole team's stats?
Short answerNo
No stat is raised for anyone; it only changes when tired CPU teammates ease off.
Does it work on any player who has it?
Short answerNo
The game reads the skill only from the player wearing the armband.
Does it make players lose stamina more slowly?
Short answerNo
Stamina drain is unchanged; tired CPU teammates just keep working harder for longer.
Does it affect the player I control?
Short answerNo
The player you are controlling is skipped.
Not yet confirmed
- What 'easing off' does on the pitch (very likely fewer sprints and runs off the ball).
- The turn-around animation after conceding is cosmetic as far as found.
The maths
ConditionMust be on the player wearing the armband.
ConditionOnly CPU-controlled teammates, and only once they are tired (30 % stamina left or less with the skill).
DetailHow tired CPU teammates ease off: once a computer-controlled player has used a set share of his stamina, he starts dropping his running effort, but only while he is far from the ball. At that point 'far' means more than 40 m away; the limit shrinks to 5 m as he uses another 20 % of his stamina. Captaincy adds 5 m to these distances and moves the start from 40 % to 30 % stamina left.
DetailWith Fighting Spirit on the same teammate the stamina thresholds add up (he starts at 15 % left), but the distance bonus is Fighting Spirit's 10 m, not 15 m.
DetailThe code also has a team check that would give the same effect without Captaincy, but it reads an old player value that real cards never set, so in practice only Captaincy gives it.
DetailIf the captain leaves the pitch, the armband goes to another player picked by a separate rating; a Captaincy owner is not preferred.
DetailNot used by this skill: All ability stats — Captaincy raises no stat for anyone, captain included