The Contain Defending Debate – FIFA 13 And Beyond

Contain is for noobs, i wish it would be disabled in Seasons. Just manual Jockey option, thats skill. No more auto stealing balls

Great article Craig. Sometimes I find it more fun to play vs the computer on World Class, than play online against a "Contain Defender". It's a shame because online has the potential to be so much more spontaneous and diverse.

It takes time to react.

fifa is all about pace and skil moves, no one online is ever intellectual enough to create a build-up game and keep possession. That's why you play pes

Any new updates for the month of December?

give us our legacy defending back. I hate playing it with tactical. please fix it

TD has ruined Fifa. Players with less skill now play defensively, pile players behind the ball and hold A until there is no way to score apart from heading from a cross. Your forward no matter who he is cannot take it past the defender which makes the game a lot less enjoyable and more repetitive. After trying for a while turning and even using skill moves the defender will win the ball, hoof it upfront to the fast players who will sprint on to it and try to score on the counter attack. Why would FIFA introduce a tactic in which players are rewarded and have a better chance of winning if they just sit there holding a button? Also the new first touch gameplay makes shot spaced 1-2's and quick finishes harder to do. In my opinion, previous games in which players could dribble past and inbetween defenders were much more enjoyable. People who are saying it makes the game better as it is more realistic are clearly the ones who use the tactics I'v just explained. I'm just hoping that they get rid of it in the next game so that these players who depend on it can again get beat in most games by players like me who manually defend and play properly

Tactical defending is broken down with 1-2's and through balls, and unanticipated turns, not by spamming skills. If you've ever seen an actual game of football, the chances are you're going to prefer TD. If you want to spam skills, go play Fifa Street

TD is way more realistic and for people who actually play and understand football, it makes FIFA much more interesting. Its a lot more realistic, and it allows for tricks that actually work IRL (like letting the ball run instead of trapping it, quick turns etc) to be employed in FIFA. With Legacy defending while you're holding X, there's no way in hell you're gonna go one way, and your opponent turns the other. There's no way in hell you're gonna misjudge your tackle and look like a complete idiot with you tackle into nothing. And seriously, how often does a TD win a shoulder to shoulder contest against Legacy?

The reason people are upset with TD is that they cant play football, simple as that. You're upset because against TD, you cant skill your way through an entire defense with just 1 player. Well guess what, that is NOT how football is played. Like someone mentioned above, players who just hold teammate contain all the live long day are bound to have their defenders out of place, thus giving you time and space to work 1-2's and then go for the defense splitting pass with a through ball.

There are now so many variables thrown into every last element of attacking and defending that you really don't know what you are gonna get when you press a button now. 50% of the gameplay is made up of random mistakes and poor touches. The other 50% is holding a single button down while the AI controls your defending. Oh and as if the ref wasn't bad enough already in Fifa 11. It took me 12 games in fifa 13 to be awarded a single free kick. Should also mention that I'm lucky if I can even get a match online. The servers have been pathetic so far and actually crashed my game about 20 times by either freezing up in the arena of quitting at kick off. So far this is a bit of a joke.

Legacy defending takes absolutely zero skill. Tactical defending forces you to actually decide to stick your foot in for a tackle, just like a defender in real life would decide to tackle. Mindlessly holding down a button and magically following every single move of the forward is arcadish. It's like having the AI decide when and how to shoot, so why allow it in defence?

Bring back Legacy defending for online ranked matches or have both legacy and tactical defending choices available. Stop forcing people to use tactical defending, i have never heard of a football game that forces u to do something. Plus tactical defending aint realistic at all. Every player is different, some players make good challenges and some don't and make a bad challenge, that is real football. Plus there is no excuse for the half ass 3inch sliding tackle where again u are being forced to do what they want. Stop this nonsense, i have not bought fifa 12 because of these gay circumstances and it looks like i wont be buying Fifa 13 either, still playing fifa 11. Time for Pro Evolution soccer 2013 which is looking good at the moment in demo 2, much more realistic game play, better graphics, more realistic shots.

I adored the Fifa games up until the 2011 version. When I encountered this shitty defending it bugged me so much I just stopped playin... THANKS A LOT EA... I love Anon's proposal. It's the only way I would buy the game again, otherwise I'm goin back to PES.

Let's just say that if Legacy defending is removed from FIFA 13 i will be buying PES this year, i don't care about all the arguments stating that tactical defense is better, i just want to enjoy the game and tactical defense is ruining it for me.

The holding down the x button way of defending is ridiculous. How can you have a defensive system where the AI does the work. When I run at a defender, I want it to be against him, my wits and reactions pitted against his, not me against him AND a computer that can more than match me. Where's the skill in that?

It funny how people think that legacy is just button smashing, no if it was just that the really good fifa players will get onto u like that, 1 - 2s galore and high balls, at times you have to be composed and let go of the button and read the play and the runs of the opposition aswell, and take things into your own hands, to the people who think its just button smashing obviously didn't get ranked high enough to vs the really good fifa players, because they would punk you hard if you just button smashed

To all the people who try to make exuse for TACT DEFENDING, SHUT THE F??? UP, I'll tell u what, to all those jerk offs that love tact defending, lets do it like this, FIFA please give people the option to use legacy online against other players that want to use legacy too, just give us the option to choose that and if they want let the others use tactical if their so confident in their ability, i guarantee you that your going to be choosing legacy 99.9% of the time. what kind of bullshit defending is that, chase after them and stop 2metres before u get their and then u have too make a lunging tackle, which will cost you at most times and probaly fall over and look like an complete idiot that cant even see, ay just speaking my mind and truth and i know most people will agree with me. Its a dam shame, Fifa was my favorite and they ruined it like this. (IF ITS NOT BROKEN, DONT FIX IT) Its frustrating cause u see these real dick faces take advantage of the Tact Defending. Fifa just give us a option seriously, if people want to play tactical then let them, but if people want to play legacy, then let us play legacy.

are you crazy ? weak players might push the hell out of the x button during the legacy defending only, it's easy to exploit players who do that... i'm not showing off or anything, i won two local tournaments with money prizes, i know what im talking about... i use legacy and can use tactical.. You're saying that legacy stops you from building up play, but when i also press " x " in tactical , i can follow you forever , and i dare you , no , i double dare you if you can make my player move in one way and your's in another, even if you have CR7 or Messi.. problem with tactical is that you can defend so well but from far ( 1 meters far ) , so when i want to charge , i'd have to do it manually , which makes it very very hard.. When i play legacy , trust me , i do 90% of the defending manually, i just tap the x once im close just to have a good aimed charged ... People nagging about who always press x and let the AI's do the work, and who are trying to put a stop to legacy , then im afraid , you suck at attacking , and it's not your opponent who's good at defending ;) ... Either keep Legacy Defending , or improve the Charge for the ball in the Tactical defending.. Thank You For Your Time

Please take away the whole shirt grabbing proccess , I hate it you could be making a great attack and you have passed the defender and suddenly they have caught you up like a bullet and start grabbing your shirt to get the ball which in FIFA rules is an instant foul so why put ur in the game it's unfair , if it's in FIFA 13 then I will not be buying the game and will find another football game to play because it's absolutely ridiculous ! FIX IT EA!!!!!!!

Legacy defending system should put to a stop, as it greatly destroys build up play. It's not intellectual defending just button smashing.

I think a lot of people miss the point of legacy defending you can see a player closing you down at speed just move the ball back and play it into the space they have left behind anyway you still have to know when to press in with legacy and when not to with tactical you end up just sitting there the option for all players to use legacy on all modes should be there or create ranked matches for legacy players is this such a hardship I doubt it.....

I hate the "to make the game more realistic" argument. There is nothing realistic about Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King outpacing Theo Walcott or Emile Heskey making Messi-like runs.

Im in division 4 so I'm not bad at FIFA

just practise more i think its 10x better than fifa 10 when you just rushed into ppl.... ans the ppl who are moaning are just poor at the game if you where good you wouldnt be moaning.

Bring back legacy defending

They need to improve the help on defence by adding more cover in AI for example if one AI goes and pressures,another should cover his spot he left open or go help contain and please fix the reaction of my 93 CB every time i want to slide tackle it crosses the ball out of bounce WTF.

I think that EA should focus more in fixing the problems that WessamoRonaldo and kabelo are mentioning and all the bad referee decisions regarding off side and fouls, plus a better career mode. Rather than include "new" features.

what happend to a hand ball and ball back to the own goalkeeper.... bring that back please. Hand ball its a foul and it does not have to be all the time that my goalkeeper holds the ball when the opponent attempts to shoot

First of all , The Tactical defending made an extra balance to the game , which made the bad fifa players as strong as the good fifa players. Second : too many fails inside the penalty box when u tackle , 80 percent of them are penalties , so i dont tackle i just use the directions and rush towards the attacker manualy. Third : opponent can leave the sprint button , and use the directions to screw your defence in every attack , i sometimes do that too ! why not if my opponent does that ! fourth : defence in general in crossing and rebounds is so bad !