Defending in FIFA is one of the most searched FIFA-related queries. And this is understandable because FIFA is more than just a simulation. Its creators mastered the art of football and carefully crafted various real-life attacking, ball-playing, and defending techniques into the game.
You don’t lunge into a tackle except you’re ready to risk committing a cynical foul which may cost you a red card. You don’t run around chasing an attacker, or your defender will get exhausted. What’s worse, you may end up playing your defender out of position, exposing your keeper to a 1v1 or 2v1 situation. So, what do you do? In critical situations, jockeying can help you out.
In football, Jockeying is the defender’s ability to keep the ball between the attacker and his or her intended target (usually the goal). Jockeying is also known as “shepherding” or “guiding,” and it is an essential skill for any defender in football.
What does it mean to Jockey in FIFA?
Jockeying in FIFA means that your defender slowly backs off from an attacker to slow down or delay the attack. Another advantage of this technique is that it also forces an unsuspecting attacker to commit an error, force a wrong pass, attempt a weak shot or go for a back pass.
If you seriously want to learn how to defend in FIFA, you must master the art of jockeying. True football fans know this. Here is a real-life instance:
On 31st March 2019, when Virgil Van Dijk found himself in a 2v1 against Heung Min Son and Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham, the Dutch defender casually defused the threat by jockeying.
Instead of lunging into a tackle against Sissoko, who would have passed the ball to Son, Van Dijk kept his composure and forced Sissoko onto his weaker foot while shadow-defending Son. That moment was one of the highlights of the 2019 Balon d’Or presentation.
Jockeying in FIFA is manual-you have to do the work
Jockeying in FIFA is an effective defensive tip. Here is how to do it. But you can only do it by manually controlling your defender.
There used to be an automatic jockey in FIFA. Assisted jockeying is similar to player lock in that it allows your defender to lock on to the attacker you wish to tackle. If you were wondering why your opponent always got the ball away from your attacker so effortlessly, it’s because they probably activated the glitch. Or they are just that good. But FIFA soon discovered that the assisted jockey was a glitch and since patched it. So we are back to the good old manual jockey.
To perform a jockey, simply hold down the L2/LT button when an attacker approaches you. Your player will be able to draw closer to the attacker by positioning himself in the direction of the ball.
Final Note
Defending in FIFA is very tactical, and mastering how to jockey can take your defensive skills from 0 to 1000. To get it right, practice jockeying in the skills training module and play solo against the computer to develop muscle memory. Also, remember that any kind of defending in FIFA requires composure and tactical calculation. When you jockey, keep your eye on the ball and control your player at a steady speed.
Ganiu is an astute technical writer with a special interest in gaming and Cryptocurrency. He is a PlayStation enthusiast whose passion lies in writing problem-solving articles.
