What Are Attributes?
When you look at a players bio, attributes are the individual abilities that have a rating next to them (typically out of 100). These determine every aspect of a players ability, and are a much more reliable indicator than overall rating.
Pace Attributes
Sprint Speed
In effect, this is a measure of a the maximum speed that a given player can run at. Definitely the more important attribute, high sprint speed and low acceleration is a better combination than low sprint speed and high acceleration. We’ve compiled a list of the fastest players in FIFA 19.
Sprint Speed is important for defenders and attackers, particularly wide players and strikers.
Acceleration
This is the second attribute that contributes to the pace of a player. Whereas sprint speed represents a player’s top speed, acceleration is how quickly can a player reach their top speed. Players with high acceleration are able to quickly escape the attention of other players with their burst of pace.
Acceleration is important for attacking players, but especially for wide players – including full backs and wing backs.
Shooting Attributes
Positioning
This is a player’s ability to move into intelligent positions during open play. It is an attack focused attribute so it mainly dictates how effective players are at finding space, whether to receive a pass, drag a defender away or create a goal scoring opportunity.
Positioning is a key attribute for all midfielders (except defensive) and attackers, but most important for strikers and centre forwards.
Finishing
Finishing is well known as a player’s shooting ability, but it is a little bit more specific than that. It’s actually shooting accuracy using the feet, from inside the penalty area. This means it does not affect shots from outside the area or headers. A player with a good finishing stat is more likely to shoot on target, a player with a great finishing stat is more likely to beat the keeper with intelligent placement (corners of the goal).
Finishing is somewhat important for midfielders, but crucial for wingers and strikers.
Long Shots
Whereas finishing dictates accuracy for shots inside the penalty area, Long Shots affects the accuracy of shots from outside the area. While a high Long Shots stat is nice to have for strikers and wingers, it’s very useful for midfielders who will often be positioned just outside the area.
While it does help a striker’s rating, it’s more important for midfielders who are more likely to find themselves distanced from the goal.
Penalties
Similar to finishing but much more specific. This stat controls the accuracy of a penalty kick. When taking a penalty using a player with a low penalty stat, the kick has a much higher chance of being inaccurate or off target completely. A player with a high penalty stat has a much better chance of hitting the target and finding the corners of the goal.
Doesn’t affect ratings but it’s always useful having one penalty specialist in your side.
Shot Power
This is a measure of how hard a player can strike the ball when shooting at goal. You’ll already be familiar with the power bar that increases the longer you hold the shoot button. Shot power is effectively a small multiplier of this. Higher shot power results in accurate shots that travel towards goal quickly, making it easier to beat a goalkeeper. Players that don’t possess a strong shot power stat can still attempt powerful shots, but there is a much higher chance of them being inaccurate.
Important for strikers, but a nice bonus for other players.
Volleys
Another type of shot accuracy, the volley stat only applies to shots that are taken while the ball is in the air. Volleys are much more accurate and successful when the player is facing the goal. However, highly skilled players can still complete volleys if they have a strong balance stat.
Affects a striker’s stats but only slightly.
Passing Attributes
Crossing
This attribute determines a player’s ability to cross the ball into the box, whether from open play or a set piece. Players with high crossing ability are more successful at getting crosses away under pressure from defenders.
Key for all wide players – full backs, wing backs, wide midfielders and wingers.
Curve
This determines how much curve (or curl) a player can achieve on his shots and passes. Shots and free kicks with a high amount of curve applied are even harder for a goalkeeper to save. Curve can also make crosses and corners harder to defend against.
Doesn’t affect ratings but consider it a nice bonus.
Free Kick Accuracy
Quite a self explanatory attribute and similar to penalties in that it only applies to a specific set piece. A higher stat will make your free kicks more accurate and more likely to hit the target. In addition to a high free kick accuracy stat, a good free kick taker will also have high curve or shot power.
Doesn’t affect a player’s ratings but having a good free kick taker in your team might prove useful.
Long Pass
A long pass is most easily defined by thinking about the buttons on your controller. Long passes are always aerial, even the more drilled ones. A higher long pass stat means the passes will be more accurate and even travel toward their target faster.
Very important for players in the middle of the pitch (CDM/CM/CAM) and wide midfielders.
Short Pass
The short pass stat affects passes using the short pass button, obviously. Once again, a higher stat here will result in more accurate and faster short distance passes.
Important for all outfield players, but especially wing backs, wide midfielders and those in the middle of the park.
Vision
Vision is perhaps a misleading name for this attribute, but it relates to a players awareness of his teammates. Good players are described as having a radar or seeing the whole picture, this is what this stat represents. A higher vision stat gives a player a much larger radius of what he’s aware of. This will result in successful passes, even over longer distances. Players with poor vision are prone to sending the ball out of play or passing the ball to an opponent.
Important to all midfielders because of their roles as playmakers.
Dribbling Attributes
Agility
This stat is a little harder than most to understand. It tends to affect speed of ball control while running or changing direction, so high agility is key for good dribblers. A high enough agility stat will also give players the ability to clear the ball acrobatically or even shoot in an acrobatic fashion (think overhead kicks).
Somewhat important for attacking midfielders and wingers.
Balance
Balance is hugely important for players that like to dribble. A low balance stat makes a player more likely to be knocked off the ball by a physical challenge, or knocked over altogether. However a high stat will make a player feel more responsive and effective at escaping from tight spaces when combined with decent agility.
Ball Control
This can be thought of as a player’s first touch. A player with a high ball control stat can bring even the strongest passes under their control effortlessly. In contrast, a low stat can result in the ball bouncing off of the player’s foot and even out of his possession. Ball control is key in dribbling and will help players retain the ball under challenge.
One of the most important attributes for all outfield players, especially midfielders and attackers.
Dribbling
Simply, this measures how well a player moves with the ball. A good dribbler will keep the ball closer to his feet at all times, making him less likely to be dispossessed. A poor dribbler tends to show far too much of the ball to his opponent and provide many chances to tackle him.
Important for any players that are likely to dribble with the ball – everyone but full backs, centre backs or defensive midfielders.
Reactions
Reactions are important when reacting to fast moving situations. Players with good reactions can pounce on loose balls quicker than others, this is useful whether attacking or defending. Different reaction speeds are evident in CPU controlled players, but it will also affect whether a player can execute your instructions quickly enough.
Important for all players, especially goalkeepers.
Composure
This is one of the most misunderstood attributes in FIFA. Most people have assumed for years that it affects a players nerve during big games or when taking penalties. However, it actually controls how composed a player is when under pressure from an opponent. A player with a low composure stat will be prone to errors even when an opponent is a few feet away. Players with high composure will be more successful with shots and passes, even when being closed down by an opponent.
Defence Attributes
Heading Accuracy
Comes under defensive attributes but also applies in an attacking sense. Heading accuracy increases the likelihood of winning a header, as well as getting a header on target (whether a pass or shot).
Useful for centre backs, full backs and strikers.
Interceptions
Ability to ‘read’ the game, anticipate passes and turn over possess is all part of the interceptions stat. Players with high interception ability are more likely to stick a leg out to try and stop an opponent’s pass. These players just seem to get lucky with passes that are played too close to them.
A key attribute for any defensive players – CB, RB/LB, RWB/LWB, CDM and CM.
Marking
Marking is the ability to closely shadow an attacker and contain them when they are in possession of the ball. Defenders with good marking ability are great at blocking shots and can even stop their man from getting on the end of a pass or cross altogether. Defenders with a low marking stat will often lose their man and be caught out of possession.
Important for all defenders and CDMs, but especially centre backs.
Stand Tackle
This controls the accuracy and timing of standing tackles. A high stat allows a player to execute well-timed and accurate tackles that dispossess the opponent and result in winning the ball. A poor tackler is likely to foul their opponent or lose control of the ball.
Critically important for CBs and CDMs, but will help any player that needs to defend.
Slide Tackle
As above, this increases the likelihood of winning the ball back, via a well timed sliding tackle. Slide tackles tend to be riskier than standing tackles, but are often needed at the last minute. Great defenders use slide tackling to devastating effect and can begin counter attacks from their own half.
Similar to the standing tackle, but seems to be more important in full backs.
Physical Attributes
Aggression
Aggression affects a number of different situations on the pitch. Alongside strength, it determines how likely you are to win a shoulder to shoulder to challenge, or win a 50/50 header. Aggression does come with some risk however, as it makes players more likely to concede dangerous free kicks and penalties.
Important for centre backs and CDMs.
Jumping
This controls how high a player can jump. While a high jumping attribute is desirable, it must be complemented with high strength, aggression and heading accuracy.
Will only really affect a centre back’s rating but can come in handy at the other end of the pitch too.
Stamina
Stamina is a really interesting stat that affects three key things. Firstly it dictates how quickly a player will tire during the course of a match, based on their activity. The knock-on effect here is that low stamina or tired players are more prone to injury. Stamina also has an impact off the pitch, as it controls how quickly players recover in between matches. Low stamina players will often require a substitution and regular rotation, whereas high stamina players can play 90 minutes regularly without complaint.
Important for CDMs, CMs and wide midfielders, but even more so for full backs and wing backs.
Strength
Obviously this is how strong a player is. Players with high strength can easily push their way through challenges and bully opponents. Weak players however have a hard time outmanoeuvring more physical opponents. Check out the strongest players in FIFA 19.
This is a key stat for centre backs, strikers and defensive midfielders.
Goalkeeping Attributes
Kicking
This only applies to goalkeepers and affects the distance and accuracy of their distribution from kicks. A high kicking attribute will allow your goalkeeper to find your attackers with a direct pass.
Handling
Handling is sometimes misunderstood but actually affects a goalkeeper’s ability to catch the ball instead of parrying it. A low handling ability will make a goalkeeper drop the ball on occasion.
Reflexes
Similar to reactions but specific to goalkeepers. This affects how quickly a goalkeeper can react to make a save, especially for low or well-placed shots. A goalkeeper with high reflexes is more likely to pull off double saves.
Diving
How effective is a goalkeeper at diving, whether low or high. Diving is a key stat for goalkeepers, but you’ll always see better results with taller goalkeepers due to their extended reach.
Positioning
Like attacking positioning, this ensures a goalkeeper is in the right place at the right time. Goalkeepers with poor positioning can often be caught out at their near post or when defending corners.
Miscellaneous Attributes
Weak Foot Ability
This attribute is graded out of 5 stars, rather than the 100 point scale that the others use. A higher weak foot ability will make a player comfortable controlling the ball, passing and shooting with his weak foot. A low weak foot ability can be a liability for strikers and defenders if the ball comes to their weak foot.
Skill Moves
Also rated out of 5 stars. This determines which skill moves a player is able to do. This doesn’t mean that a low skill move player might try and high skill move and fail – they’re unable to attempt it at all. We’ve compiled a list of the best five star skill move players in FIFA 19.
Work Rates
Work rates in FIFA are displayed as low (L), medium (M) or high (H) for both defending and attacking. This affects how much effort a player will put in. A high defensive work rate will ensure a player tracks back and marks players to the best of their ability. High attacking work rates will keep a player making forward runs. Players with high work rates are highly desirable to managers.