FIFA 13 skills and tricks guide: Showboating moves for pro players

FIFA 13 has landed, smashing sales records and retaining its crown as king of the footie games. Read our glowing review to find out just why it’s the best, most realistic FIFA game yet!

As with every new entry into the series, the developers over at EA Sports have filled the game with all manner of secret skills and tricks to master, letting those in the know cut open the defence and pull off showboating moves that’d make even Maradonna blush. And we’ve got the lowdown on how to pull the best of them off!

Read on for instructions on how to make real mugs of your mates on the FIFA 13 pitch!

Note – This guide shortens the Xbox 360 controller’s Left Bumper and Right Bumper buttons to LB and RB respectively, and Left Trigger and Right Trigger buttons to LT and RT. We’re using the Xbox 360 controller as a reference, but PS3 players can easily translate these commands to the corresponding Square, Triangle, Circle, Cross, R1, R2, L1 and L2 buttons of Sony’s controller.

Hocus Pocus Pass

A slick pass that drags the ball behind the player’s standing foot before flicking it forward, this one’s perfect for a cheeky nutmeg.

How to do it:

Hold RB while pushing up on the Left Stick, then quickly tap A.

Reverse Elastico

A nifty high-speed change of direction using the outside of your foot, this one lets you fool defenders into following an inside feint as you turn away and around them.

How to do it:

Hold LT and pull the Right Stick in a semi circle from left to right (or the reverse to go in the opposite direction), going from a 9-o-clock to 3-o-clock position on a clock face (or again reversed if you’re looking to go the other way).

Precision Dribbling

If you’re caught in a corner, or trying to run down the clock, Precision Dribbling lets you dance around the ball on the spot. Not the most useful move, but one that looks pretty fancy.

How to do it:

Hold LB while pushing the Left Stick in any direction.

Fancy Fake Shot

Does exactly what it says on the tin; fool your opponent into think you’re going for a strike, then dart around the side of them.

How to do it:

Hold LT while keeping X or B pushed down, then tap A.

Ball Roll Flick

Roll the ball to the left or right, before pulling of a cheeky flick to the side to bring the ball round a guarding defender.

How to do it:

Hold LT while keeping the Right Stick pushed either to the left or right, before flicking the stick upwards.

Fake Shot Pass

We love this one, even if it makes players look more gormless than ever. You fake a screaming powerhouse shot, wrong footing defenders by looking the other way, before tapping a soft pass to a nearby teammate.This is a flair trait though, so you’ll have to unlock it by pulling off other skill moves first.

How to do it:

Hold RB while keeping the Left Stick pushed either to the upper left or right (which determines the direction of the pass), before tapping A.

Face Up Dribbling

Another one to give you better control over the ball when on the run, you’ll be able to weave more easily while Face Up Dribbling, but at the expense of speed.

How to do it:

Hold LT and RT and push the Left Stick to run in your desired direction with improved control.

Reverse In Air Elastico

Pulls the ball from your left to right foot, bringing it up to knee height, before locking it around the defender in mid-air.

How to do it:

Flick the Right Stick left or right while holding LT *MUST BE DONE WHILST BALL JUGGLING*.

Backheel Shot

If you’ve managed to round the keeper (which is no mean feat we may add), this rubs salt into the wounds, making your striker turn on the spot before knocking the ball to the back of the net with a mocking back heel.

How to do it:

Hold LT, pull the Left Stick downwards and tap B.

For the sake of being comprehensive, we’ve also popped at the bottom here a guide to all the moves available in last year’s edition of the game too, FIFA 12. We haven’t had the chance to try all these out in FIFA 13 yet, so no guarantees that they’ll all work, but we expect most of them to. Give them a go, and remember to experiment! You may even uncover moves we’ve yet to find!

Elastico Chop

A high speed heel flick, this is great way to wrong foot a defender and cut inside from a wide position to get a better angle on goal.

How to do it:

Hold LT and flick the Right Stick backwards, then left or right depending on the direction you aim to head towards. Must be standing and jogging to work.

Reverse Toe Bounce

Not one to really use in the heat of a tense online extra time session, the Reverse Toe Bounce is best reserved for a bit of arena showboating.

How to do it:

Hold LT and hold the Right Stick to the left. Must be done whilst ball juggling.

Bergkamp Flick

A really difficult one this, as it relies on very specific positioning in terms not only of your player, but the defender (or defenders) you are trying to pass, and also the flight of the ball. As made famous by Dennis Bergkamp in his Arsenal days, pull it off and you’ll flick the ball with the inside of your foot low around the defence.

How to do it:

Flick Right Stick back when the ball is near you in the air, with your opponent directly behind you.

Scoop Turn 90

A quick 90 degree turn, this move is a great way to turn through a defender that has you bunched up in a corner.

How to do it:

Hold X, and keeping X held down, press A and push the Left Stick right or left depending on where you want to turn. Must be standing and jogging slowly.

Scoop Turn 180

More flamboyant than the Scoop Turn 90, the Scoop Turn 180 is a Ronaldhino favourite. It’s a great way to take on two defenders who are pressing at you, sliding the ball between the two. Great for a cheeky nutmeg too.

How to do it:

Hold X, and keeping X held down, press A and push the Left Stick backwards. Must be standing and jogging slowly.

LATW

Another one best suited to showing off your juggling skills in the arena, LATW sees you spin your feet around the ball in mid-air before catching it at ground level.

How to do it:

Hold LT and quickly spin the right stick clockwise twice. Must be done whilst ball juggling.

REMEMBER!

The updated on-the-ball physics make pulling off tricks a little more difficult than in previous FIFA titles. You’ll have to take into account factors like player direction and ability, speed of the incoming ball and spin too. The ball will bounce more naturally rather than sticking to your player, and as a result, may land randomly making moves, particularly those that require juggling, a little harder to successfully pull off. But persevere! Mastering these tricks won’t only make you look like a Messi in the making, but will give you a real edge when taking on the top players online, and will totally let you mug your mates off for bragging rights.

RELATED: FIFA 13 review (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

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