The success of the Long Ball play often starts with FC 25 Coins for your defenders. When playing long passes, it’s important to position your defenders deep in their half, allowing them to launch forward into the attacking third. A deeper defensive line helps to create more space for long balls to travel and gives your players more time to reach the ball after it’s passed forward.

Utilize the ‘Chip’ and ‘Lob’ Passes To effectively execute Long Ball play, use chip or lobbed passes when moving the ball from the back to the front. These passes can be launched over the midfield and directly into the path of an attacker. Ensure the chip or lob pass is timed correctly—sending the ball too early or too late can result in interceptions by the opponent. Experiment with different passing options to gauge the right power and accuracy for your long passes.

Focus on Crosses and Through Balls Once your attackers receive the long ball, you can increase your chances of success by combining it with accurate crosses or through balls. When you reach the wings, use crosses to deliver dangerous balls into the box. Similarly, once the ball is in the final third, look for through balls that allow your players to break into goal-scoring positions.

Quick Transitions After Winning the Ball The Long Ball play style works best when you can quickly transition from defense to attack. Whether it’s a goalkeeper’s long throw or a midfielder winning a tackle, immediately looking to play a long pass will allow you to catch your opponent off guard. Quick transitions force the opposing defense to scramble and create opportunities for fast attacks.

Set Your Team’s Mentality To get the most out of the Long Ball play style, adjust your team’s mentality to focus on quick, direct football. Use the "Fast Build-Up" or "Direct Passing" tactics to instruct your players to play quickly and make runs into space. The key is to maintain a high tempo, ensuring that once possession is won, your team is ready to launch a counter-attacking move immediately.

When to Use Long Ball Play
While Long Ball play is a powerful style, it’s important to know when to deploy it effectively. Here are a few scenarios when Long Ball play can be particularly useful:

Against a High Defensive Line When your opponent plays with a high defensive line, there are often spaces left behind that can be exploited. A long ball over the top can take advantage of these gaps, allowing your fast attackers to race onto the ball and get in behind the defense.

Playing Against a Compact Defense If your opponent sets up with a narrow, compact defense, Long Ball play can stretch the team by sending crosses into the box or forcing defenders to deal with wide attacks. A powerful forward can help knock down crosses and set up goal-scoring opportunities for your attacking players.

In the Final Stages of a Match If you’re chasing a goal or need a quick equalizer, Long Ball play can be a great way to create a sense of urgency and increase attacking pressure. The speed and direct nature of long passes can help you get the ball into the final third quickly, even when time is running out.

Against Teams with Weak Aerial Defenders If you’re playing against an opponent with weak aerial defenders, you can exploit this by targeting high, looping passes. This puts pressure on defenders to win headers and clear the ball, while your attackers can take advantage of any mistakes made in cheap FC 25 Coins in the air.