Scoring free-kicks in FIFA 23 requires a combination of skill, technique, and understanding of the game mechanics. Here are some tips to help you score free-kicks:
FIFA 23 has revamped the free-kick system, providing a new challenge to master: more control over every free-kick than ever before. On paper, this is ...
Luke Plunket
Sept 03, 2023
FIFA 23 has revamped the free-kick system, providing a new challenge to master: more control over every free-kick than ever before. On paper, this is fantastic, but in a complex system, a simple solution is often hidden. The same applies to scoring goals from free-kicks in FIFA 23, as it is easy to overcomplicate the process.
The two most important factors to consider in free-kicks are the positioning of the crosshair and the shot power. Each of them plays a crucial role, along with other factors like the free-kick accuracy of the shooting player and their dominant foot.
How To Pick The Power
To perfectly utilize your power every time, you need to assess whether your free-kick is from a short distance (near the penalty area) or from a medium to long distance (approximately five or more steps away from the penalty box line).
Once you have assessed your positioning and selected your player, you must maintain your power within the "optimal range" for the given distance.
Remember to keep the attributes of "free-kick accuracy," "shot power," and "curve" in mind when selecting a player during the decision-making process.
Each attribute is important, with shot power being crucial for longer distances, while curve and precision are essential elements for free-kicks from short distances.
Short-Range Free Kicks
Approximately three bars of power are ideal for free-kicks from short distances, which are about one to four steps away from the penalty box line.
If you are standing right at the edge of the penalty box, you should reduce the power to just below three bars (approximately 2.8-2.9 bars).
If you are concerned about missing the target, be cautious and use the lower range of the recommended shot power, as this may result in a rebound, while harder shots that miss the goal would be wasted.
Medium & Long-Range Free Kicks
For goals from greater distances in FIFA 23, you will need more than three bars of power - approximately up to around 3.3 bars.
It is not recommended to attempt this unless you have a player with a shot power in the 90s range, as the distance takes a lot of momentum out of your shots.
Regardless of your skill, the goalkeeper usually has enough time to make a save attempt or can be saved by manually defending with a center-back, so these shots do not have a high success rate.
How To Aim Your Free Kick
Aiming your free-kick in FIFA 23 is a subtle art, as even minor adjustments can affect the trajectory of your shot.
In contrast to selecting the power, this aspect is more complex and heavily relies on precise movements and the curve attribute of the player.
Your main goal when aiming a free-kick is to get the ball past the shoulder and head of the player on the edge of the wall.
To achieve this, aim your crosshair between the shoulder of the defender on the edge and the goalkeeper, so that your shot goes past the wall and curves away from the goalkeeper.
You will need to experiment to understand the exact right spot.
Go to FK Frenzy, located under the "Moments" tab in FIFA Ultimate Team. Here, you can try out various free-kick positions and put your learning into practice.
When aligning the crosshair with the defender's shoulder, it takes approximately two or three slight touches with the left stick to reach the optimal point.
After selecting the shot power and crosshair position, you would want to rotate your right stick several times to curve the ball into your desired corner.
Players with a curve rating of 95-99 usually only need one or two rotations, while those with a curve rating of 94 or lower typically require three (or more) rotations to ideally bypass the wall and goalkeeper.
However, the placement of the crosshair also depends on which strong foot the player you are using has.
How To Score With A Left-Footed Player
A left-footed player is best suited to take free-kicks from the right side or the center when the wall is pushed further to the right.
In general, you want to curve your shots around the wall from the central area of the penalty box, causing the ball to bend away from the goalkeeper and fly into the upper right corner.
How To Score With A Right-Footed Player
A right-footed player is best suited to take free-kicks from the left side or the center when the wall is shifted further to the left.
Here, you still want to curve your shots around the wall, but this time the ball will bend away from the goalkeeper and into the upper left corner.
Regardless of the player's preferred foot, it is often the best decision to leave the point of contact at the default value to consistently score goals.