How will professional fouls work in EA FC 25?

EA FC 25 players will have a new weapon in defense, with the introduction of professional fouls.

In simple terms, a professional foul refers to a cynical tackle, something done to stop an opposition attack. The tackle is done with the full knowledge that it will lead to a foul, and the tackler has a high chance of getting a card. You’ll be able to do the same action in EA FC 25, but there will be some caveats.

Can professional fouls get you sent off in EA FC 25?

Based on EA Sports’ description, you’ll run a high risk of being sent off if you make excess use of professional fouls. This type of foul will always result in a yellow card when you perform them initially. A second use of the professional tackle with the second defender (already on a yellow) could potentially see them being sent off the field.

Now, EA hasn’t explicitly said a second foul will necessarily guarantee a second yellow/red card. However, in real life, referees don’t like the overuse of professional fouls — no matter how strategic. While I would wait to see how penalties for these moves work in FC 25, it’s probably a safe bet you should be selective when going for a professional foul.

Controls for a professional foul in EA FC 25

EA Sports has kept the input pretty simple.

• On Xbox, press RB+A.
• On PlayStation, press R1+X.

All defensive improvements in EA FC 25

The developers will introduce some major updates in defensive gameplay.

• Reaction Time Modifier: Calibrate the speed of Next Player Switch.
• Slide Tackles: Improvement in animations.
• Shoulder Challenges: Tackler will be more responsive due to animation cleanup.
• Animation Refresh: New and refreshed animations.

It appears that the general defensive position is set to improve as well. For an example, the AI will be more aware around the 18-yard box, and defenders will try to stop cut-backs. Similarly, the defensive AI will identify situations where they might be beaten by an attacker, and move towards the goal.

Do remember that we are yet to see the detailed exhibits of how these changes will work in-game. We will have our answers on September 20 when EA FC 25 launches worldwide on early access.