FIFA 23 custom tactics guide: Best formations & player instructions

Finding the optimal custom strategy is vital to success in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, and can give you a real edge over the competition. Here are the best FIFA 23 custom strategies and player instructions to use in your next match.

Customizing your FIFA 23 Ultimate Team squad can take you to new heights. While buying better players for your team is one way to improve, using the right strategy is the only way to stay competitive in Division Rivals and FUT Champions.

In FIFA 23, EA Sports gives players complete control of their tactical setup. With the right strategy, formation and player instructions for your team, you will see a huge improvement when it comes to your FUT results.

Using the best custom strategy is incredibly important if you’re trying to dominate Ultimate Team in FIFA 23, so here’s our guide on the best setups to use in 2023.

FIFA 23 Strategy: Attack the Setting

Making a defensive tackle stop a scoring opportunity certainly takes a lot of satisfaction, but in FIFAThere’s nothing quite like the excitement of going up the pitch with the focus on getting the ball into the back of the net.

There are plenty of attacking ways in FIFA 23 and you can set up your team to align with your preferred style of play. Whether you prefer to emulate Manchester City’s possession-heavy brand of football or Liverpool’s heavy metal direct play, there’s a style for every type of player.

create drama

• Balanced: The team will maintain formation and structure. Players will only support and score runs when they feel it is the right time to do so. The team doesn’t specifically build fast or slow games.
• Slow Build Up: There is less up front involved and more of a systematic approach. This strategy emphasizes a short passing game with a slow build-up.
• long ball: The forwards will prepare for straight balls played behind the opposing back line. This attacking style often leaves midfield and flourishes with excellent positional pacemen.
• Fast Build Up: The fastest way to get your team on the pitch and straight into scoring position. High risk and high reward strategy that can leave you open to counterattack.

prospect creation

• Balanced: Similar to build up play, a balanced approach to scoring is neither fast nor forward when it comes to creating chances.
• possession: This tactic reinforces the short passing game by patiently waiting for an opportunity to attack, but will rarely provide runs that penetrate the opposing defensive line.
• Direct Passing: Once a team enters the attacking zone while in possession, players will create chances by running for passes into space behind the opposing back line.
• Forward Run: This tactic pushes players deep into attacking zones, but you may find yourself open to counterattacks if you lose possession of the ball.

FIFA 23 Strategy: Defense Settings

The first thing you need to consider when planning your defensive strategy is the position of your back line. If your defensive line is equipped with a lot of speed, you can get away with playing a high line and putting maximum pressure on the opposing team.

If you’re not willing to leave too much space between your defenders and the goalie, you can go a little deeper with your width and depth. In addition, you would associate this position with one of the defensive styles below.

Keep in mind that your width and depth should correlate with your defensive style. For example, setting a high line only to implement the drop back strategy on defense would be counterproductive.

• Width/Depth Slider: With this slide, players can determine the position of their defensive line. A high line is great for attacking but leaves you open to balls behind, while a deep line is ideal when you’re defending a lead.
• stay behind: This tactic will keep your team in shape and offer your opponents more possession. Provides fewer attacking options when you pick up the ball, but can frustrate your opponents.
• Balanced: A balanced style in which your team presses the ball down the middle of the pitch and your team size is neutral.
• Pressure on heavy touch: Your team maintains its shape until an opportunity to apply pressure appears. Your players will jump when the opponent creates a loose ball or has trouble controlling a difficult pass.
• Press after losing possession: After your team loses possession of the ball, your teammates will press the ball for approximately 7 seconds. This style is taxing on stamina and can expose you if you don’t win the ball back quickly.
• constant pressure: This tactic will constantly put high pressure on the opposing players but it will reduce your stamina the most.

best fifa 23 formation for ultimate team

this year, the 5-1-2-2 Build has taken FIFA 23 by storm. Top players are implementing the formation with a lot of success. For the first time, a formation with a back five allows you to field a CDM to cover the middle of the pitch while your wingbacks march up the field.

Of course, the 5-1-2-2 formation depends on the quality of your LWB and RWB as these two will be key players in this setup, and a solid midfield will be able to break up the game.

Here are the best custom tactics and player instructions you’ll be able to implement in FIFA 23, along with some formations we think you should test out.

Best FIFA 23 Custom Strategy for 5-1-2-2

• LWB: join the attack, overlap
• RWB: join the attack, overlap
• CDM: Cover center, stay back while attacking
• lcm: stay in position, balanced
• RCM: stay in position, balanced
• LST: Balanced Width, Mixed Attack
• RST: Stay ahead

defensive strategy

• Defensive Style: Balanced
• width: 48
• depth: 62

offensive strategy

• Build Up Play: long ball
• Possibility Creation: direct passing
• width: 53
• Players in the Box: 50 / half
• Corner and Free Kick: 1 times

Best FIFA 23 Custom Strategy for 4-3-2-1

• left back: stay back while attacking
• Right behind: stay back while attacking
• From. Me: Cover center, stay back while attacking
• LCM and RCM: Covered Center, Balanced
• CF and CF: be central, be behind
• scheduled tribe: go ahead, go back

defensive strategy

• Defensive Style: Balanced
• width: 40
• depth: 50

offensive strategy

• Build Up Play: long ball
• Possibility Creation: direct passing
• width: 35
• Players in the Box: 50
• Corner and Free Kick: 2 times

Best FIFA 23 Custom Strategy for 4-2-3-1

player instructions

• left back: stay back while attacking
• Right behind: stay back while attacking
• CDM: Cover center on both, stay behind while striking on one, balanced on the other
• CAM: stay ahead, get in the box for the cross
• scheduled tribe: go ahead, go back

defensive strategy

• Defensive Style: Balanced
• width: 35
• depth: 55

offensive strategy

• Build Up Play: direct passing
• Possibility Creation: forward run
• width: 40
• Players in the Box: 70
• Corner and Free Kick: 2 times

Best FIFA 23 Custom Strategy for 4-1-2-1-2 (Narrow)

player instructions

• left back: stay back while attacking
• Right behind: stay back while attacking
• CDM: Cover center, stay back while attacking
• Chief Ministers: go in the box for the cross, go ahead
• CAM: Stay ahead
• scheduled tribe: go ahead, go back

defensive strategy

• Defensive Style: Balanced
• width: 40
• depth: 50

offensive strategy

• Build Up Play: Balanced
• Possibility Creation: forward run
• width: 40
• Players in the Box: 70
• Corner and Free Kick: 2 times

Best FIFA 23 Custom Strategy for 4-2-2-2

player instructions

• left back: stay back while attacking
• Right behind: stay back while attacking
• CDM: Cover center, stay back while attacking
• CAM: stay ahead, get in the box for the cross
• scheduled tribe: go ahead, go back

defensive strategy

• Defensive Style: Balanced
• depth: 50

offensive strategy

• Build Up Play: fast build
• Possibility Creation: forward run
• width: 40
• Players in the Box: 50
• Corner and Free Kick: 2 times

Best FIFA 23 Custom Tactics for 4-4-2

player instructions

• left back: stay back while attacking
• Right behind: stay back while attacking
• LM and RM: cut in, go back
• Chief Ministers: Covered Centre, One on Stay Back Attacking, One on Balanced
• scheduled tribe: go ahead, go back

defensive strategy

• Defensive Style: Balanced
• width: 40
• depth: 50

offensive strategy

• Build Up Play: Balanced
• Possibility Creation: Balanced
• width: 50
• Players in the Box: 50
• Corner and Free Kick: 2 times

For more on FIFA 23, check out our guide to the highly anticipated TOTY FUT promo, or everything you need to know about the current TOTW.

Image credits: EA Sports