Passing - advice needed please

Something I've never fully understood with FM tactics is how to set up the passing for players.

If a player has a fairly low passing stat should I be setting him to make short simple passes or long hoofed direct punts upfield?

Secondly, how does Creativity affect his passing style? I'm assuming creativity is only really any use for longer passing?

So if my Limited Defenders have low passing and creativity stats then how should I be setting their passing?

Finally (for now) if I'm playing in the lower non-leagues, all the players have low passing and creativity stats. So does my defender with a passing stat of 7(reasonable for BSN/BSS) necessarily have poor passing considering the playing level? Or is he still going to be misplacing passes to the opposition forwards?

:confused:

Just need someone to explain passing attributes and passing tactics please.

Any helpful links you can provide will be appreciated too.

Creativity is the ability to see a pass, not the ability to make it.

Passing = accuracy of pass

Passing + technique = accuracy of long pass

Thats a very simple version of it.

Thanks Ackter - but how does that fit into tactics?

I knew Creativity was "seeing" a pass not a measure of actually being able to play it, but surely a player doesn't really need creativity to see a short pass? Hence my query about creativity only really being useful for longer passing.

I'm mortified that you've brought technique into the reply though as that was going to be the focus of a post where I bemoan a confusing attribute that should already have been factored into other attributes.

If a player has 20 for passing but a low technique stat, he can make really accurate passes as long as they aren't long ones? :S

Technique is important in more than just passing... it relates to the way a player strikes the ball, i.e. how cleanly or how well he strikes it.

The better his technique, the better his overall game will be, not just his passing.

Technique is important in more than just passing... it relates to the way a player strikes the ball, i.e. how cleanly or how well he strikes it.

The better his technique, the better his overall game will be, not just his passing.

But surely that was already assessed in the other stats?

If a player is exceptionally good at crossing, passing, heading, finishing etc, then he will have a high stat for that attribute, so what is the technique stat for?

If he has a 20 for an attribute then it's because he can do it perfectly. If he isn't good at whatever it is then he gets a low stat.

How can he be given a high technical stat for something and a low technique stat? Wouldn't that undermine the other ability?

If the same Technique attribute is a modifier for all the other technical attributes then it's too vague to be of any use anyway - heading, tackling, marking and passing are completely different techniques!

Technique is simply the size of the area around the player where he will have control of the ball. If the players are magnets to the ball, Technique is the strength of the magnet. When running with the ball the "active attribute" is Dribbling along with Pace, Agility and Strength.

I think the confusing Attribute is First Touch, not Technique.

Thanks Ackter - but how does that fit into tactics?

I knew Creativity was "seeing" a pass not a measure of actually being able to play it, but surely a player doesn't really need creativity to see a short pass? Hence my query about creativity only really being useful for longer passing.

I'm mortified that you've brought technique into the reply though as that was going to be the focus of a post where I bemoan a confusing attribute that should already have been factored into other attributes.

If a player has 20 for passing but a low technique stat, he can make really accurate passes as long as they aren't long ones? :S

Think of creativity as as a circle of vision with your player in the center - the higher the rating, the more of the circle they can see.

Technique links in to all other technical attributes - fun eh?

Creativity is important for all passing as it opens up the options your player has available and increases the chance of you retaining possession.

Passing style is just that - style. Doesn't really matter on the passing attributes of your players, it depends on the setup of your entire team.

wow! now I'm confused :confused:

Passing is whether a player is able to make the pass or not, Technique is how well he hits it.

Players with good technique will take better set-pieces than those with poorer technique simply because they strike the ball cleaner for example, it applies throughout a players game - it's not whether he can or not, it's how well he can... (I think...?)

But surely that was already assessed in the other stats?

If a player is exceptionally good at crossing, passing, heading, finishing etc, then he will have a high stat for that attribute, so what is the technique stat for?

If he has a 20 for an attribute then it's because he can do it perfectly. If he isn't good at whatever it is then he gets a low stat.

How can he be given a high technical stat for something and a low technique stat? Wouldn't that undermine the other ability?

If the same Technique attribute is a modifier for all the other technical attributes then it's too vague to be of any use anyway - heading, tackling, marking and passing are completely different techniques!

Think of it as aim and delivery - crossing attribute gives you aim, technique gives you delivery. Good crossing low technique = ball will end up in the right place, but is more likely to be too high, or hit them at chest height etc.

wow! now I'm confused :confused:

Passing is whether a player is able to make the pass or not, Technique is how well he hits it.

Players with good technique will take better set-pieces than those with poorer technique simply because they strike the ball cleaner for example, it applies throughout a players game - it's not whether he can or not, it's how well he can... (I think...?)

Lol set-pieces was another area that I was going to focus on in my proposed thread about technique stat being unnecessary/confusing.

Unfortunately my lunchbreak is up and I have a busy afternoon & evening ahead of the holiday weekend so I'll have to come back to this topic later.

Thanks for your replies.

I'm just trying to understand more fully. The technique stat clearly isn't useless - it exists so it must do something - but until I understand it I'm of the belief that it's unnecessary (and even potentially conflicting) because I see it as part of the other technical attributes already.

Aim and delivery