Stops Play

What exactly does the "stops play" skill do?

Hmm............

Nobody knows.

Imo it means that the guy puts his foot on the ball and waits for other players to bomb forward before picking out a pass (this sounds similar to hold up ball but I imagine hub is when a player uses his strength to shield the ball while he waits for support)

I've always looked at it as a type of player (usually a holding midfielder) who literally stops play, a destroyer. He messes up any fluid passing or quick breaks that your team might have, but that is not always a bad thing. Some teams will want to slow the tempo and not have the pace "settled", it works against fast playing teams, I would imagine.

I've always looked at it as a type of player (usually a holding midfielder) who literally stops play, a destroyer. He messes up any fluid passing or quick breaks that your team might have, but that is not always a bad thing. Some teams will want to slow the tempo and not have the pace "settled", it works against fast playing teams, I would imagine.

Yep, I agree. Think of players like David Batty, Paul Ince, Joey Barton, Makele etc

Its someone who breaks up opposition play in my opinion

Two contradicting opinions then:

is "stops play" an ability used when in possession (messes up quick play of own side into a more deliberate, settled pace) or out of possession (which phrases like "breaks up opposition play" and "a destroyer" seem to suggest)

Which one is it?

I always assumed it was a "child having a tantrum and taking the ball home" option. Your player suddenly has a paddy in the middle of the pitch, picks up the ball and runs off down the tunnel with it, whilst his accomplices all around the edges of the pitch make sure that there are no spare balls to be thrown on to restart the game.

Surely I haven't been wrong all this time? I've built tactics around this assumption

We should get someone from SI to clarify this.

Two contradicting opinions then:

is "stops play" an ability used when in possession (messes up quick play of own side into a more deliberate, settled pace) or out of possession (which phrases like "breaks up opposition play" and "a destroyer" seem to suggest)

Which one is it?

We are talking about attributes / abilities

Stopping your OWN teams play would not be an attribute or an ability so its quite clearly stopping OPPOSITION play

Stopping your own team's play would be an attribute if you are the furthest player forward and you keep hold of the ball while others run forward in support rather than losing your head and hoofing it into the stands or giving it to the nearest opposition player in panic.

But it's not stopping your own play as such. It's putting your foot on the ball and then finding the killer pass whilst your team mates rush forwards (see Barry for England tonight).

Rather than running forwards with the ball like a headless chicken (see Lampard for England tonight).

VB

Stopping your own team's play would be an attribute if you are the furthest player forward and you keep hold of the ball while others run forward in support rather than losing your head and hoofing it into the stands or giving it to the nearest opposition player in panic.

Nope, this would be Holds Up Play indicating he holds the ball waiting for his team mates to get up the pitch. Players like Alan Shearer, Mark Viduka etc

You'll see there is an option for this in team's match tactics at player level

I generally see this attribute for midfielders so I'm leaning towards the "midfield destroyer" description. But why would this be a special skill?? Wouldn't someone with high tackling, work rate, positioning, anticipation, stamina fit the same bill?