[FM20] Far Post Free Kick Routine

[keysi]

Firstly, this routine is no exploit or game-breaking thing in any of the way of the description of these words. It’s about patiently trying what will work without some ghost players.

All (probably) of you are certain about the first thing – the type of delivery. Yes, it’s aimed to the Far Post. Logically.

I’m using the far post delivery for all routines except the Direct as we are not able to set something different than mixed by default.

The certain thing, from the recently finished Clausura 2025/2026, is that the most successful are Indirect (Wide) and Indirect (Deep).

The Direct (Small Chance of Shot) usually delivery type usually ends with the ball behind the goal as my players are not able to time their movement right. Maybe because it’s too close to the goal.

I will try to create something new for this routine in the future but that’s a different story…

The off the ball movement is key

It’s not so long we talked about it in the FMSlack. I mentioned it too many times already but it’s good to repeat it:

The delivery quality is not more important (in the current state of the game) than off the ball movement.

My main set piece taker (Gilberto Erick Serrano) has 16 attribute of free kick taking. But he has only 9 in terms of crossing. Our main target for free kicks and corners is the central defender Josué Infante. His key attributes for set pieces are very good but the Off The Ball and Finishing attributes are average. Or below average. Only 8 & 6.

Despite that, in combination with a very good Decisions attribute (16), it’s enough in the current FM set pieces to become the best goalscorer of the half of the season.

I mention this mainly because several things:

• Despite the successful routines, there is a lot of offsides during the far post free kicks because of the bad off the ball movement.
• You can always try to find a better player with the better off the ball attribute. Can you imagine how many goals I would be able to score if there would be an even better player than Infante?
• You can very easily find by yourself what’s wrong and why your team is not scoring more goals. For example like in this gif I shared recently in FMSlack when we talked about the corner delivery to the far post/mixed delivery. And this gif how it looks when the same player makes a better movement.
• The same  applies to the far post free kicks.

 

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Infante & Serrano

Josué Infante was incredible at the beginning of the Clausura. He scored 5 goals in the first six matches. He had 8 goals at the end of February.

As you will see in the video below, all goals were scored from free kicks or corners. Some of these goals were also the winning goals, not only one of many in the match. He had some break with scoring goals during March and April. But that was due to more factors.

But in the end, he for example scored also the important goals in the play-off matches. He scored in quarter final, semi final and also in the final.

The above picture shows Infante scored 11 goals in 24 league matches during Clausura and he was our best goalscorer.

If I would sort it by assists, Serrano had 12 assists and 10 of them were for goals by Infante. They didn’t become some unstoppable duo but I mentioned the fact this is not an exploit from some reason. Josué Infante scored just 2 league goals during the opening stage. Gilberto Erick Serrano made only 6 assists in the opening stage.

The only change I made between the stages, was, that I checked all the routines and cleaned them to not have wrongly set all routines. No specific training, no improvements in terms of players, no other changes. Just analysed the current set up. That’s all.

 

 

But it was not only about the Infante. We met New York Red Bulls in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter final and we beat them 5-0 away from home. Striker Víctor Rios scored one goal after the free kick routine as he is set to Go Forward.

These routines are aimed mainly to use the attack far post role but when this player has a bad off the ball movement, the other players still can score.

What do I want to say with this? Don’t pay attention only to the free kick/corner taker or the one player who is set to attack far post. But also try to select the best possible players to other roles.

It can help you a lot. This is from my last 35 matches.

The original post is from fmrensie.net.

[zZzZzZzZzZzZzZz]

While you are scoring at a very impressive rate, I am far more impressed that you have managed to avoid having a single free kick goal scored against you! What kind of defensive set-up do you have?

I've been pulling my hair out trying to defend free kicks for the past few months, I always end up being amongst the worst in the league at indirect free kick goals conceded.

[keysi]

3 hours ago, zZzZzZzZzZzZzZz said:

While you are scoring at a very impressive rate, I am far more impressed that you have managed to avoid having a single free kick goal scored against you! What kind of defensive set-up do you have?

I've been pulling my hair out trying to defend free kicks for the past few months, I always end up being amongst the worst in the league at indirect free kick goals conceded.

I wrote about defensive free kick routines in this post some time ago if you are interested. It's quite simple

http://www.fmrensie.net/2020/04/21/fm20-conceding-from-the-set-pieces/

[Wallings11]

Any chance you can share the links to download the set pieces? I'm pulling my hair out trying to do it manually! Haha

[Wallings11]

30 minutes ago, Wallings11 said:

Any chance you can share the links to download the set pieces? I'm pulling my hair out trying to do it manually! Haha

@keysi

[keysi]

11 hours ago, Wallings11 said:

Any chance you can share the links to download the set pieces? I'm pulling my hair out trying to do it manually! Haha

I think you would already have it manually while waiting for my response

It's quite easy to just follow the pictures and set five players in or around the penalty area.

[Wallings11]

8 hours ago, keysi said:

I think you would already have it manually while waiting for my response

It's quite easy to just follow the pictures and set five players in or around the penalty area.

Every time I set it up and save it, it seems to move players around or change their roles. Have you noticed this at all?

[keysi]

The players move around usually when you change the line-up. The best example is when you use the rotation squad and you will change the set piece taker. It happens for many years within all set pieces. It also create the situation when you will have "ghost" player without instruction and it will create some exploited situations because AI are unable to defend it.

It's better to select the role in the drop-down menu on the right side tha to move players with the mouse button what I experienced.

[HanziZoloman]

Thanks man! Nice postings I‘ll try it out as I have some real threats in my team

[wkdsoul]

9 goals so far this season for Varane.  works for me...

[afailed10]

Great stuff! I can't wait to try it out with my two tall CB's with +18 jumping reach and bravery but obviously poor off the ball.

Edited June 4, 2020 by afailed10

[HanziZoloman]

My big guy from defence has already scored some goals. I also have a nice striker ... 

really big work from you @keysi

thanks much!