FC 26 Basic Defend Strategies to Through Balls

Defending in FC 26 requires a completely new approach that prioritizes patience, solid positioning, and intelligent decision-making. Precision and lofted through balls remain some of the hardest attacking mechanics to counter and skilled opponents will use them to exploit gaps. Therefore, learning the basic skills of defending against through balls is crucial.

Today, LDShop highlighted the core defensive principles you can put into practice, with a breakdown of five must-learn strategies. Whether you're conceding too many goals or struggling against skilled opponents, mastering these proven techniques will transform your gameplay and give you the confidence to rise through the ranks.

 

Strategy 1: Keep the two CBs solid and steady

• Position your two CBs properly, as if placing chess pieces; avoid rushing into a direct confront until the opponent reaches the penalty area and only step up early if you are 100% certain of winning the ball.
• Keep both CBs positioned on the same line.
• While defending, switch promptly to the suitable player using the right stick, then quickly execute a defensive action or tackle. In principle, this approach works, but in FC26 defending is highly challenging.
• If you switch to a CB too casually with the right stick and attempt to stop a pass from the opponent’s CAM to their ST, you’ll often end up losing the possession of the ball.
• If you fail to manage to take the ball off the opponent’s CDM, their ST can simply drop back, spin a little and hole up play—and you will lose control of the play.

What to do instead:

• Generally, avoid switching to your CBs unless you absolutely must.
• If the ball is outside the penalty area, your CBs should be the last players you switch to.
• Keep your two CBs side by side on the edge of the penalty arc, standing tall like two towering peaks blocking the path to your goal.

When should you switch to your CBs?

Inside the box

Only do it when the opponent’s ST has the ball at his feet in the danger zone. From there, you can decide: do you call in teammate contain to double up, or just stay calm and go 1vs.1 with jockeying? Always check where the other attacker in the penalty area is before you commit—sometimes it’s better to cover space than dive in. In short, CBs are for the final battle: 1 vs.1, 2 vs.1, or 2 vs.2 inside your own penalty area.

Outside the box

Only switch to a CB if you’re certain you’ll cut out the pass. That means you’ve read the play perfectly and you know you’ll win it clean.

 

Strategy 2: Use your full backs to cover the half-spaces

• Switch more often to your LB/RB to block the most vulnerable half-spaces between the full-backs and the centre-backs.
• If you do have to switch to a CB, the key question is: how do you deal with those powerful through balls?
• The danger usually comes when the opponent’s winger cuts inside into the gap between your CB and full-back.

• If you haven’t switched to your LB/RB early, their striker runs one way, the winger darts diagonally into the channel, and suddenly their midfielder has an easy through ball into the half-space.
• This is where your full-back becomes your go-to defender. Even if they don’t win the ball cleanly, your CBs are still sitting tight, protecting the line between the ball and the goal.
• That’s why you should switch to your full-backs as often as possible—step up, tighten your shape, and close that gap before it opens.
• A quick switch to your LB or RB to close the space between them and your CB will stop a ton of that half-space through balls before they even happen.

 

Strategy 3: Use a formation with two CDMs whenever possible

• Keep switching between your LDM and RDM and use the L2+R2 jockey (crab step) to block the passing lanes into the ST—that is your number one job.
• Once you have blocked that option, then you can look for opportunities to pressure the ball carrier, forcing rushed or sloppy passes.

• Whether the opponents on the wing, in midfield, or even pushing forward from centre-back, don’t rush your switch—hold off for a moment, then step in to block their passing lane.
• If the timing is right, go straight for the tackle.
• Once your shape is set, your full-backs should be your go-to switches, while your two CDMs as the backbone of your defence.
• In short, besides the two full backs, you should mainly control your two defensive midfielders.
• Stick with CDMs instead of CMs. CMs naturally sit higher up the pitch, which leaves a bigger gap between your midfield and defence, making the back line more exposed.
• Skilled players can make CM-heavy formations work, but for most players it’s far safer to run with CDMs who sit deeper and keep things tight.
• CDMs stay closer to your two CBs, which naturally tightens up the space and cuts down the opponent’s passing and attacking options.
• While doing this, hold L2+R2 (LT+RT on PC controllers) to jockey (crab step), placing your defender right in the lane where the opponent wants to pass.

Mastering Passing Lane Blocks:

Step 1: Prioritize the Middle	When defending, always start by covering the central lane into the striker (ST). Think of this as your “no-entry zone.” If the opponent can’t play forward through the middle, you’ve already made them less dangerous.
Step 2: Shift to the Half-Space	Once the central lane is sealed, slide your defender slightly to also cut off the half-space (the gap between CB and FB). This forces your opponent to go wide or backwards.
Step 3: Count a Back Pass as a Win	If your opponent is forced to play the ball back, don’t chase recklessly. That’s already a successful defensive sequence—you’ve slowed them down and stopped the attack.
Step 4: Press if They Keep Going Forward	If they don’t pass back, release the jockey button (LT/L2). Hold sprint instead, and at the same time press the teammate contain button (R1/RB or short pass button) to send support pressure.
Step 5: Block the Secondary Lane	While sprinting and containing, tilt the left stick slightly upward. This cuts off the opponent’s “Plan B” pass into the half-space, giving you an even better chance to win the ball.

 

Strategy 4: Use R1 (RB) teammate contain with caution

• Avoid using the contain button in a way that drags one of your CBs out of line—it breaks their shape and opens easy passing lanes.
• If you are controlling a CDM. The opponent carries the ball to the edge of your box and their winger cuts into the half-space, and you miss the interception.
• If your teammate contains here, your CB will step up to press their CAM. Suddenly, your two CBs are not side by side anymore, and you have left yourself wide open to a simple through ball.
• Therefore, whenever you use teammate contain with a CDM, full-back, or wide midfielder, always check if there is a transparent triangle above your second defender’s head.

• If that triangle over a defender, pressing the contain button will pull him out of position.
• Especially if the triangle is above one of your CBs, never press contain—unless the ball is already in the penalty area and you are 100% sure you need your CB to step up for support.
• If no CB is marked with a triangle, then feel free to use contain button—it is still one of the best tools in your defensive strategies.

 

Strategy 5: Use the offside trap smartly with a quick double-tap of the D-pad up

• Using the offside trap keeps your back line stepping higher and higher, cutting down the space your opponent must thread through balls.
• Be careful, though—if your defensive line is already set too high in the tactic’s menu, your defenders will push up by default, and you’ll constantly get exposed with runs in behind. So, avoid setting up your defensive height to the extreme.
• That said, there are moments when you want to push your line higher to press the opponent’s whole setup and create more room to defend.

• A quick double-tap of the D-pad up triggers the offside trap. It’s like flipping your tactics board to “ultra-high” for a few seconds, without changing your preset.
• It works best when the opponent still has the ball in midfield, and your defence is sitting a little deep.
• With one double-tap, your back line steps up, and your midfield and strikers automatically push higher along with them.
• Suddenly, the opponent’s passing lanes shrink. Even if they find their CDM or CM, your entire team has stepped higher, and their strikers are left standing offside.
• In an instant, you’ve taken away the space they were looking to exploit.

 

Conclusion:

Mastering defence in FC 26 isn’t about constant tackles or frantic switching—it’s about patience, structure, and knowing when to act. The golden rule is to stay calm. Most players who spam through balls rely on your overcommitting. If you hold shape, anticipate runs, and switch defenders properly, you’ll cut off most of their options.

By keeping your CBs disciplined, using full-backs and CDMs to close dangerous spaces, being smart with teammate contain, and mixing in the offside trap at the right moments, you build a defence that’s hard to break down. Stick to these fundamentals, and instead of chasing the play, you’ll start dictating it—turning defence into the foundation of your climb up the ranks. If you love playing FC 26, you can grab FC 26 coins from LDShop at discounted rates to make your defending journey even smoother!