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FIFA 21 Player Traits Guide

Player traits and specialties have been part of the FIFA Series for quite a while now. First introduced in FIFA 07, the player traits features are used to give players unique behaviors in-game. In this guide you will learn how these traits affect a player in FIFA 21.

Trait categories

There are five different trait categories:

  • Standard traits impact the way that a Player plays, both when controlled by a human and when controlled by the CPU AI.
  • CPU AI traits impact the way that a Player plays but only when they’re being controlled by the computer, or CPU AI.
  • Career Mode traits have an impact in Career Mode, but they have no impact on the way that Players perform during actual gameplay.
  • Virtual Pro traits unlock different things for your Virtual Pro in FIFA Pro Clubs or Player Career Mode.
  • VOLTA FOOTBALL traits impact the way that a Player plays in VOLTA FOOTBALL, both when controlled by a human and when controlled by the computer. Note that standard traits will also usually carry over into VOLTA FOOTBALL, unless they state otherwise.

Player traits and their effects

Learn what traits you can use on your Players in FIFA 21, what their effects are, and what modes you can use them in. If a trait below doesn’t have a specific game mode listed, it isn’t available or has no effect in that game mode!

Finesse Shot

  • Standard: A Player with the Finesse Shot trait will get the full amount of curl when taking a finesse shot, when the ball is on the ground. This can change how the ball will get to the target, but it does not change the target itself.
  • CPU AI: When controlled by CPU AI, this trait is more likely to shoot and will prefer to take a finesse shot.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: You can get this trait for your Pro in Player Career.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can get this trait for your FIFA Pro Clubs Virtual Pro by acquiring the Finesse Player Trait from the Shooting Skill Tree.

Outside Foot Shot

  • Standard: Players with the Outside Foot Shot trait can perform outside foot shots.
  • Virtual Pro: You can get this trait for your Pro in Player Career.

Power Header

  • Standard: A Player with the Power Header trait will have more powerful headers. They’re also more likely to be selected to fill a target position in the opposing penalty area during an attacking corner kick, and they’re less likely to be selected as the support Player when the kick taker requests support for a short corner.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: You can get this trait for your Pro in Player Career.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can get this trait for your FIFA Pro Clubs Virtual Pro by acquiring the Power Header Player trait from the Shooting Skill Tree.
  • VOLTA FOOTBALL: The positioning behavior does not apply.

Long Throw-In

  • Standard: When a Player with the Long Throw-In trait performs a throw-in, they’ll have a longer maximum throw distance than a Player without the trait. If the opportunity for a quick throw-in has passed, Players with this trait will usually be considered the optimal selection for taking a throw-in, which can boost the chance for a scoring opportunity.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: You can get this trait for your Pro in Player Career.

Giant Throw-In

  • Standard: When a player with the Giant Throw-In trait performs a throw-in, they’ll have a longer maximum throw distance than both Players without the trait and Players with the Long Throw-In trait. If the opportunity for a quick throw-in has passed, Players with this trait will be more likely to be considered the optimal selection for taking a throw-in where executing a long throw could boost the chance for a scoring opportunity.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: You can get this trait for your Pro in Player Career.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can get this trait for your FIFA Pro Clubs Virtual Pro by acquiring the Giant Throw-In Player Trait from the Passing Skill Tree.

Early Crosser

  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait will be more likely to attempt an early cross.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: Acquiring this trait in Player Career will increase the amount of curl on early crosses made by your Pro.

Takes Powerful Driven Free Kicks

  • Standard: A Player with this trait will start their free kick run-up from further back, producing a more powerful free kick.
  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait will be more likely to choose a driven free kick over a finesse free kick.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: Acquiring the Power Free-Kick Trait in Player Career would give your Pro the Takes Powerful Driven Free Kicks Trait.

Swerve

  • Standard: A Player with this trait will have reduced difficulty in executing an accurate outside of the foot shot. They will also have the full amount of curl when passing the ball on the ground. This can change the path for how the ball will get to the target, but it does not change the target itself.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: Acquiring the Swerve Pass Trait in Player Career gives your Pro the Swerve Trait.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can get this trait for your Virtual Pro by acquiring the Swerve Pass Player Trait from the Passing Skill Tree.

Fancy Passes

  • Standard: A Player with this trait will be less likely to make errors when attempting flair passes.
  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait is able to use flair passe.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: Acquiring the Flair Passes Trait in Player Career will unlock the Fancy Passes Trait for your Pro, enabling them to perform flair passes.

Flair

  • Standard: A Player with this trait will be less likely to make errors when attempting flair moves. They will sometimes execute a flair pass or flair shot without having used the flair modifier controls, and they’ll use a higher lob for their short lob passes if there are players in the way.
  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait is more likely to use flair passes or flair shots. They will also be more likely to stutter during a penalty kick runup, and more likely to execute a chip shot penalty.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can get this trait for your FIFA Pro Clubs Virtual Pro by acquiring the Flair Player Trait from the Dribbling Skill Tree.
  • VOLTA FOOTBALL: A Player with this trait is contextually more likely to perform flair passes and shots, as well as bicycle kicks.

Injury Prone

  • Standard: A Player with this trait has an increased chance of getting injured when a collision occurs.

Solid Player

  • Standard: A Player with this trait has a reduced chance of getting injured when a collision occurs.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can get this trait for your FIFA Pro Clubs Virtual Pro by acquiring the Injury Free Player Trait from the Physical Skill Tree.

Rushes Out Of Goal

  • Standard: A goalkeeper with this trait will be more aggressive when coming out of the box to gather over the top or long through balls.

GK Cautious With Crosses

  • Standard: A goalkeeper with this trait will only try to intercept a cross when they think they can get to the ball well before their opponent.

GK Comes For Crosses

  • Standard: A goalkeeper with this trait will try to intercept a cross even if they think they will get to the ball barely before their opponent.

GK Save With Foot

  • Standard: A goalkeeper with this trait will frequently choose to save the ball with his feet, allowing them to save a slightly higher frequency of close-range shots than a goalkeeper with the same attributes that did not have the GK Save With Foot Trait.

GK Flat Kick

  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: Acquiring this trait in Player Career will allow goalkeeper Pros to perform driven side kicks when holding R1/RB.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can obtain this trait for your FIFA Pro Clubs Virtual Pro by acquiring the GK Flat Kick Player Trait from the Goalkeeping Skill Tree. A goalkeeper Virtual Pro with this trait will be able to perform driven side kicks when holding R1/RB.

GK Long Thrower

  • Standard: A goalkeeper with this trait will have the ability to target players further away with thrown passes.
  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled goalkeeper will sometimes decide to perform a driven-style throw when making a long throw.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: You can acquire this trait for your Pro in Player Career.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can obtain this trait for your FIFA Pro Clubs Virtual Pro by acquiring the GK Long Throw Player Trait from the Goalkeeping Skill Tree.

Bicycle Kicks

  • Virtual Pro: Acquiring this trait in Player Career will allow the Pro to perform bicycle kicks in certain situations, but you will not be able to force bicycle kicks.
  • VOLTA FOOTBALL: A Player with this trait will perform a greater amount of bicycle kicks contextually, and the player can perform a wider variety of bicycle kick animations.

Set Play Specialist

  • Virtual Pro: A Virtual Pro with this trait will no longer have the aiming reticule recenter when the left stick is released during free kicks and corner kicks.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can get this trait for your FIFA Pro Clubs Virtual Pro by acquiring the Set Play Specialist Player Trait from the Passing Skill Tree.

Second Wind

  • Virtual Pro: A Virtual Pro with this trait will have less fatigue towards the end of a match, after the 75-minute mark, if they are currently losing the match.
  • Virtual Pro – Pro Clubs: You can obtain this trait for your FIFA Pro Clubs Virtual Pro by acquiring the Second Wind Player Trait from the Physical Skill Tree.
  • Virtual Pro – Career Mode: You can acquire this trait for your Pro in Player Career.

Leadership

  • Standard: Used, along with One Club Player and Team Player, as part of the decision-making process in choosing a captain for a team if the designated captain is not in the lineup or is removed mid-game via a substitution or red card.

One Club Player

  • Standard: Used as part of the decision-making process for choosing a captain if a team’s designated captain is not in the lineup or is removed mid-game via substitution or red card, along with Team Player and Leadership.
  • Career Mode: Players with this trait are known to be loyal to their current club, which will drive storylines in Career Mode.

Team Player

  • Standard: Used as part of the decision-making process for choosing a captain if a team’s designated captain is not in the lineup or is removed mid-game via substitution or red card, along with One Club Player and Leadership.
  • Career Mode: Players with this trait put loyalty to their club above their own personal interests, which will drive storylines in Career Mode. This has no effect on gameplay.

Dives Into Tackles

  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait will be more likely to use a sliding tackle instead of a standing tackle.

Chip Shot

  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait will be more likely to try to chip the keeper when given the opportunity.

Technical Dribbler

  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait will be more likely to go on a long run or attempt a zigzag dribble. They’ll also be more likely to be called as a support Player for a short corner kick.

Speed Dribbler

  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait will be more likely to go on a long run or to attempt a zigzag dribble.

Long Passer

  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait is more likely to attempt long passes.

Long Shot Taker

  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait will be more likely to try and take long shots when running with the ball, and they’re more likely to try long volley shots.

Play Maker

  • CPU AI: A CPU AI-controlled Player with this trait will be given the ball by their teammates more often, allowing them to dictate more of the offense. They will also make faster passing decisions.

More FIFA 21 guides will be posted so stay tuned on FIFA-Infinity.com!

About Damien

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Founder of FIFA-Infinity.com, Graphic Designer and FIFA Modder in spare time.

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