FIFA 19 free kicks, penalties, and set pieces - how to take free kicks, score penalties and more
Strategies and controls for every set piece and dead ball situation.
In FIFA free kicks have always been a slightly tricky art. They change slightly each year - although, with FIFA 19 free kicks and penalties seem to be remarkably similar to the last few years before, and so they tend to take a little time to master.
That being said, once you do master them, a practice set piece taker can reliable score goals from a variety of ranges and angles, so with that in mind we've put together a guide on how to take free kicks effectively and how to score penalties, as well es explaining other set pieces like throw-ins and corners, too, to make you certifiably deadly from any dead ball.
FIFA 19 free kicks - how to take and perform knuckleball, trivela, power, curl, and dipping free kicks
Most of the previous FIFA's free kicks return againt this year, including FIFA 17's old addition, the trivela. Essentially an ouside-foot shoot from a dead ball situation, that special set piece allows you to bend the ball around the outside of the wall and into the near post top corner for the first time. Mastering it will mean you can reliably score from both sides of the goal with just one taker.
From experimenting, we've found YouTuber Krasi to have the most reliable methods for free kicks so far, which we detail below. Here's his video explaining them too:
| Free kick type | Optimum Range | Strong foot side | Required attributes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curl free kick | Short (Under 25yards) | Right on right side of goal Left on left side of goal | High Curve | Aim around a metre outside of the near post. Two bars of power + push 45 degrees up and towards the goal on LS. |
| Dipping free kick | Short | Right on right Left on left | High FKA Low Curve | Aim between the heads of the two defenders on outside of the wall. 1-2 bars of power, point LS up. |
| Dummy pass free kick | Very Short | Either | Any | Call both players with L2+R1. Perform 'fake shot' skill move with X + Square / A + X. Press Through Ball button Triangle / Y and point LS at the runner they step over the ball. |
| Driven/under wall free kick | Short | Right on right Left on left | High Power Low Curve | Aim at gap between outside wall player's legs with LS. Hold L1, load 1 bar of power, and push up on LS while doing so. |
| Trivela free kick | Short | Right on left Left on right | High FKA High Curve | Use LS to aim for one metre outside of near post. Use RS to move your run up, in line with the ball, near post, and outside of wall. Load 2 bars of power, point LS 45 degrees up and towards goal. |
| Dipping power free kick | Long (Over 25yards) | Right on right Left on left. | High Power | Aim at gap between defenders on outside of wall with LS. Load 3-3.5 bars of power whilst holding L1 and pushing up on LS. |
| Knuckleball free kick | Long | Either | High Power | Aim for far side of goal with LS. Load 3 bars of power whilst holding L1, and aiming 45 degrees up and towards the goalkeeper's side with L1. |
| Power curl free kick | Long | Right on right Left on left. | High Power High Curve | Aim 2-3 metres outside of near post. Load 2.5-3.5 bars of power. Hold L1+Shoot and point 45 degrees up and towards goal with LS while doing so. |
| Power trivela free kick | Long | Left on right Right on left. | High Curve High FKA High Power | Move start position with RS to in line with ball, near post, and outside of wall. Then aim 2-3 metres outside of near post. Hold down L1 and load 2-3 bars of power and aim 45 degrees up and towards the centre of the goal. |
FIFA penalties - how to take penalties in FIFA 19
Penalties haven't changed since last year. They're still fairly tricky to score, and are still largely based around just two things, the direction you point and the amount of power you apply.
The main thing to remember, really, is that they allow you to change the exact position of your player before you start the run up, the speed of the run up, and the exact direction of the shot right up until the last minute, with the left analog stick pointing in the exact direction of the goal, as opposed to being based on a kind of 'acceleration' mechanic as it was way back in the day.
How to take penalties in FIFA 19:
- Penalties are started by you pressing LS in any direction to begin a run up, or by charging the power of your shot. You can do either first.
- The direction of the penalty is dictated by two things: LS direction for left and right; power for higher or lower.
- For a high penalty, aim for about 2.5 bars of power.
- For a low penalty, aim for about 1.5 bars of power.
- You can adjust your starting run up position with RS, to dummy the opponent (it's not clear yet how much this really affects your penalty direction, if at all).
- Remember you can change the direction of your penalty at any point, just by pushing LS in your desired direction at any time during the run up - you don't need to program in the direction whilst holding down the shoot button.
- When you first take penalties, the direction indicator will be visible - if you're playing locally that means your pal can see where you're aiming, too. Turn it off by pressing 'Up' on the D-pad (we recommend practicing with it on, until you get the muscle memory, then turning it off to hone it).
How to take other set pieces like corners and throw-ins in FIFA 19
Corners and throw-ins are more or less identical in FIFA 19 to what they were in 18, although different destinations for your cross, like the near post, seem to be slightly more or less successful than in last year's version. You have plenty of control still, so here's how to get the most out of each of them.
How to take the best corners in FIFA 19
- Select a player - choose the player you'd like to get the ball to (disgregarding their position for now) by pressing L1/LB until you reach the player of choice.
- Place the corner - now, with that player selected, move the yellow cursor on the ground with LS to where you'd like the delivery to go. To place the corner, load up the delivery with your desired amount of power by pressing Square/X (less is floaty, more is driven) and the cursor will then be locked in place.
- Get your player in position - next, move your previously-selected player into position, ideally giving yourself a couple of yards of clear run-up space behind the cursor on the floor.
- Take the corner - finally, take the corner by pressing the Square/X button again.
The best corners, from our experience so far, tend to be front-post or back-post, where there's generally more space for a run up, and more of an opportunity to get an angle on your headers.
How to take the best throw-ins, do fake dummy throws in FIFA 19:
Once again, no change here from FIFA 18, with dummy throws still possible, still very useful, and still perfomed in the same way.
Here's how to perform the fake or dummy throw-in:
- Decide which player you'd like to throw to, and which to fake to - our advice is to bear in mind players' standard positions - defenders taking throws will look to move back towards the back four, strikers and wingers will burst forward, whilst midfielders will move forward or back, towards their central starting position. Think about that as you decide how you're going to pull the opponent out of position and make yourself some space.
- Now simply perform the dummy throw- The controls for this are exactly the same as the fake shot: Square or Circle then X on PlayStation, or X or B then A on Xbox. When you press the second button (X / A) be sure to point LS towards your desired target to throw it to them.
Finally, there's one other thing to note: goal kicks have changed, just slightly.
You now can't move the camera, and you can do a driven goal kick by holding down R1 as you charge it up, like with other driven passes. That's it!