Assistance and duels
How nearby team-mates, the entry pass, mentality and context support every opposed action.
On this page
What assistance means
A duel is not only attacker versus defender. Assistance measures the useful work of nearby team-mates around that action. The match report prints the net from the defender’s perspective: a positive value means the defence has more support; a negative value means the attack does.
Where the net goes
Total net
−25…+25Defensive assistance minus attacking assistance, clamped to 25 points either way.
Positioning step first
up to ±15The first 15 points are applied to the positioning contest.
Control/challenge remainder
Any assistance beyond the first 15 carries into Ball Control versus Tackling or the matching aerial challenge.
What skill a helper contributes
Ground attacking support blends Offensive Positioning and Ball Control. Ground defensive support blends Defensive Positioning and Tackling. On a high ball, Aerial replaces the technical half of that pair, with the same role limits used by the active duel.
- In the box, attacking aerial technique is limited by Aerial; defensive aerial technique is limited when Tackling is less than half of Aerial.
- In midfield, Aerial is averaged with Ball Control or Tackling without the box cap.
- Values below Decent 40 count sub-proportionally: for example, 20 contributes as 10, while 40 contributes as 40.
- A flank defender’s offensive support above 1.25× his defensive pair counts at only 20% of the excess.
Assistance in the penalty box
The active attacker and active defender do not count as their own helpers. The engine ranks the remaining eligible players by the support skill for this exact high or low delivery.
Attacking support
Second attacker
100%The best other FW/ST contributes his full support value.
Further attackers
50% eachEvery additional attacker contributes half.
Best four midfielders
25% eachThe four strongest offensive midfield helpers contribute one quarter each.
Lone-attacker compensation
If there is no other attacker, one additional midfielder may contribute and flank defenders become eligible for that pool.
Defensive support
Second centre-back
100%The best other CB contributes fully.
Further centre-backs
50% eachAdditional CBs contribute half.
Flank defenders
25% eachLB, RB, LWB and RWB contribute one quarter.
Best two defensive midfielders
25% eachThe two strongest midfield helpers add one quarter; a lone CB allows one extra midfielder.
Assistance in midfield
Midfield assistance follows the side of the duel. Midfielders can help everywhere, while flank defenders help only on their own flank. Contributions are ranked: the best four count fully and any further helpers count at half strength.
Side weights
Same side
100%A helper in the duel’s channel contributes his full weighted value.
Center to flank, or flank to center
70%An adjacent central relationship contributes at reduced weight.
Opposite flank
40%A helper across the pitch contributes less.
Defensive skills aiding attack
25%Midfielders, including the active player, also lend one quarter of their defensive pair to attacking assistance, capped by their offensive pair.
Personal and tactical multipliers
After the raw helper value and positional weight, the engine applies the helper’s own personality and work-rate context. These factors explain why two formations with the same labels can produce different support.
Live modifiers
Constitution
For non-flank defenders, every two Constitution points above 50 add 1% to assistance. Engine raises the Constitution used; Unbreakable doubles the above-50 bonus.
Team Player / Egoist
Personality swings assistance given by 10% per effective trait direction. Advanced egoist roles can also draw more assistance toward themselves.
Mentality
The completed attacking and defensive totals are multiplied by the mentality values listed in Game plan.
Counter-attack
The defending side loses 12 assistance points during a break.
The pass can move assistance
Support is not frozen before the ball arrives. The quality of the opening action determines whether the structure is helped or destabilised.
Pass effects
Midfield opening action
The pass or dribble is compared with the general technical quality around that channel. Each 10 points of difference moves assistance by one point, capped at ±5.
Entry ball into the box
Pass quality is compared with 1.5× the goalkeeper’s Organisation. The resulting defensive shift is capped at ±8.
Go direct
A long delivery may worsen assistance but cannot improve it by dragging defenders away, unless the passer has the Deep Range ability.
Improvise
When active and the entry ball already favours the attack, increases that favourable shift by 50%; a goalkeeper with Mind Reader halves the extra.
Ordinary short pass after a clear win
The passer’s Scoring reduces defensive assistance by 2 to 6 points, because he can sell the shooting threat before releasing the ball.
How to diagnose assistance in a report
Read the sign first, then ask where the helpers came from. A large defensive net can come from several competent nearby players, one-sided midfield support, keeper Organisation or a defensive mentality. A large attacking net can come from an excellent entry ball, strong secondary attackers or a transition that stripped 12 points from the defence.
- Do not compare only the active players’ headline ratings.
- Check high versus low delivery: it changes the support skills.
- Check the channel and live formation at that minute.
- Separate an assistance problem from losing the active player’s own positioning or control step.
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