FIFA 97 - Playing Guide

Entering the slick pre-match option screens in FIFA 97, you’ll find yourself faced 
with the task of picking from four main competitions. The first, the Friendly, 
won’t need too much explanation as you pit your wits against a second player in a 
no-strings-attached set-up (with extra time and penalties to follow should you see 
fit). The second and third options are the League and Tournament competitions. 
The top leagues from 12 countries (as well as the 56 FIFA nations) are available 
for selection, with the Premiership probably the biggest pull in the League contest 
and the EA equivalent of the FA Cup equally so in Tournament mode. The last, 
the Play Off, gives you free reign to include up to 16 teams in a ‘Christmas Tree’ 
knock-out competition. 
Whichever route you happen to choose, the on-field action remains the same, with 
the players moving comfortably around to the silky sounds of Motty, the lad Gray 
and ‘Big’ Des Lynam. However, before you strut your footballing stuff, it’s worth 
remembering you can opt to investigate the tactical screens. Indeed, if you’re 
mounting a serious bid for League and Cup honours, the rigours of using your 
brain prior to taking to the field becomes really rather essential.

Formations
The most fundamental aspect of team management is deciding on the correct 
formation in which your brave boys will play. The different talents and skills of 
your players will affect the optimum strategy. 
The first of the four alternatives in the Team Management section is the 
Formation preference. Sadly, there are only six different playing variations on 
offer, with the first of these, the Sweeper system, not even really being a Sweeper 
system, instead looking rather more like a concentrated 4-4-2 with the left and 
right flanks appearing disturbingly open to attack. So, unless you’re planning on 
playing your left- and right-sided midfielders deepish (you can position them to 
wherever you want, more of which later), it’s worth focusing on the other five 
formations on offer.
4-2-4 is, of course, risky if you lack strength in your midfield, so it’s worth 
checking out your Starting Line-Up (the second option in the Team Management 
menu) beforehand. If you’re planning on playing two in the middle, then your best 
bet is to opt for a strong tackler (someone like, say, Roy Keane or Patrick Vieira) 
and a creative player (for the sake of argument, David Beckham or Paul Merson). 
It does have its advantages, though, as what you may lack in midfield prowess you 
more than make up for at the back and up front.
4-3-3 is the safest bet, filling out the width and length of the field with an equal 
sprinkling of players. Try placing your creative midfielder in the heart of the 
central line-up and a winger is of use with three up front - this gives your two 
main strikers a supply line and space to work between them.
4-5-1 will offer you substantial cover in defensive areas thanks to the fact that 
your midfield can easily track back. However, in order to compensate for the lack 
of fire-power up front, you’ll need at least two attacking midfielders - both of 
which should be played in the centre of the five - so that counter attacks and 
counter attack opportunities can be exploited to the full.
3-5-2 is the more traditional sweeper system, although your two wingbacks play 
more like actual wingers than backs, so, again, dabbling in the delights of the 
Starting Line-Up menu may reap dividends, especially if you play two defensive-
minded players on either side of the midfield.
4-4-2 is the last playing formation and it’s probably the most workable. The four 
at the back are quite capable of dealing with much of what is thrown at them, 
while the midfield can more easily help out both the back and front players. And 
the two strikers, of course, have each other to work off.

Adjusting Position
If you’re not happy with where your players are positioned, you can adjust them 
via the designated option. Each circle - which obviously represents a player - can 
be scooted around the pitch. So, if you do feel the need to persevere with a 3-5-2 
formation, you can pull the left- and right-side midfielders back to provide cover. 
When playing with the more traditional systems, such as the 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, 
adjusting individual playing positions probably isn’t as necessary, but it does give 
you the opportunity to experiment. For example, with 4-3-3 you can try a 
triangular attacking system, meaning you have someone playing behind the front 
two. This consequently allows you to build your midfield entirely from tacklers 
and have the creative player as one of the attackers, preferably the provider 
behind the front line. The choice is, as they say, yours, but dabbling with your 
formations in the middle of a tension-soaked Championship run-in possibly isn’t a 
good idea and, thus, trying things is best left to Friendlies.
The fourth option in the Team Management menu is Strategy, which really 
doesn’t amount to much more than deciding whether to pursue an attacking or 
defending course. All Out Defence provides you with the concrete-like qualities 
of the Arsenal back four, while All Out Attack will benefit you if you’re 
struggling in the ‘Goals For’ column but is likely to be of very little benefit if 
you’re already leaking goals.

The Big Match
Each player has the same set of basic abilities. So, experiment - change the 
configuration if need be - and get comfortable with what works for you. In truth, 
there are really only five moves that need to be mastered in order to play FIFA 97 
fairly successfully, and those are the long pass, the chip, the speed-up, the short 
pass and the tackle. 
The long pass is only really useful if you’re counter attacking and know you have 
more men attacking than your opponent has defending, as its end result is slightly 
random, often drifting into the opposition’s path. The shorter version, though, is 
essential if you’re to combine the rigours of an attractive passing game and the 
bliss of scoring.
Certainly, if you’ve got pacy front men, then pelting the ball up the pitch may well 
stand you in good stead, but the short pass can often work wonders in getting you 
from the first to last third of the pitch without losing possession. Remember, 
though, you only need tap the short pass button once in order to deliver the goods. 
A frenzied attack on the same button will only result in your player getting the 
ball stuck under his feet.
The chip is supremely useful if you catch sight of a through-running front man but 
is easily cleared by the defence if it lacks precision. The speed-up is handy if 
you’re up against slower opposition as it gives you space to play with. And, 
finally, the tackle is perhaps the most crucial part of your footballing repertoire.
It isn’t easy to time tackles in FIFA 97 and often a foot in is about as good as it 
gets. However, the more you practise, the better you’ll become at predicting when 
to dive in. Try not to commit yourself in the area, but feel free to try your luck 
anywhere else as the referees are often pretty slack.

Hitting The Onion Bag
Once you’ve garnered enough knowledge of attacking, it’s merely a question of 
being able to hit the net on a regular basis. And along with shooting comes the 
problem of accuracy. The side-on camera doesn’t help matters as you can’t 
predict whether you’re on course for the goal or not, but there’s one sure-fire way 
of giving yourself a fair old crack.
If you’re attacking, try channelling it through the wings and then moving into the 
penalty area diagonally. FIFA seems to possess a flaw that quite often means you 
can side foot it past the keepers if you’re running across the box towards them. 
Certainly, you stand a better chance of goal-scoring glory if you try your luck this 
way than if you’re one-on-one and centralised.
All of which means that if you pursue with a 3-5-2 formation, you may, 
ultimately, find more success because your two wingbacks can manoeuvre up and 
down the flanks and into the box while your central midfield provides cover.
At crucial points in the season, this minor discrepancy can appear like a Godsend, 
although perfectionists will, quite rightly, prefer mastering the art of scoring from 
other parts of the field as well (in which case, it’s worth testing the goalkeepers as 
much as you can). Just as they can’t handle diagonal runs into the box, neither can 
they seem to stay calm under waves of pressure.
Accuracy is, simply, something that comes with practice and once you get a feel 
for where the goal is in relation to your run, then you can start trying your luck. If 
you’re outside the box, remember to use your Long Pass button as a means of 
shooting. If you’re inside, the area should be approached via the shorter version. 
And if you’re feeling particularly Shearer-esque, chipping the goalkeeper as he 
comes out to meet you may provide the replay system with a busy few minutes.
As with any football game, there’s no definitive way of doing things, but using the 
old noggin before taking to the field in
regard to positioning, formations and line-up will undoubtedly help. Then, hit 
some form on the pitch and your quest for silverware suddenly won’t seem such a 
daunting prospect... 


Penalties
The key to scoring from the penalty spot is not to overestimate the intelligence of 
the keepers. They actually very rarely get to well-placed shots and, much of the 
time, let straight shots sail through their legs. Aside from that, you’re guaranteed 
that, if you nonchalantly knock one down the middle, they’ll prevent you from 
scoring. 
Therefore the key to penalty success is to plant the ball into one of the corners, so 
even if the goalkeeper does react to it, he doesn’t stand a chance of reaching it. 
Occasionally he might get to the ball, but if you get your positioning and timing 
right, it’s a pretty slim chance.
Trying to stop an opponent from scoring, though, is an entirely different 
proposition. Predicting which way the player is going to shoot is your first 
problem. You can actually wait until they strike the ball before diving, but, while 
you might be able to guess the right way, making contact may be more difficult.
It’s a sad fact that saving penalties is generally something of a chance thing. 
Choose correctly the right direction and you stand a fair chance (as long as you 
don’t over-dive, which will happen if you keep the button pressed for long 
enough), but go the other way and it is, in the words of Ron Atkinson, ‘Goodnight 
Vienna’.


Indoor Football
The same rules apply for the on-court equivalent of football, with tactics needing 
to be consulted beforehand - the formations amount to
2-3, 3-2, 2-1-2, 1-2-2 and 2-2-1 - and thought put into who to start and where to 
start them. However, the court allows for some cheeky additional playing 
strategies, including the use of the walls in pulling off one-twos and the Tower 
Cam in helping you get a glimpse at how the opposition are set out.
Scoring at six-a-side looks harder due to the size of the goal, but, because the 
pace of the game is so much faster than that of grass-based football, defences are 
often non-existent. Both of these factors give you the chance to strike the ball 
quite happily in the knowledge that, if the opposition do break away and score, 
you can just as easily race up the other end and knock one home. 
Indoor football is actually a good way of getting to grips with the ‘feel’ of FIFA 
as it allows you time to work out your action buttons and try your hand at 
stringing together a passing game. And, because of the size of the goals, 
perfecting accurate shooting is also readily available. But, of course, if you like 
the faster, more arcadey style, then you might as well pop out and buy a copy of 
Sensible Soccer.