What are Professional Fouls in FC 25? Controversial new feature explained

EA FC 25 introduces more ways to defend than ever, with Professional Fouls being one of the new gameplay innovations. This type of foul is perfect for when all hope seems lost and the only way to stop a deadly counterattack is by dragging your defender down.

Here’s a look at what Professional Fouls are and how to perform them in FC 25.

EA FC 25 Professional Fouls explained

Professional Fouls will offer EA FC 25 players an option to stop an opponent’s counterattack in exchange for a yellow card.

These types of fouls will require a specific input and they add a new layer of strategy to defending. You’ll have to balance the risk and reward of requesting a Professional Foul. The action will always initially result in a yellow card, but it could be the only way to stop a deadly counterattack.

How to Professional Foul in FC 25

Players will need to press R1+X or RB+A to request a Professional Foul on PlayStation and Xbox respectively.

The devs have yet to provide extensive details about the input for PC players, but we expect it to be a similar combination of the Teammate Contain button and the Contain button on defense.

As seen in the video above, you’ll need to be close to the attacking player to pull off a successful Professional Foul.

Why are Professional Fouls controversial?

This new type of foul has caused quite a stir among the FC 25 community since being revealed in a gameplay deep dive on July 25.

Reactions are split between players who have praised the feature as a new tool for defenders and those who think it will be used as a toxic mechanic to frustrate opponents.

An X post from renowned leaker DonkTrading highlighting the new feature amassed almost 2 million views with most players anticipating how frustrating it will be to have their counterattacks halted: “Imagine you’re about to make a driven pass into the feet of your strikers with a player already on a yellow and the ball gets wiped off you in that split second.”

Having a scoring opportunity completely erased by a Professional Foul is expected to be a frustrating experience. But with the action always producing a yellow card, using it too much could lead to a red card, leaving you playing a man down.

If you can’t wait to test the new feature, find out what you need to know about EA FC 25 pre-orders to play the game early.