FIFA 21: Beta – Are headers a thing of the past, or will they make a resurgence on the new game?


The FIFA 21 Closed Beta is well underway, and we are seeing some great feedback about the new game.

One area of the game seems to have been altered after a difficult season, keep reading for more details.

Headed Goals

Heading the ball is a dying art, and FIFA 20 compounded this by making it almost impossible to score with your head!

The glory days of bullying your opponents with Andy Carroll and Christian Benteke are long gone, with pace the current order of the day.

FIFA 20 Andy Carroll Headers min
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AERIAL THREAT! Andy Carroll wheeling away in celebration was once a familiar sight on FIFA

Way back on FIFA 14, headers were so overpowered (OP) that almost any cross resulted in a goal.

Since then, they have been much more difficult, but the new heading system on FIFA 21 could be making the aerial battle more balanced than ever!

FIFA 21 Beta

As ever, the Reddit FIFA Community has had plenty to say, and there have been mixed reviews on the Beta so far.

Many have noticed little difference, claiming it to just be “updated rosters”, however this contrasts with others stating “passing is significantly better” among other differences in controls.

READ MORE: Absolutely Everything you need to know about FIFA 21 Ultimate Team

When the discussion turns to heading, one user believes that the new heading system has become OP!

So, what is the new heading system?

Manual Heading

“In FIFA 21, to improve the viability of scoring with headers, while keeping a skill gap in the game, we are introducing Manual Heading.”

EA has acknowledged how difficult it was to score headed goals on FIFA 20, hence the change.

Manual Heading will give you control over the power and placement of your headers, while there will still be an error element involved.

This feature will be mandatory in online game modes to ensure fairness in competition.

READ MORE: FIFA 21 PS5 – what Next Gen means for EA’s next title

For more articles like this, take a look at our FIFA 21 page.