Discover the new Rush mode in EA Sports FC 25: our ultimate guide to fast-paced football
9.25.2024
By Julian Benson, Contributor
Rush does more than shrink the pitch and team size. EA has replaced red cards with timeouts, changed the off-side rule, and created a whole new kind of penalty kick. Each of these changes offers opportunities to gain over the opposition, but it will take practice and a little theory to maximize the opportunities.
To help you on your way to becoming a Rush master, we've put together this guide, which covers some of the biggest changes and how you can use them to your advantage.
Games can turn much faster in Rush
It may seem obvious from the name, but Rush mode plays a lot more quickly than traditional games of football. The pitch is physically smaller than those in 11-a-side games. Players don't suffer from long-term fatigue, so you can lean on the sprint button and not suffer any ill effects. Plus, the match time is only seven minutes, so the pressure is on as soon as the ball is fired from the starting cannon.
Be prepared for the speed and don't get caught out. If you lose control of the ball in the opposition's box, they can have it down your end of the pitch and shoot at your goal in seconds—but the reverse is true, too. If you wrestle the ball away from the opposing team and play well, you can convert that seizure into a goal in just a couple of touches.
This frenetic pace means you must be much more aware of player placement than in other modes; Rush is deeply unforgiving of mistakes. Always look for areas where your team is weak, and be ready to turn small gains into opportunities to score.
No fixed player roles
The only player on the pitch with a set position in Rush is the AI-controlled goalkeeper. Everyone else is free to move around, playing in defense, midfield, or attack as they see fit. Across any game of Rush, you will often move between those roles as needed. That freedom means that you have the opportunity to both pull off a last-second deflection and also sprint up the pitch and score a goal of your own.
However, just because there aren't fixed roles doesn't mean you should throw positions out with the half-time oranges. You can go anywhere on the pitch, so think about what your team needs most at any given moment. If one of your squadmates is already up front, consider holding back to become a defensive line should they lose possession.
Rush games can seem like playground football with everyone running after the ball. But if you want to succeed, remember the basics, mark other players, and make sure there's someone between the opposition and your goal beside the AI goalie. You can concede far too many goals if everyone in your team is up near the opposition's box when they take control of the ball and sprint down an open pitch to score against you.
When you are playing with strangers, it's particularly hard to communicate the need for defenders or even an awareness of defense—after all, everyone likes to score goals. You may find yourself taking that role on more often than your squadmates, but if done well, you will significantly reduce the opposition's attempts on your goal and net yourself some sweet accolades in the post-match analysis screen.
Learn the new offside rule
Offside in Rush functions differently than a traditional game. As the pitch is smaller, the offside rule only kicks in for the final third of its length. What this means in practice is you can pass deep into your opponent's half without the referee halting play.
If you're taking up an attack position for your team, make use of that extra space. You can go far enough up the pitch that if you receive a long pass or a lob, you could be close to the goal with no one between you and the net but an AI goalkeeper.
If you're in the defensive position, make this offside rule work in your favor. If you see an opposition striker trying to push into your half and offside territory, lead them into danger and, at the moment someone is passing to them, push forward and force an offside penalty. It's dirty, but it's effective.
There are no red cards
You can be sent off in Rush mode, but it's not a permanent state of affairs. Fouls can net you either yellow or blue cards. After you receive a blue card, you are made to stand out of the game for a full minute; in a seven-minute game, that's not an insignificant amount of time. However, that time is reduced every time your team concedes a goal. After the timer expires, you return to play.
Armed with this knowledge, there are two ways you should see blue cards. The first is a timed opportunity. If the opposition has one of their players sent off, then you have a limited time to push your advantage, so get aggressive. Race up the pitch and put pressure on their goalie, as you only have a minute until their team is back up to full strength. Just bear in mind that every goal you score will bring down the time until they're a full squad again.
On the reverse side, don't be afraid to play nasty. While you don't want to get sent off, if the opposition has a clear run on your goal and you can disrupt them by slide tackling them from behind, you should do it. It resets play, saving you the goal and, well, hopefully your teammates can resist the onslaught.
If one of your teammates receives a blue card, then prepare to defend. You're outnumbered, so this is where you should all pour yourselves into defense. Use the offside rule to your advantage where you can and maybe break out that slide tackle if you're desperate.
Talk to your teammates
With so many human players on the pitch, it's essential that you work with your team. A big part of that collaboration is communication. In regular games of EA Sports FC 25, AI teammates support your movements. If you take the ball up the wing, they move to make themselves available for passes, or to cover you if you lose the ball. That's not the case in Rush. With so many human players on the pitch, there are no guarantees your advances will be supported or your mistakes covered.
To increase the odds of support, you need to tell your teammates what you're up to. It's only when they know your plans that they can help you complete them. Of course, they might ignore you entirely, but at least then you can blame them if it all goes pear-shaped.
If you're playing with your friends, you can use voice chat to announce your intentions, but when playing with strangers in Ultimate Team Rush, you're limited to preset messages. You can use the D-pad to say "Nice," "Unlucky,"' "Sorry," and "Thanks." These are particularly useful for sarcasm, but it's the right stick that's really helpful. It allows you to drop a pin on the pitch to show where you intend to travel. It's a small piece of information, but it gives your teammates a sense of what's in your head and that can make the difference in the moment.
Rush mode permeates EA FC 25, so it pays to put some hours in and get to grips with its fast-paced tactics. Remember to play a position and be ready for quick turnarounds. You're only ever a moment away from scoring or conceding a goal, so pay attention.
Grab EA Sports FC 25 on the Epic Games Store.