Heel Chop Skill Move Guide - EA Sports FC 27

On PS5, hold L2, press Square then X, while pushing the left stick to the side you want to chop towards. On Xbox, hold LT, press X then A, while pushing the left stick sideways. The first press starts a shooting or crossing motion, and the second press turns it into a heel chop in the direction of the left stick.

Some skill move lists describe the move with slightly different button combinations, and controls can change with patches or custom layouts. If the move does not trigger, check the skill move list in the pause menu and make sure your player has at least four skill move stars.

The Heel Chop is at its best on the wing. When you run at a full-back at speed, they retreat and try to match your run. A sudden heel chop stops you dead and moves the ball inside, while the defender keeps travelling towards the corner flag. The move also works when a defender is chasing you from the side, because the sudden change of direction leaves them on the wrong side.

It is also useful just outside the box, where defenders are worried about a shot. The opening motion looks like a strike, and the chop opens the angle for a real shot or a pass.

Avoid the Heel Chop in crowded central areas. The sudden stop slows your player, and if a second defender is nearby they can step in before you accelerate again. It is also less useful when you are moving slowly, because the move relies on the defender's momentum carrying them past you.

Players with low agility and balance perform the chop more slowly, which makes it easier to read. Use it with technical wingers and inside forwards rather than slow, powerful players.

A common pattern is a Heel Chop inside followed by a shot on the stronger foot. Another is a Heel Chop followed by a quick pass to an overlapping full-back, because the defender who has just been beaten is out of position.

You can also chain a Heel Chop after a Step Over or a Fake Shot. The first move makes the defender react, then the chop takes the ball away from their momentum. Keep combos short; every extra touch is another chance for a covering defender to arrive.

Do not match the attacker's sprint too closely. If you stay slightly inside the winger, the chop moves the ball straight into your path. Holding jockey rather than sprinting with the attacker lets you change direction more quickly when they stop.

Covering midfielders are important too. A central midfielder moving across to cover the inside channel makes the Heel Chop much less dangerous, because the space it opens is already occupied.

Wingers and inside forwards with four or more skill move stars, good agility and balance get the most from it. Players who cut inside onto their stronger foot are the ideal fit, especially if they have good finishing.

In formations with wide players, such as the 4-2-3-1 and the 4-4-2, the Heel Chop is one of the best ways to create chances from the flanks. Our formation guides explain which roles keep your wide players high and wide.

The Ball Roll Cut is a three star move that also changes direction sharply, but it rolls the ball across your body with the sole of the foot. The Heel Chop is quicker and more convincing after a sprint, while the Ball Roll Cut works better from a slower approach. Keep both in your toolkit so defenders cannot predict how you will cut inside.

Timing is the difference between a Heel Chop that leaves the full-back behind and one that runs straight into them. Perform the input just as the defender commits to matching your run, roughly two yards away. Too early and they can stop with you; too late and they are close enough to touch the ball during the animation.

Watch the defender's speed rather than your own. If they are sprinting to keep up, the chop is perfect. If they are jockeying slowly, they can stop easily, and a different move is a better choice.

In online modes, defenders often sprint alongside wingers, which makes the Heel Chop very effective. Against the AI in Career Mode, defenders are more disciplined, so the chop is best used when you have already forced them into a sprint. In Clubs, a winger with four skill move stars can rely on it as a main way to cut inside.

The Heel Chop is often used to bring the ball onto the stronger foot. A left-footed winger on the right side chops inside onto their left, and a right-footed winger on the left does the opposite. This setup is called an inverted winger, and it is why the move is so popular with inside forwards. Combine it with a finesse shot towards the far corner.

Start by using the move once or twice per match on the wing, when you are sprinting at a full-back with space inside. As it becomes automatic, start combining it with shots and passes. Keep track of how often it works. If defenders read it, switch to a ball roll cut or a simple cross for a while, then return to the chop later. Variety is what keeps a winger dangerous, and a move that the defender expects loses most of its value. Mixing in a straight run down the line is often enough to make the chop work again.

Remember that the move is only as good as what follows it. Practise the shot, cross or pass you want to play straight after the chop, so you do not lose the advantage you have created.