EA SPORTS FC 25 | Rush Deep Dive

Greetings, everyone! I’m Danillo Abreu, the Game Designer behind our Rush gameplay experience. Rush is our take on the small side 5v5 social football experience, while harnessing the same gameplay controls and football mechanics of 11v11. Teams consisting of 5 players each compete across a much smaller playing field, with exciting updates to match formats and rules to keep the action flowing. 

I’m joined by my colleague and fellow co-designer, Breno Leão. We're thrilled to take you on an in-depth tour of Rush, a new way to play the game. With its fluid positioning, social play features, and seamless integration across Football Ultimate Team™, Clubs, Career, and Kick-Off. Rush is set to redefine how you can play and experience EA SPORTS FC™. 

5v5 in EA SPORTS FC™

Team up in the 5v5 Rush gameplay experience for fast-paced, small-sided gameplay. Build your dream 5-a-side squad in Ultimate Team™ Rush , take on the world in Clubs Rush, and control your Manager Career Youth Academy in 5v5 Rush tournaments.

Football Ultimate Team™ Rush

Bring your favourite Player Item and team up with friends in locked-to-player 5v5 matches. Rewards you earn in Rush can also be used to improve your own squad in the 11v11 experience.

Clubs Rush

Squad up with friends and take your Clubs experience to the Rush Pitch. 

Every win contributes a Victory Point to your club's progression and improves your individual Rush rank taking you one step closer to exciting seasonal rewards.

Career Mode Rush

Get closer to your Youth Academy development throughout the season with new playable 5v5 Rush tournaments.

Getting Started

Team Composition and Goalkeepers

In Clubs and Football Ultimate Team™, each Rush team will consist of 5 players: 4 user-controlled outfield players and 1 AI goalkeeper. If a player gets disconnected after the game has begun, the AI takes over for the disconnected player, ensuring the game continues without interruption.

While goalkeepers are AI teammates throughout the match, the team captain can still perform actions such as rushing (Y/Triangle) or moving the goalkeeper (RS/R3). In online games, goalkeepers on both sides will always have identical heights, Attributes, and PlayStyles to help ensure a fair and balanced match. In Kick-Off Rush and Manager Career Rush, players have control over the entire team.

Race to Ball

At the start of every Rush match, players will experience the exhilarating Race to Ball. Two ball launchers are positioned at opposite ends of the halfway line. At the beginning of each game, one of these launchers will randomly propel the ball with varying power and height, creating an element of unpredictability. This novel approach eliminates the need for predetermined positions, with the goal of adding excitement and intensity as players scramble to secure the crucial first possession.

Fluid Positioning

In Rush, the traditional concept of fixed player roles and positions is set aside to encourage a more flexible and team-oriented approach to gameplay, letting players self-organize and switch roles as the game progresses to emphasize strategic thinking and teamwork. When play stops, players are placed back on the pitch according to their most recent location, underscoring the importance of thoughtful positioning and continuous communication. Our approach to Rush seeks to promote player coordination and helps ensure all players have the chance to meaningfully contribute to their team in various roles throughout the match, whether it's tackling, assisting, or scoring.

Ways to Play

Rush in Clubs and Football Ultimate Team

Clubs Rush invites you to team up with clubmates or other solo players to climb the Clubs Rush player ranks and improve your club's standing on the global leaderboard to earn exciting seasonal rewards for yourself and your club. Whether you're solo or with your clubmates, you'll need to work together in order to get the win, improving your player rank, and contributing a Victory Point to your club's tally.

In Football Ultimate Team, Rush is the perfect complement to the competitiveness of Rivals and Champs. You and up to three friends can each bring an item from your squads to build the ultimate dream team. You can also compete with them in special events, build synergy, and earn bonuses by completing challenges. 

In Football Ultimate Team Rush, earn Rush Points by completing squad build requirements and finishing matches. Rush Points play a crucial role in tracking your progress toward weekly objectives, which offer rewards. During squad building, you can choose to tackle optional block requirements, often needing coordination with teammates. Completing these can earn you extra Rush Points, multipliers, and bonuses per goal or win.

You’ll be able to learn more about Clubs Rush and Football Ultimate Team Rush in their respective Deep Dive articles.

Rush in Manager Career and Kick-Off

Kick-Off mode also gets its own Rush format, allowing you to choose any team from the available leagues in Kick-Off mode.

Meanwhile, Manager Career Mode introduces a new way to interact with your Youth Academy through Rush matches. For the first time, you can play small-sided 5v5 games with youth players, giving you more control over the development of your young prospects. Both of these modes offer a fresh perspective on gameplay, whether you're competing against a friend in a casual match or investing in your future stars.

You can learn more about Manager Career Rush in the Career Mode Deep Dive, releasing in August.

Rules and Regulations

Pitch Size and Pitch Lines

The Rush pitch measures approximately 63.7 by 46.6 meters, which is roughly 41.5% the area of a traditional 11v11 football pitch. This smaller, more "square" pitch shape is designed to encourage lateral passing and maintains adequate width that helps prevent the playing area from feeling too narrow.

The penalty area and halfway circle are proportionately larger than those on standard pitches to adapt to the reduced playing area while preserving the core football experience. Additionally, two dotted lines mark each third of the pitch, indicating the points at which the offside rules start to apply. Goal post dimensions remain the same as those in 11v11 football, providing a familiar target for players.

Additionally, players can take shots at the opponent’s goal from before the halfway line, as long as they have crossed their own defensive offside line. Attempts made from before the defensive offside line will result in a clearance.

Match Length and Tie-breaking

Rush matches consist of a single continuous 7-minute countdown period and, as such, there are no half-times. Additionally, the clock remains paused while the ball is out of play.

When the clock hits 0’, the team with the most goals claims victory. As every match must produce a winner, matches tied at the end of regulation time go to a 2:20min Golden Goal Extra Time, followed by 1-on-1 Penalty Shootouts if the tie remains. We’ll cover the Penalty Shootouts in more detail later on in this Deep Dive.

Our Buzzer Beater rule ensures that if a shot is in flight as the clock hits 0’, the game continues until the play concludes—whether by a goalkeeper's save, the ball going out of play, a goal being scored, or an opponent blocking/intercepting the ball—adding to the thrill of those final moments. Additionally, if a penalty kick is awarded in the final seconds, a brief extension past the 0’ mark is granted, ensuring that the fouled player gets the chance to take a shot. The player cannot pass or lose possession during this grace period, or else the match will end right away.

Attacking Third Offside

The offside rule has been adapted to better fit the Rush experience. Infractions are determined by the player's position relative to new dotted offside lines, placed at one-third of the pitch’s length on each side. Once a player crosses the offside line in their attacking third, regular offside rules apply. These lines serve a similar purpose to the halfway line in standard 11v11 matches, marking what is and isn’t an offside eligible area. This change aims to enhance gameplay fluidity by reducing pitch congestion and minimizing stoppages, while maintaining the game's strategic depth. 

(Not Offside)

(Offside)

Blue Cards and the Advantage Rule

In Rush, there are no red cards. Instead, players who commit a serious foul or deny a goal-scoring opportunity receive a blue card and are sidelined for 1 minute. The blue card timer below the sanctioned player’s name pauses for out-of-play moments and decreases by 15 seconds for each goal conceded by their team. If the blue card timer exceeds the remaining match time, it carries over into extra time. Players can re-enter the pitch once the timer ends, either during live play or a set piece. At least two outfield players must always be present on the pitch for each side. Consequently, if a team receives a third blue card while two players are already sidelined, they forfeit the match.

Accumulating two yellow cards results in a blue card, and the yellow card count resets when a blue card is issued. Goalkeepers are exempt from receiving yellow or blue cards.

Additionally, the advantage rule has been adapted to help ensure fair play in Rush, allowing for delayed card issuance based on the outcome of the advantage played, particularly in breakaway or 1-on-1 situations. As with the rest of our rules, our goal here is to provide a fun, fair, and fast flowing experience. 

Subs, Stamina and Injuries

Substitutions are not a part of Rush. This means players won't have to worry about injuries or long-term stamina depletion, as only short-term stamina will be affected during matches. With this streamlined approach to player management, we want to keep the focus on game flow while reducing interruptions. Similarly, in offline modes such as Kick-Off and Manager Career, substitutions are not available. Of course, players can still adjust their team's starting lineup in offline modes before the match begins.

Set Pieces

Set pieces have been streamlined for efficiency and simplicity. Whether it's a throw-in, corner kick, or free kick, play resumes quickly to keep the game running. The player closest to the ball when it goes out of play will take throw-ins and corner kicks, while free kicks and penalty kicks will be taken by the player who suffered the foul. During set pieces, each player’s restart location is set according to where they were last situated on the pitch. Also, after a goal is scored, players will be repositioned based on the areas they have predominantly occupied during the match, such as the left or right side of the pitch.

Indirect Free Kicks

Free kicks in Rush are always indirect, which means that shooting directly at the goal is not allowed and passing to a teammate is required. These kicks are taken from the regular gameplay camera for the purpose of keeping the action quick and moving.

Corner Kicks

The kicker can adjust where they’ll try to send the ball with the aiming reticle on the ground. Stronger kicks will tend to result in lower and faster trajectories, while weaker kicks can be higher and slower. Of course, ground passing is still an option as well. Like indirect free kicks, corner kicks are taken from the regular gameplay camera.

1-on-1 Penalty Kicks and Shootouts

With Rush Penalty Shootouts, we’re looking to build on the excitement and intensity of 11v11 shootouts. During regular time, a penalty kick is awarded to any player fouled within the penalty box, giving them a chance to beat the goalkeeper one-on-one. If the game goes to a shoot-out after a goalless extra time, players from both sides alternate taking 1-on-1 penalty kicks, with each player having 10 seconds to take their shot. During shootouts, only the kick taker and the goalkeeper will be involved in the play, while the other players will spectate.

Social Features

Two-Player Celebrations

New Two-Player Celebrations enables players to engage in celebrations with teammates immediately after scoring by simply running into them. These interactions are generally brief, our intent is for them to add a fun element to scoring without disrupting the fast paced nature of Rush. For players who prefer the solo route, don't worry, you can still do your thing by avoiding teammates and using the command for your favorite celebration. We hope these celebrations add even more excitement to goal scoring.

Quick Chat and Tactical Requests

As part of the Rush experience, we're introducing a new Quick Chat feature to all online locked-to-player modes. This social feature is intended to promote team communication and camaraderie through simple, quick messages. Using the directional buttons, players can easily send messages like "Nice", "Thanks", "Sorry", and "Unlucky" to their teammates. We hope that Quick Chat enables players to swiftly express reactions and emotions following key moments in a match, from acknowledging a well-placed assist to commiserating over a missed opportunity. Sidelined players can still send quick messages and reactions as well.

Players can also request actions from teammates while not in possession of the ball. They can send commands like "Pass," "Cross," "Through," or "Shoot" using any of the buttons that correspond to those actions while on the ball. Messages like "Run" , "Come Short" or "Press the Ball'' can also be sent using their respective buttons. AI teammates will also try to respond to those requests accordingly. Our overall goal with Quick Chat and Tactical Requests is to give players more social options while also giving them more control over AI teammates as well. 

Ping System

In response to early feedback from our internal playtests, we introduced a Ping System to better facilitate tactical communication in Rush. Specifically designed for locked-to-player online modes, Pings allow players without the ball to flick the right stick input to signal their intentions to teammates. Inspired by the Directed Runs visuals for consistency, these signals are visually represented by arrows flowing from the player and fading in the direction of the intended action. 

These arrows will appear in the color corresponding to each player’s indicator (e.g., Red, Blue, etc.), for clarity. Players can use this system to indicate where they intend to run or where they would like the ball to be played. Additionally, an option under Game Settings > Visual allows players to toggle the Ping System visuals on or off. This Ping System system aims to improve in-game strategy and teamwork by offering a direct method for communicating tactical decisions in real-time.

Additional Information

Rush Training Centre

We're adding a Rush chapter within the Training Centre menu, where you can immerse yourself in Rush gameplay while learning strategies and mechanics at your own pace. We hope the Training Centre can make a positive impact in how you start off your Rush journey, whether you're a newcomer eager to dive in or a veteran EA SPORTS FC player looking to learn more about this new experience.

Here's what you can expect:

• A Rush Training Match: Engage in a full Rush match with locked-to-player action and Rush rules. You'll control a randomly chosen outfield player from your favourite team, facing off against your favourite team’s rival. The match includes the following Trainers by default: Movement Indicator, Button Hints, Offside Indicator, and the AR Coach to guide you. You can show your progress by completing objectives within the Training Match, designed to challenge and improve your skills.
• Rush-specific Lessons: Delve into four new lessons that cover some of the most unique features and rules of Rush matches, including Blue Cards, Rush Offside rules, 1-on-1 Penalty Kicks, and Corner Kicks.

Rush Cameras

We're introducing four new camera angles specifically designed for Rush, intended to address the unique challenges of the smaller pitch size. For those who prefer a closer, more personal view of the action, the default Rush Broadcast camera offers a horizontal perspective that brings you closer to the pitch. Alternatively, the Rush Tactical camera provides a broader horizontal angle, more ideal for tactical-minded players. We've also added two vertical top-down style cameras: Rush Pro, offering a third-person-like immersive experience perfect for high-paced gameplay, and Rush End to End, designed for those who appreciate a comprehensive view of the pitch while focusing on the opposing goal. During gameplay, you can press (“View” on Xbox || “Touchpad” on PlayStation || “Minus” on Nintendo) to switch the camera focus from the ball to your player, so you never lose track of the action or your player.

AR Coach

The Augmented Reality (AR) Coach provides real-time visual guidance to help improve players' decision-making and positioning during Rush matches. This feature, designed primarily for newcomers, displays visual hints that are only visible to the player, and not to their teammates or opponents. By default, the AR Coach is enabled for players on Beginner or Amateur difficulty settings, while those playing on Semi-Pro or higher will find it disabled but can easily toggle it on or off in the Visual settings tab. The guidance comes in four main forms: Offensive Support is indicated by a blue circle, Defensive Support by an orange square, Counter Attack Threat by orange arrows, and Defensive Gap Alert by an orange rectangle, each meant to improve gameplay understanding and strategic execution on the pitch.

Match Ratings

Our Rush-specific Match Rating system emphasizes the importance of teamwork and strategic play. Players will now see their ratings be more significantly impacted by their contributions to team efforts, such as setting up goals with killer assists and snatching back possession, rather than solely on individual achievements. This Match Rating system is designed to encourage a more collaborative and tactical approach to each match, rewarding those who engage in actions that benefit the team as a whole.

Thanks for checking out our EA SPORTS FC 25 Deep Dive Pitch Notes! We can’t wait to see you experiencing Rush and we look forward to seeing you in-game. 

Breno and I would also like to extend special thanks to the incredibly talented members of the EA SPORTS FC Gameplay Team, including the entire Quality Verification team, Software Engineers, Animators, and Development Directors. Your dedication and expertise helps make Rush possible! 

• The EA SPORTS FC™ Team

EA SPORTS FC™ 25 is available now for pre-order on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.

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