Every match is assigned a referee. Reading the referee and matching your aggression to them is one of the most important tactical decisions you make before kickoff.
Strictness (1-9)
How much the referee tolerates physical play. Strict refs call fouls on everything, lenient refs let the game flow. This is the attribute you match your aggression against.
Rating (1-9)
How well the referee reads the game. A high-rated ref sees dangerous tackles coming and catches dives, a low-rated ref misses the extras on marginal fouls and can be fooled by divers.
Lenient (strictness 1-3)
Lets the game flow. Tolerates rough play. Divers thrive against low-rated lenient refs, and rough teams can intimidate opponents for the whole 90.
Normal (strictness 4-6)
Balanced. Normal aggression is the sweet spot. Rough play picks up extra fouls, but you can usually get away with it.
Strict (strictness 7-9)
Card-happy. Only cautious play stays safe. Rough play against a strict ref is a straight-red disaster, especially with reckless players on the pitch.
Each referee tolerates a different level of aggression. Match your aggression to their tolerance to stay within the safe zone. Every step you go over tolerance means more fouls, sloppier tackles in dangerous areas, and a higher chance of red cards.
| Aggression | vs Lenient | vs Normal | vs Strict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cautious | Safe | Safe | Safe |
| Normal | Safe | Sweet spot | Pushing it |
| Rough | Dominant | Pushing it | Dangerous |
When you foul hard and the referee doesn't card it, the opposing team gets rattled. Uncalled rough play builds up an intimidation effect that quietly drains their composure, significantly cutting the effective skill of their players on the pitch. The effect decays quickly once you stop, but against a lenient referee you can keep the pressure on for the whole match.
This is why rough play against a lenient ref is so dangerous for the opposition. You rarely get carded, and every uncalled foul chips away at their game.
Diver: Wins extra free kicks and can steal soft penalties against low-rated refs. A sharp ref will overturn the decision.
Big Mouth: Picks up more yellows from stricter refs.
Reckless: On a rough team, a high rating referee (one who reads the game well, regardless of strictness) is far more likely to call a straight red on this player.
Penalty fouls: Any foul in the penalty area still earns at least a yellow card.
Scout the referee before every match. Their name and profile are shown on the fixtures list, in the squad manager next to the aggression dropdown, and on the match page.
Against a strict ref, drop to cautious unless you can afford to lose players to cards.
Against a lenient ref, go rough. The intimidation buildup can be the difference in a tight match.
Against a normal ref, normal is the safe bet. Rough works but you will pick up more cards.