Using skill moves in FIFA 13 can not only help you get past players, but they also look bloody cool.
We’ve listed how to pull off every skill move in the game, plus we’ve included videos from FIFA expert Marius Hjerpseth which look at the new skills.
To pull off a skill move, you must have the ball, then simply hold the left trigger (LT on Xbox 360, L2 on PS3), and input a button combination. This is usually a certain flick of the right analogue stick. Most of the below skills assume you are holding down the left trigger, unless stated otherwise.
RS means right analogue stick and LS means left analogue stick.
Where ‘up’ is used, that is always the direction the player is facing. So if you’re playing from left to right, ‘up’ will become ‘right’ on the RS. If you’re playing from right to left, ‘up’ will become ‘left’ on the RS.
Note that your player will need to have a certain skill move level (two to five stars), in order to perform certain techniques. You can check a player’s skill level by looking at their profile in the in-game menus (click RS when highlighting them).
New skill moves to FIFA 13
Heel Pass/shot – B or O button (shoot) – your player must have the Acrobat trait
Henry-style flair trick pass – hold RB or R1, flick LS diagonal up-left and press the A or X button (player needs Flair ability)
68/99 flick trick pass – hold RB or R1, flick LS up and press the A or X button (player needs Flair ability)
Complete dribbling – hold LB and move LS in any direction
Variable Heel Pass – hold RB or R1 and press the A or X button
Fancy Fake Shot – hold B or O and then press A or X to cancel (while standing, or do it while moving to pull off a Fake Shot to Stop)
(Five-star) Reverse n Air Elastico – flick RS left then right (while juggling)
(Five-star): Neymar Hocus Pocus – flick RS right then up
(Five-star): Reverse Elastico – rotate RS counter-clockwise from left to right
(Five-star) Ball Roll Flick – hold RS left then flick RS up
Two-star skill moves
Face up dribbling – hold LT or L1 and move LS in any direction
Complete dribbling – hold LB and move LS in any direction
Body Fent Right – flick RS right
Body Fent Left – flick RS left
Stepover Right – rotate RS from up to right
Stepover Left – rotate RS from up to left
Reverse Stepover Right – rotate RS from right to up
Reverse Stepover Left – rotate RS from left to up
Ball Roll Right – hold RS right
Ball Roll Left – hold RS left
Drag Back (while standing) – hold LS back
Fake Shot To Stop – press B or O and A or X
Backheel shot – B or O button (shoot) and tap LS down – your player must have the Acrobat trait
Three-star skill moves
Heel Flick – flick right stick up then down
Flick Up – flick right stick up then up then up
Roulette Right – rotate right stick clockwise from down to right to up
Roulette Left – rotate right stick anti-clockwise from down to left to up
Fake Left & Go Right – rotate right stick anti-clockwise from left to right
Fake Right & Go Left – rotate right stick clockwise from right to left
Four-star skill moves
Ball Hop (while standing) – click RS in
Simple Rainbow – flick RS down then up then up again
Advance Rainbow – flick RS down then hold up then flick up again
Feint Left & Exit Right – rotate RS anti-clockwise from left to right
Feint Right & Exit Left – rotate RS clockwise from right to left
Elastico – rotate RS clockwise from right to left (while standing still)
Stop & Turn Right (while running) – flick the right stick up then right
Stop & Turn Left (while running) – flick the right stick up then left
Ball Roll Cut Right Hold Right – hold RS left, hold LS right
Ball Roll Cut Left Hold Left – hold RS right, hold LS left
Ronaldo-style Heel Chop (while running) – flick RS diagonal down-left or diagonal down-right. Some guides say you can do this by flicking LS diagonal down-left or diagonal down-right.
Stop N Turn – flick RS up then right, or flick RS up then left
Scoop Turn (while standing) – hold LS down and press X and A (or X and square) at the same time
Five-star skill moves
Neymar Hocus Pocus – flick RS right then up
Reverse Elastico – rotate RS counter-clockwise from left to right
Quick Ball Rolls – hold right stick down
Waka Waka – flick RS right to up and LS left at the same time
Elastico Chop – flick RS down then right
Double Touch Stepover – flick RS up to right and LS diagonal up left at the same time
Triple Elastico – rotate right stick from down to right to down to left
No Look Fake Shot – press B (O on PS3) then A (X on PS3)
Robona Fake (while sprinting then about to come to a stop) – press B (O on PS3) then A (X on PS3) and flick left stick right
Drag Back Fake (while standing) – rotate left stick from down to right to down to left
McGeady Spin – flick RS up then left then up then right
Hocus Pocus – rotate RS down to left to down t0 right
Boll Roll Fake Right (while standing) – hold RS right then flick left
Ball Roll Fake Left (while standing) – hold RS left then flick right
Ball Roll Flick – hold RS left then flick RS up
Boll Roll Stop – flick RS right then down
Five-star juggling skill moves
Juggle – repeatedly tap RB or R1 while holding LT or L2 to juggle
Reverse n Air Elastico – flick RS left then right (hold or tap RB or R1)
Flick Up – tap LS up
Sombrero Flick Left – tap LS left
Sombrero Flick Right – tap LS right
Sombrero Flick Backwards – tap LS up, when facing away from the opponent’s goal
Inside Around the World – rotate RS clockwise for a full circle from down
Outside Around the World – rotate RS counter-clockwise for a full circle from down
In Air Rainbow – flick RS down then up
In Air Elastico – flick RS right then left
ATAW – rotate RS clockwise for a full circle from down, while clicking in LS
Hop The World – rotate RS counter-clockwise for a full circle from down, while clicking in LS
Chest Flick – flick LS up, hold LS in then click in RS three times
Reverse Toe Bounce – hold RS right
LATw – rotate RS clockwise for a full circle from down, then pause for a split second, then rotate RS clockwise for a full circle from down again.
What do you think of the new FIFA 13 skill moves? Have we missed any in the above list?
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He has almost two decades of experience in journalism, and left Esports News UK in June 2025.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He also previously worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation.
