Physical Attributes

A player with strong physical attributes is one who can potentially fit into a team better than a player strong in only one area in the other attribute groups. If a player is strong in these attributes he’ll be able to play a competent game and make sure he isn’t embarrassed much should he be less than adequately skilled because he has the required attributes to be a solid footballer. A skilled and mentally strong player who also has strong physical attributes can be considered a fantastic all-round player, as being strong in all three areas is pretty much what you look for.

ATTRIBUTE	DESCRIPTION
Acceleration	Acceleration is how quickly a player can reach top speed (pace) from a standing start. It therefore ties in very closely with the Pace attribute.
Agility	Agility reflects how well a player can start, stop, and move in different directions at varying levels of speed (pace). It ties in with the Pace, Acceleration, and Balance attributes as they work together in the match engine, especially when a player is running with the ball.
Balance	Balance reflects simply how well a player can keep his balance in situations both with and without the ball. With the ball, it refers to how balanced he is running with it and evading opponents, without it, it refers to his balance when facing a player running at him, or his stability when turning/jumping.
Jumping	This attribute related to how high a player can jump from a standing start.
Natural Fitness	How fit a player is as standard – his base level of fitness. It affects how many games he is likely to be able to perform to peak physical fitness in before becoming noticeably tired and susceptible to injury.
Pace	Pace is a player’s top speed. Whereas Acceleration reflects how quickly a player can attain their top speed, pace is that top speed and together with Stamina and Natural Fitness, is how long they are able to maintain that pace in both short bursts and over the course of a match. A player will naturally be a shade quicker without the ball than with it.
Stamina	Stamina is a player’s ability to endure high-level physical activity for a long period of time. With the demands placed on a player over a nine month season, players with high attribute ratings for Stamina will be able to perform at their top levels for longer. It ties in directly with Natural Fitness.
Strength	A player’s strength is his ability to exert his physical force on an opponent to his benefit. A player with a high strength rating will be able to use it to his advantage against weaker opponents.

Part of content was taken from FM/FML Manuals © Sports Interactive Ltd 2008