How to Do a Rainbow Flick: Real Football and EA FC

How to do a rainbow flick: trap the ball with your heel and sole, roll it up your calf, then pop it over your head with a heel flick. In EA FC, guides split: one says flick the right stick down then up once, while others say down then up twice. Check the skill rating.

In EA FC, the split matters because a down-then-up guide feels wrong if your controller reads the motion as one input.

Below: the real-world motion, the EA FC input conflict, timing, and drills that make the move usable.

Key Takeaways

• EA FC guides disagree on the standard input: ItemD2R says right stick down then up once, while FC Tactics and EpicCarry say down then up twice.
• Use it against a square, slow defender. A fast closing opponent deflects the ball, per FC Tactics.
• Keep it out of crowded central areas and near your own goal. Failed flicks create dangerous turnovers.
• The follow-up is the real skill. Accelerate under the ball and take a first-time shot or cross as it drops.

How to Do a Rainbow Flick in Real Football

That trap gives you the control needed for the lift.

Which defender should you attack?

A square, waiting defender gives the flick its cleanest path. FC Tactics says the move works best against an opponent standing square in a jockey stance.

Easy to miss: A defender closing at speed knocks the ball away as it rises. Use the flick against a square, waiting opponent.

• Best: defender standing square.
• Risky: defender closing fast.
• Poor: crowded central area, where a second body sweeps the loose ball.
• Safe: middle and attacking thirds.

The one-on-one lane is where it pays. Spacing wins.

How to do the rainbow flick in EA FC?

EA FC guides disagree, so test the input in a practice arena before trusting one table. The standard flick also depends on the player’s skill-move rating.

Source	Standard FC input	Required skill rating
FC Tactics	Flick right stick down, then up twice	5-star
ItemD2R	Flick right stick down, then up once	at least 4-star
EpicCarry	Flick right stick down, then up twice	5-star

FC Tactics’s EA Sports FC 27 guide lists the down-up-up input. ItemD2R’s EA FC 26 guide lists the single down-up flick. EpicCarry’s EA FC 25 guide lists down-up-up and keyboard controls.

FC variants and controls

• Standard flick: right stick down, then up once or down, up, up, depending on the guide.
• Advanced flick: down, up, up with the up held, per EpicCarry.
• Flair flick: 5-star player plus L1/LB flair modifier, per ItemD2R.
• Rainbow Flick Chop: down flick, then shoot, per EpicCarry.
• PC keyboard: hold S, then double-tap W, per EpicCarry.

Rematch uses a button combination instead of right-stick flicks, per GladiatorBoost.

Why does my rainbow flick keep failing?

Most failures trace to spacing, input rhythm, or a dead follow-up run.

Failure	Likely cause	Fix
Ball clips defender	Starting too close	Leave 1.5 to 2 yards of separation in FC
No flick triggers	Rushing up-up into one motion	Give each flick a tiny beat
Ball lands away	Left stick drifts during animation	Keep run angled to landing spot
Turnover near box	Using it in a crowd	Reserve it for one-on-one lanes

What most people get wrong: Rushing the two upward flicks into one motion. The game reads a single input, so give each flick a tiny beat.

Is the rainbow flick legal in football?

Referees judge contact. The move is legal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to do a rainbow flick step by step?

In EA FC, guides split between one upward flick and two upward flicks, so test both inputs.

Is the rainbow flick easy to learn?

Is rainbow flick illegal in soccer?

What is the hardest skill in football?

Can any player do the rainbow flick in EA FC? No. Sources disagree on the required skill rating: ItemD2R lists at least 4-star for the standard flick, while FC Tactics and EpicCarry list 5-star.

The Bottom Line

Stop using it in crowded central areas. One failed flick near your own box gifts a shot in the wrong place.