FM26 Staff Attributes Explained

What are staff attributes in FM26? In Football Manager 2026, staff attributes have shifted from a 1–20 numerical scale to qualitative descriptive bands. These levels determine a coach's capability in specific areas like Attacking, Defending, or Fitness without exposing the exact underlying number. This shift encourages managers to evaluate backroom staff more holistically.

The Shift from Numbers to Qualitative Bands

For years, players relied on the traditional 1–20 scale to evaluate staff. In FM26, Sports Interactive has replaced these exact numbers with qualitative words. Visible FM26 words represent broad attribute bands, meaning two coaches with the same word rating might have slight differences under the hood. FM Workbench uses a deterministic estimate based on the words entered; identical word inputs produce identical FM Workbench estimates.

The Eight Word Levels

Every staff attribute is categorized into one of eight qualitative word levels. Here is a practical, comparative interpretation of these bands:

The 12 Key Attributes for Training

When evaluating a coach for the training ground, there are 12 visible inputs to consider. Not all 12 attributes contribute to every assignment. Specialist, Tactical or Technical, and mental attributes contribute differently depending on the assignment.

1. Coaching Attributes (The Technical Skills)

• Attacking: Ability to coach offensive movement and chance creation.
• Defending: Ability to coach defensive shape and tackling.
• Fitness: Ability to run physical conditioning and stamina routines.
• Goalkeeping: Ability to train shot-stopping and handling for keepers.
• Possession: Ability to coach ball retention and control.
• Set Pieces: Ability to drill attacking and defending corners and free kicks.
• Tactical: Ability to coach tactical familiarity and team shape.
• Technical: Ability to improve individual player technique and first touch.

2. Mental Attributes (The Soft Skills)

These three attributes support a coach's specific coaching skills during sessions:

• Authority (formerly Level of Discipline): Determines how well the coach commands respect.
• Determination: Reflects the coach's personal drive to improve players.
• Motivating: Dictates the coach's ability to inspire players during training.

3. Knowledge Attributes

• Tactical Knowledge: The coach's overall understanding of tactical systems. In the current FM Workbench model, Tactical Knowledge is relevant to the Set Pieces assignment. It is not used for ordinary Tactical assignments like Attacking Tactical or Defending Tactical.

Practical Coach-Comparison Workflow

Evaluating staff using broad word bands requires a systematic workflow:

1. Identify the assignment: Determine exactly which training assignment you need to fill.
2. Filter for the primary attributes: Use the staff search to filter for coaches who have strong ratings in the primary requirements for that specific assignment.
3. Check the Mental foundation: Review the coach's Authority, Determination, and Motivating ratings to see if they offer strong support.
4. Estimate the Star Rating: Enter the visible word bands into the FM coach calculator to get an estimated star rating.
5. Compare alternatives: Look at secondary attributes, cost, and personality to make the final call.

A Hypothetical Comparison Example

Imagine you are evaluating two hypothetical coaches for a Defending Tactical assignment.

• Coach A: Elite Defending, Very Good Tactical, Competent Authority, Determination, and Motivating.
• Coach B: Very Good Defending, Very Good Tactical, and Very Good across all three Mental attributes.

By entering both hypothetical profiles into the FM Workbench calculator, you can receive an estimated star rating for each. Because Coaching stars are assignment-specific estimates that combine primary technical skills with supporting mental attributes, comparing their calculator outputs provides a practical baseline before signing either coach.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring Mental Attributes: A coach's specific coaching skills (like Defending or Attacking) are supported by their mental foundation.
• Focusing solely on one attribute: A combination of attributes determines the final estimate. An Elite attribute in one category does not guarantee a high star rating if the supporting attributes are Unsuited.
• Assuming all attributes apply everywhere: Remember that Tactical Knowledge is relevant to Set Pieces, while Tactical (the coaching attribute) supports assignments like Attacking Tactical and Defending Tactical.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information on how assignments work, read our FM26 Coach Star Ratings Guide or view our Methodology notes.