Know your role in the rotation
Three players cycle: first man attacks, second man supports at a short distance, third man defends. After your touch, rotate to the back of the line rather than turning around to chase the ball again.
Do not double-commit
Two players going for the same ball leaves the net empty. If a teammate is clearly closer, cover the goal instead. This is the most common error below the middle ranks.
Boost is a resource, not a button
Small pads around the pitch refill enough for most plays. Grabbing pads along your rotation path keeps you topped up without deserting the play to get the big canisters.
Learn to read the ball off the wall
Predicting where the ball will be — not where it is — decides whether you arrive in time. Watch the ball's arc and the opponent's approach angle together.
Power slide for tight turns
Holding power slide while turning keeps momentum. It is the difference between reaching a ball and arriving half a second late.
Defend from the far post
When recovering, approach the goal from the far post so you can clear across the face of the net rather than straight into an oncoming attacker.
Settings: camera and deadzone
Widen the field of view and pull the camera back so you can see the whole pitch, and lower the controller deadzone so small inputs register. Both are free improvements.