FC 27 The Grounds Guide

FC 27 The Grounds Guide TL;DR

• The Grounds works as a Clubs hub that supports up to 100 players in one shared world.

• Three districts offer different activities for you to participate in, as well as stores.

• Small-sided football includes 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and Rush.

• Eight Kickabouts provide you with short-form co-op activities.

• The Grounds are an essential part of getting Clubs, Drop In, and seasonal rewards.

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What Is The Grounds in FC 27?

The Grounds is FC 27’s new shared social football world that works similarly to what other games like Street Fighter and other fighting games are doing. It replaces the old plain menu-led Clubs experience with an explorable hub where you can walk around and see other players - each instance supports up to 100 players. Everyone enters through the Terrace, then moves around three districts. Players can meet friends' avatars, customize their Pros, enter matches, or play short activities.

EA’s official Grounds and Clubs Deep Dive foreshadows that the world will change through new seasons, campaigns, and live events. These updates will introduce new activities, rewards, and possibly new play formats.

FC 27 The Grounds Map and Districts

The Grounds contains a central Terrace, Clubhouse, three districts, and two Stadium entrances.

The Terrace

Every Grounds session begins inside the Terrace. It connects every district and contains the Grounds Store. You can also enter the Clubhouse directly instead of walking through each district.

The Clubhouse

The Clubhouse contains the main Club experiences. Your Club’s identity affects its entrance and Stadium visuals. This is where players access Leagues and Playoffs; Clubmates can also manage their Pros before entering competitive matches. Keep in mind that solo players can use Stadium Drop In without creating or joining a club.

Montclair

Montclair recreates French urban football. You get cage pitches, concrete environments, and activities emphasizing agile ball play. Kylian Mbappé is the Mentor assigned to this district. His objectives mostly focus on creativity and Small-sided play.

Zeiza

Zeiza takes inspiration from Argentina’s Potrero culture. Its architecture combines Latin American and European influences. Paulo Dybala handles Clubs and Stadium-related activities here as your mentor. 

Parkside

Parkside represents British working-class and grassroots football. Its streets and pitches feel more traditional than Montclair. Chloe Kelly oversees Kickabouts and creative social activities here. Players interested in minigames should spend more time here.

FC 27 The Grounds Mentors

Four Mentors introduce the main progression paths - and all of them are household names. Their Milestone objectives also connect to several FC 27 trophies, so you’ll probably spend a lot of time with them. Here’s the full mentor list:

Alex Hunter acts as the basic systems guide. His objectives teach player development and don’t represent any distinct role as other mentors do.

You have an option to skip every introduction and save a few minutes. But completing early Mentor activities explains several interconnected systems - Archetypes, Amps and Club progression. You can find more on that in my in-depth Clubs guide.

FC 27 The Grounds Game Modes

The Grounds mixes traditional Stadium football with shorter in-world activities.

Small-Sided Football

Small-sided football includes 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and an in-world Rush variant. Every match lasts three minutes. The 1v1 format gives each player a CPU goalkeeper. The 2v2 and 3v3 formats use smaller goals without keepers.

The ball launches from midfield when the game begins. Everyone immediately fights for possession, creating a much faster opening than regular kickoff. Shooting Assistance is forced to Manual, which I think makes the mode quite a challenge for new and casual players. Passing remains Fully Assisted, while other gameplay behaves like regular 11v11 football.

Manual shooting will probably be the largest adjustment. Players cannot rely on the game correcting every rushed finish. Placing shots carefully matters more than simply reaching the goal first.

How Fouls Work

Small-sided matches keep fouls enabled. A foul creates a direct shooting opportunity from the foul location. Passing and dribbling are disabled during the free kick. Other players remain behind the taker temporarily.

A penalty-area foul moves the ball onto a designated penalty spot. The player must shoot before the movement restriction expires.

Stadium Drop In

Stadium Drop In offers regular matchmaking from inside The Grounds. Available experiences include:

• 11v11 Drop In

• Stadium Rush

• Rush Live Tournaments

• Ranked Rush

Entering these modes removes players from the shared world. Matchmaking then finds opponents with similar skill levels. This system gives solo players access to Stadium football. Joining a permanent Club is not required.

Clubs Leagues and Playoffs

Leagues and Playoffs continue as Clubs’ main competitive structure. Teams climb divisions, then enter Playoffs for seasonal rewards.

The surrounding experience changes, but the basic goal stays familiar. Organized groups should spend most of their competitive time here.

Club Tournaments

Club Tournaments are rotating 11v11 Live Events. Their rounds, rules, and rewards can change throughout the year, and the current House Rules include:

• Mystery Ball

• King of the Hill

• No Rules

• Headers and Volleys

• Survival

• Long Range

Every FC 27 Kickabout Explained

Kickabouts mix football with basketball, dodgeball, obstacle races, and possession games. Most activities only require a few minutes.

Bocce Ball

Bocce Ball uses three one-minute rounds. Players send footballs toward targets while avoiding obstacles and Dead Zones. Targets shrink during each round. Smaller targets provide significantly more points, but they are harder to hold.

Team Keepaway

Team Keepaway is a three-minute 3v3 possession game. Teams gain points by holding the ball, passing, and completing interceptions. Five consecutive passes activate a x2 multiplier. Ten passes increase it to x3.

A successful slide tackle provides points. Committing a foul removes 100 points, making reckless defending particularly expensive. A 1,000-point lead ends the match immediately.

The Big Race

The Big Race is a four-player dribbling competition. It contains three different versions of one obstacle course. Players navigate Gates, Lava Floors, moving obstacles, and Defender Zones. Only dribbling is available. The first finisher starts a 15-second countdown. Everyone else must cross before the timer expires.

Attacking Scenarios

Attacking Scenarios is played through four one-minute 2v2 rounds. Each round chooses one requirement from a pool of ten. Tasks include:

• Score a first-time shot

• Score from a wall bounce

• Complete three passes before scoring

• Score an aerial goal

• Collect balloons before scoring

• Score through several gates

A normal goal awards nothing unless it matches the active requirement. This mode should be useful for practicing unusual attacking situations.

Bucket Ball

Bucket Ball is a three-minute 2v2 game using elevated hoops. Players score with Precision Lob Passes, Precision Headers, or Spikes. Goals from outside the three-point area award three points. Spikes add two bonus points to the goal.

Balloon Ball

Balloon Ball gives each of four players three balloons. Players shoot footballs to pop their opponents’ balloons. Losing all three balloons eliminates that player and the remaining participants continue until one survives.

Goal Control

Goal Control places eight goals around one pitch. Scoring through a goal claims it for that player. Owned goals generate points every second. Scoring through an opponent’s goal immediately takes control away.

Drop Kick Targets

Drop Kick Targets appear throughout The Grounds. Players spawn a ball, then control their kick power to break each target.

FC 27 Progression

The Grounds introduces what I perceive to be a way more flexible version of FC 26’s Archetype system - every type is unlocked immediately. Players can also respec attribute points without paying Coins. Full build resets also no longer require Coins or a reset consumable. Adjustments are available through:

• The in-world menu

• The Clubhouse

• Clubs lobbies

• Rush lobbies

This makes build experimentation much safer. A Pro can switch between positions without rebuilding everything from scratch.

How Masteries Work

Masteries reward players for developing multiple Archetypes. Reaching certain milestones grants permanent attribute bonuses across every build. For example, reaching Finisher Level 10 gives every Archetype:

• +1 Finishing

• +1 Composure

The best long-term approach is to develop several relevant Archetypes and collect their permanent Mastery bonuses.

How Amps Work

Amps temporarily strengthen the active Archetype. Three can be equipped simultaneously:

• Two Standard Amps

• One Signature Amp

Amps expire after a fixed number of matches. They apply inside Stadium matches and in-world Rush. Players can earn Amps through objectives, campaigns, seasonal progression, and Live Events. Additional options appear inside the Menu Store.

FC 27 The Grounds Season Pass and Stores

Playing activities and completing objectives in the Grounds awards Season Points. These unlock items across the seasonal reward track; the rewards include:

• Outfits

• Accessories

• Emotes

• Amps

• Consumables

• Coins

Just like you’d expect, the Premium Pass adds another reward track with better rewards. The regular track remains available without upgrading. Players can also now rock separate street and Stadium outfits, and eight emotes can also be assigned to the Emote Wheel. The Grounds contains several stores that sell these items:

District stores carry smaller selections inspired by their locations. The Terrace store is where you’ll get the widest cosmetics range.

What Platforms Have The Grounds in FC 27?

Only the current-gen platforms support the new HUB feature. The Grounds is available on:

• PlayStation 5

• Xbox Series X|S

• PC

• Nintendo Switch 2

Sadly, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One do not support the mode, which will definitely cost a game some portion of it’s potential player base. Clubs content connected to The Grounds is also unavailable on those game versions, as confirmed by EA through its FC 27 editions and platform information. 

Check out other helpful FC 27 articles here:

• FUT Champions Guide
• Clubs Guide
• Chemistry Styles Guide