Final Fantasy 10's Blitzball mini-game is one of the most interesting and complex of any of the possible mini-games. It has several different rules, strategies and players that may be used to alter one's chances in-game. With a little practice, this game can be a lot of fun.
To play blitzball, go to either the registration desk in Luca, or any save sphere (after Luca). Choose play blitzball. There are times during the game where this option will become unavailable. Continue through the game, after you get past the next part it will probably be back. But rest assured, it's not gone for good.
If you can get 2 or 3 guys to tie for the lead, they will all get the prize. The biggest prizes include new overdrives for Wakka, after you get all 3 of them, you can win the mars sigil to unlock his ultimate weapon. Also, there are techniques you can only win, and are unable to learn from another player. (The 2 best are Jecht Shot 2 and Aurochs Spirit, but to learn either of them you must first have all 3 of the key techniques. Jecht shot is for tidus, Aurochs spirit is for wakka.
Every five matches that are won, your "Team Level" will increase. As you level up, you will get either new formations or a higher scouting level. Both are very beneficial!
As your scouting level increases, the information that you can see when signing on players increases:
At Level 1 (the starting level), you can see the player's name, level, current team, current contract length and salary.
At Level 2 you can see all of a player's statistics before you sign them.
At Level 3 you can also see the techniques he or she has equipped.
At Level 4 you can see all the techniques the player has, including the ones that are not equipped.
Norma is a zone defense. Your guys will chase the ball carrier. If he gets near them, they will chase him until they catch him, or he gets away.
Your players will only guard the person they are assigned to. It doesn't matter if they have the ball or not.
Your players still play a zone defense, but on the side you choose. The other side will be left almost wide open, but the side you choose will be practically unbreakable. Good for teams that have one major threat.
Center Attack Everyone defends the middle of the field, leaving the sides open. All-Out Defense The whole team stays back on defense. Makes it very hard for the other team to score. Good when you are trying to protect a lead, but very hard to score for yourself. Flat Line The whole team goes on teh attack, leaving nobody on defense. Counter A zone defense where your defenders and midfielder patrol the front of the net, while your forwards are on the other team's side. Goodd strategy when winning. Double Sides Everyone but the midfielder moves along their side of the field, leaving the front of the net open. Can get a lot of turnovers for quick break attacks.
Once you play the game a few times, you will be comfortable enough to use manual mode. This is much more effective than auto because you control the movement of the players. If you let the ball carrier go wherever he wants, most of the time your probably won't like what happens.
Usually, normal formation is fine. Your guys will cover their zones and almost always at least be in position to make a tackle/block. Look for a different formation if a team or player give you a lot of problem. For example, if one person is scoring one you, use mark mode and put your best defender on them. If you are having trouble scoring goals, put guys with high PA & SH on guys who are bad defenders. All of the extra formations you get for leveling up are very specific for certain situations. Use the above guide to see what they do, and use them when the situation calls for one of those strategies.
There are people all over spira who blitz. To see if someone is a player or not, walk up to them as if to talk, and press the square. If they are a blitzer, their name and other info will appear. If they aren't signed to a team, you can pick them up. There is a limit to 8 players on a team.
When a player on your team's contract runs out, you will always get a chance to resign him. You can release a player early if you are over your limit of 8. Players contracts run whether they play in the game or not.
Other teams also have contracts. If you want someone from another team, just wait, he may become a free agent.
You must be at level 3 to use a technique. After that you will have an open slot(s) to use techniques. You must equip them in order to use them.
When a player has a technique you want, mark them in the pre-gamescreen. When the player uses it, the word "techcopy" will briefly flash on the upper left of the screen. Press the X button while that is on the screen to copy a tech. A chime means you were successful.
If your player is too far below the level of another player, he will not be able to learn it. Even if you are at a higher level, you may not be able to learn it. There are only certain techniques each player can get. You can raise this by learning Key Techniques. Each player has 3. If you learn them all, all techniques will become available. You can see if there are unavailable techniques because there will be a space in the menu with no dashes. Key techniques MUST be learned in order. You can't learn the2nd til you learned the 1st. Even if you are successful in trying, you won't get it.
Don't put more than 2 players marked on one opponent, and even try and avoid doing that. Only one player can successfully learn a technique at a time, so you can only learn it more than once if a player uses it more than once.
Try to force the player to perform a technique. If a player has a tackle technique you want, attack him and force him to tackle. If he has an anti-technique you want, put someone on with that status ailment, and use it against them.
Don't forget, the sixth player on the list is the goalie. If he has a shot/tackle/pass that you want to learn, he will never use it, so don't waste your time.
If you didn't get the Jecht shot from the S.S. Winno, go back and get it. This is one of the best shots in the game. Early, it is by far the best.
Jecht Shot 2 and Auroch's Spirit can only be won as prizes. They cannot be learned. There are other that are the same, but these are the 2 best. Some others include Golden Arm, Gamble, Regen, Pile Venom/Wither, Elite Defense and basically anything that is a steady use. Not just pass/shot/tackle.
Most games are won by scoring a lot of goals obviously. You want 2 very good shooters at each forward spot. Tidus will do just fine. You can live with Wakka, but there are better players available. A center should be a good passer, to help set up the forwards, and if possible a decent defensive player. They will get in on most attacks, so having someone who can take the ball helps. Brother(Airship Pilot) is very good for this. At defense, you want players that have good AT and BL skills. Their PA and SH can be low, because they wont get in on the offense much.
Set your techniques according to position. Forwards need shots, a center would be better suited by a pass. Also, when you start getting more than 1 slot, try getting some anti techniques for your forwards to help them when getting tackled. Defenseman should have tackle techniques, after you have some slots you may want to give them a pass technique, this could help spring your forwards from farther away.
Try to get all of your players involved in the game. You experience for actually taking part in play. Not just for being there. Doing just about anything successfully will give you experience. Passing, shooting, making a block/tackle, or a save for a goalie will all be good enough.
Speed is one of the most important stats, if you are too fast, you won't be caught, therefore get open shots. If your too slow, you won't be able to keep up with the other team. Keep this in mind when choosing your team.
Obviously, the best CA you can find is your goalie. There are much better ones than Keepa, although I must say, if you get him up to level 75+, he's one of the best. But that's a lot of games.