Ya know how when the ball goes off screen or whatever when the computer has it, the computer changes the control of your player to the closest to the ball automatically? Well is there a way to make it where you must manually switch the guy for it to switch control?

Yeh there is. In the menu where you select the formations n stuff just before you to the game, press L1. You'll see the filled bar in the top left change to manual. (I think it's the formation selection screen, not quite sure though)