Madden 23 has arrived on our consoles and there is plenty to explore across Xbox and PlayStation.
If you’re new to the game, or an experienced veteran, here are the controls for Madden 22 and Madden 23 across offense and defense, with subtle changes bringing dramatic effects in the title’s gameplay. The major change this year is the addition of FieldSENSE controls that are only available on next gen consoles.
Big changes in last year’s edition came via ball-carrying controls, as well as configurations both at the line and in the secondary on the defensive side of the ball.
In this Madden 23 controls guide, RS and LS refer to the right and left analogue on either console controller. The buttons R3 and L3 refer to the pressing of the right or left analogue to trigger the action.
Ball Carrier Controls (360 Cut Controls)
| Madden 23 Ball Carrier Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Stiff Arm | X | A |
| Dive | ■ | X |
| Spin | O or rotate RS | B or rotate RS |
| Hurdle | ▲ | Y |
| Jurdle | ▲+LS | Y+LS |
| 360 Cut Control (Next Gen) | L2+LS | LT+LS |
| Celebration (Next Gen) | L2+R2+X | LT+RT+A |
| Celebration | L2 | LT |
| Pitch | L1 | LB |
| Sprint | R2 | RT |
| Protect Ball | R1 | RB |
| Truck | RS Up | RS Up |
| Dead Leg | RS Down | RS Down |
| Juke Left | RS Left | RS Left |
| Juke Right | RS Right | RS Right |
| QB Slide | ■ | X |
| Give Up | ■ | X |
Note that with the ball, changes have been made to the L2/LT button on PS5 and Xbox Series X to include FieldSENSE controls. Used for taunt/celebrations in previous editions, it’s now the 360 cut control button for precision cuts on next gen consoles.
So, make sure not to use it when attempting to beat defenders this year; otherwise, you’ll be turning the ball over time and time again by fumbling.
Both Dead Leg (replacing the stop juke), and the ‘Jurdle’ – a Madden hurdle that goes over and to the side of an opponent, rather than all the way over a defender are left unchanged from last years edition.
Passing Controls (Free Form Precision Passing Controls)
| Madden 23 Passing Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Low Pass | Receiver Icon + Hold L2 | Receiver Icon + Hold LT |
| Free Form (Precision Passing – Next Gen) | Hold L2 + Move LS | Hold LT + Move LS |
| High Pass | Receiver Icon + Hold L1 | Receiver Icon + Hold LB |
| Bullet Pass | Hold Receiver Icon | Hold Receiver Icon |
| Touch Pass | Press Receiver Icon | Press Receiver Icon |
| Lob Pass | Tap Receiver Icon | Tap Receiver Icon |
| Scramble | LS + R2 | LS + RT |
| Pump Fake | Double Tap Receiver Icon | Double Tap Receiver Icon |
| Throw Away | R3 | R3 |
| Throw (Receiver 1) | X | A |
| Throw (Receiver 2) | O | B |
| Throw (Receiver 3) | ■ | X |
| Throw (Receiver 4) | ▲ | Y |
| Throw (Receiver 5) | R1 | RB |
Free form precision passing has been included on next gen consoles for Madden 23.
Catching Controls
| Madden 23 Catching Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Sprint | R2 | RT |
| Strafe | L2 | LT |
| Aggressive Catch | ▲ | Y |
| Run After Catch | ■ | X |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Possession Catch | X | A |
Free form precision passing can be performed by holding L2/LT and moving the Left Stick.
Passing and receiving controls remain largely untouched from previous versions of the game. Learning the advanced passing and catching controls may seem subtle, but doing so can lead to devastating results.
Defensive Pursuit Controls
| Madden 23 Defensive Pursuit Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Strafe | L2 | LT |
| Sprint | R2 | RT |
| Defensive Assist | L1 | LB |
| Strip Ball | R1 | RB |
| Breakdown Tackle | X | A |
| Aggressive / Dive Tackle | ■ | X |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Hit Stick | RS Up | RS Up |
| Cut Stick | RS Down | RS Down |
| Blow-Up Blocker | RS Flick | RS Flick |
Open-field defending has been mostly left unchanged, where the safe bet one-on-one is to use the breakdown tackle.
Ball in Air Offense Controls
| Madden 23 Ball in the Air Offense Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Possession Catch | X | A |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| RAC Catch | ■ | X |
| Aggressive Catch | ▲ | Y |
| Auto Play / Defensive Assist | L1 | LB |
| Straft | L2 | LT |
| Sprint | R2 | RT |
Ball in Air Defense Controls
| Madden 23 Ball in Air Defense Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Sprint | R2 | RT |
| Strafe | L2 | LT |
| Defensive Assist | L1 | LB |
| Ball Hawk | ▲ | Y |
| Swat | ■ | X |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Play Receiver | X | A |
As above, defensive play when the ball in the air is unchanged from the ball-hawking additions brought in a few seasons ago. For new players, it’s safer to defend at the line of scrimmage.
However, if you do find yourself controlling a player in the open field, holding Triangle or Y will not only act as an attempted intercept, but likely an incompletion should your player be unable to pick off the pass
Preplay Offense Controls
| Madden 23 Preplay Offense Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Motion Player | LS Left or Right (Hold) | LS Left or Right (Hold) |
| Player Lock | Double Press L3 | Double Press L3 |
| Pass Protection | L1 | LB |
| Show Play Art | L2 | LT |
| Fake Snap | R1 | RB |
| X-Factor Vision | R2 | RT |
| Hot Route | ▲ | Y |
| Audible | ■ | X |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Snap Ball | X | A |
| Pre-Play Menu | R3 | R3 |
| Timeout | Touchpad | View |
| Camera Zoom In | D-pad down | D-pad down |
| Camera Zoom Out | D-pad up | D-pad up |
| Momentum Factors | R2 | RT |
Preplay Defense Controls
| Madden 23 Preplay Defense Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Defensive Keys | R1 | RB |
| X-Factor Vision | R2 | RT |
| Show Play Art | L2 (Hold) | LT (Hold) |
| Linebacker Audible | Right D-Pad | Right D-Pad |
| Defensive Line Audible | Left D-Pad | Left D-Pad |
| Camera Zoom Out | Up D-Pad | Up D-Pad |
| Camera Zoom In | Down D-Pad | Down D-Pad |
| Coverage Audible | ▲ | Y |
| Audible | ■ | X |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Defensive Hot Route | X | A |
| Pre-Play Menu | R3 | R3 |
| Timeout | Touchpad | View |
| Show / Weak Side Gap Assignment | R2 + X + O | RT + A + B |
| Pump Up Crowd | RS Up | RS Up |
| Momentum Factors | R2 | RT |
Defensive Engaged Controls (Pass Rush Controls)
| Madden 23 Defensive Engaged Controls (New Pass Rush Controls) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Reach Tackle | LS Left or Right + ■ | LS Left or Right + X |
| Swat | ▲ | Y |
| Bull Rush | RS Down | RS Down |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Club/Swim Move | RS Left or Right | RS Left or Right |
| Rip Move | RS Up | RS Up |
| Speed Rush | R2 | RT |
| Contain | L2 | LT |
Defensive line play was re-written in Madden 21 and continue to be the same in Madden 23, with beating offensive linemen via engagement now dependent on your skills with the right analogue.
For the new pass rush controls, flicking up on the right analogue and swimming by moving the stick laterally is the key. Still, your miserliness is crucial: too many attempts of the right stick will deplete your lineman of stamina, so use in moderation. In Early Access, the swim move seems hugely effective.
Defensive Coverage Controls
| Madden 23 Defensive Coverage Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Press / Chuck Receiver | X + LS | A + LS |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Player Movement | LS | LS |
| Strafe | L2 | LT |
| Defensive Assist | L1 | LB |
For new players, it’s strongly recommended that you control linemen or blitzing players when on the defensive side of the ball.
Blocking Controls
| Madden 23 Blocking Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Player Movement | LS | LS |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Aggressive Impact Block | RS Up | RS Up |
| Aggressive Cut Block | RS Down | RS Down |
| Block on Collision | LS | LS |
Player Locked Receiver Controls
| Madden 23 Player Locked Receiver Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Individual Play Art | L2 | LT |
| Just-Go Release | R2 | RT |
| Player Lock | Double Press L3 | Double Press L3 |
| Route Running/Move Player | LS | LS |
| Change up (on the line) | Flick RS | Flick RS |
| Foot Fire (on the line) | Hold RS | Hold RS |
| Conservative Change-up Release | X | A |
| Cut Out of Press / Fake Cut (off the line) | Flick RS | Flick RS |
While these controls will be most useful when switching to a wide receiver in Face of the Franchise, it might be worth refining these skills in practice modes.
Special Teams Offense Controls
| Madden 23 Special Teams Offense Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Snap / Kick Power / Accuracy | X | A |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Audible | ■ | X |
| Flip Play | ■ + R2 | X + RT |
| Fake Snap | R1 | RB |
Special Teams Defense Controls
| Madden 23 Special Teams Defense Controls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Action | PS4 / PS5 Controls | Xbox One / Series X Controls |
| Jumping Block Attempt | ▲ | Y |
| Switch Player | O | B |
| Audible | ■ | X |
| Diving Block Attempt | ■ | X |
| Flip Play | ■ + R2 | X + RT |
| Show Play Art / Jump Snap | R2 | RT |
Now that you know all of the controls for Madden 23, it’s time to hit the gridiron and dominate your NFL counterparts.
How to fair catch in Madden 23
To perform a fair catch all you need to do is press O/B to switch to the target receiver, and then press Triangle/Y after the opposition hits an airborne scrimmage kick, and the camera switches to your receiving players.
Looking for more Madden 23 guides?
Madden 23 Best Playbooks: Top Offensive & Defensive Plays to Win on Franchise Mode, MUT, and Online
Madden 23: Best Offensive Playbooks
Madden 23: Best Defensive Playbooks
Madden 23 Sliders: Realistic Gameplay Settings for Injuries and All-Pro Franchise Mode
Madden 23 Relocation Guide: All Team Uniforms, Teams, Logos, Cities and Stadiums
Madden 23: Best (and Worst) Teams to Rebuild
Madden 23 Defense: Interceptions, Controls, and Tips and Tricks to Crush Opposing Offenses
Madden 23 Running Tips: How to Hurdle, Jurdle, Juke, Spin, Truck, Sprint, Slide, Dead Leg and Tips
Madden 23 Stiff Arm Controls, Tips, Tricks, and Top Stiff Arm Players
