Madden 23 Defense Tips: Interceptions, Tackle Controls, and Tips and Tricks to Crush Opposing Offenses

In the NFL, defenses win championships; in Madden 23, this isn’t any different. Defense is probably the most important aspect as you can stop your opponent from scoring and, if you’re skilled, score yourself. To win a game, it is vital to learn how to intercept, swat, user rush, and more.

So, here is the ultimate Madden controls guide with tips and tricks on how to play defense.

How to intercept the ball

To intercept the ball in Madden 23, the targeted defender has to be selected, and the user must press the Triangle button on PlayStation, Y button on Xbox, or R on PC.

How to play defense in Madden 23

In order to play impeccable defense in Madden 23, you must anticipate the opponent’s plays and make adjustments to defend them. To do so, Madden provides a screen from which you can select plays based on formations, concepts, play types, and personnel.

Certain formations are better suited to defend specific plays. For example, a 3-4 set is centered on linebackers, which is helpful against rushing plays. A nickel or dime formation has more DBs on the field, making it easier to defend against passes.

There is also a coaching adjustment screen from which zones can be modified to play specific areas on the field. Here, you can also change the way that DBs interact with receivers and how aggressive you want tacklers to be.

Once you’ve selected a play, you can select any player to either cover a receiver or blitz. Here, you can make audibles and adjustments to fit the play to your needs. Doing this effectively will render your opponent scoreless and surely bring the W.

How to tackle

There are four different types of tackles in Madden 23:

Conservative Tackle: X on PlayStation, A button on Xbox, E on PC
Dive Tackle: Square on PlayStation, X button on Xbox, Q on PC
Hit Stick: Flick Down on the Right Analog Stick on PlayStation and Xbox, W on PC
Cut Stick: Flick Down on the Right Analog Stick on PlayStation and Xbox, S on PC

How to swat

To perform a swat in Madden:

Select the defender the ball is being thrown near by pressing Circle on PlayStation, B button on Xbox, F on PC.
Press Square on PlayStation, X button on Xbox, Q on PC to swat the ball.

Full Madden 23 defense controls for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox

Pre-Play defensive controls

Action	Xbox	PlayStation	PC
Momentum Factors / X-Factors Vision	RT (Hold)	R2 (Hold)	Left Shift (Hold)
Show Play Art	LT (Hold)	L2 (Hold)	Left Ctrl (Hold)
Pre-Play Menu	R3	R3	Tab
Call Timeout	View	TouchPad	T
Switch Player	B	Circle	F
Audible	X	Square	A
Defensive Line Shift	Left D-Pad	Left D-Pad	L
Linebacker Audible	Right D-Pad	Right D-Pad	End
Coverage Audibles	Y	Triangle	C
Defensive Keys	RB	R1	P

Pursuit defensive controls

Action	Xbox	PlayStation	PC
Player Movement	Left Analog Stick	Left Analog Stick	Arrows
Sprint	RT (Hold)	R2 (Hold)	Left Shift (Hold)
Defense Assist	LB	L1	Alt
Switch Player	B	Circle	F
Strafe	LT	L2	Left Ctrl
Dive Tackle	X	Square	Q
Conservative Tackle	A	X	E
Strip Ball	RB	R1	Space
Hit Stick	Flick Up on the Right Analog Stick	Flick Up on the Right Analog Stick	W
Cut Stick	Flick Down on the Right Analog Stick	Flick Down on the Right Analog Stick	S

Engaged defensive controls

Action	Xbox	PlayStation	PC
Player Movement	Left Analog Stick	Left Analog Stick	Arrows
Speed Rush	RT	R2	Left Shift (Hold)
Contain	LT	L2	Left Ctrl
Switch Player	B	Circle	F
Rip	Flick Up on Right Stick	Flick Up on Right Stick	W
Bull Rush	Flick Down on Right Stick	Flick Down on Right Stick	S
Club/Swim Left	Flick Left on Right Stick	Flick Left on Right Stick	A
Club/Swim Right	Flick Right on Right Stick	Flick Right on Right Stick	D
Swat	Y	Triangle	R

Madden 23 defensive tips

Here are tips on how to play good defense in Madden 23.

1. Don’t use linebackers in coverage without abilities

Linebackers rarely animate to pick the ball in the air. They are also much slower and can’t jump higher than a defensive back. So, use linebackers as blitzers or add linebacker abilities such as the Lurker ability.

2. Blitz your user in coverage

By blitzing your user in pre-play, you’ll be able to start coverage with a tiny speed boost.

3. Shift the D-Line

You can stop runs by shifting the D-Line to the strong side, opening a gap that you can seal with your user.

4. User blitz down the middle

User blitzing gives the selected player a speed advantage. If you set up your defense so that your user can pass through the middle of the O-Line, the pressure can arrive much faster.

5. Edge blitz outside of a contain

Contains are protections set up where a defensive edge protects the outside of the pocket, preventing a rollout. If a blitzer comes from outside of the contain, the O-Line gets confused, and pressure can arise while also keeping the QB in the pocket.