Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Beginner’s Guide: Tips & Tricks for New Players

by Mike Alexander / General Guides, Highlights, Tips & Tricks / 04 Jan 2022

While the legendary John Madden is no longer with us, his legacy lives on in the form of the yearly Madden NFL video game. And in Madden NFL 23, the competition is as fierce as ever to honor the memory of the football icon. For new players, that means making your way into a super competitive arena that probably won’t hold your hand very much. That can be a little upsetting and even a little discouraging, but there is always hope if you have the fighting spirit.

If you want to overcome the odds and put up a fight against some of the best Madden players in the world, then you would be well served by the following list, which contains several tips & tricks to get you prepared for the challenges ahead. When you’re ready to join the Madden hall of fame, read on, and let’s get started!

Use Back Shoulder Passes

When it comes time for your quarterback to make a pass after a snap, the pressure is on. Your lineman can only hold off the defense for so long, and they all want your head. You’re going to want to get the ball away from you as fast as you can, but passing hastily can end in disaster.

When you make a pass, if you hold the left analog stick back and to the left (about the 8 o’clock position), you will pass to the receiver’s back shoulder. This is typically about 80% effective, and it makes sure that your pass can not be intercepted.

Goal Line Fades

When your offense is around the 5-yard line, you’re usually in a good position for a touchdown. However, this is also when the opposing team will increase their aggression and try to prevent you from scoring those sweet points.

In Madden NFL 23, the Goal Line Fade mechanic has been given a serious buff and ensures you score just about every time you use it in these situations. To do this, you hold up on the right stick and press the left bumper when you pass to your selected player.

Accel Burst

When you have possession of the ball behind the line during a passing play, your first instinct is going to be to go as fast as you can to get around the defensive line and make a run for the end zone. Rushing in these situations is often disastrous. Instead, you should exercise some patience.

If you use the accel burst (right trigger) right away, the defenders will break their blocks much faster and tackle you before you can get away. But, if you hold off on pressing that trigger button until you get around the line, your odds of making a decent run are much better.

Spin Move

In past years, the spin move in the Madden NFL games was just about a surefire way to avoid tackles and get a few extra yards. It was an invaluable tool in every Madden player’s arsenal. In Madden 23, that is no longer the case.

The spin move’s effectiveness has been severely decreased for this year, to the point that you should ignore it completely. Instead, you should use the juke to avoid tackles. The juke is still relatively useful, though it is not guaranteed to save you in every situation.

Tackle Battles

When playing defense, your goal is obviously to regain possession of the ball and prevent the other team from scoring. In doing this, you’ll sometimes end up in a situation called a tackle battle, where you’ve broken through the line and you’re ganging up on whoever has the ball.

If you mash the right bumper in these situations, you will sometimes be able to actually punch the ball out of the player’s grasp, opening it up for a turnover. This is particularly effective when another defensive player gangs up with you to increase the pressure.

Avoid Hit Sticking

Another change to the Madden formula affects the hit stick feature. It is much more difficult to successfully tackle this year using the hit stick feature, so it should be avoided until you can put in enough time to get really skilled with it, or just skip using them entirely.

In most situations, it will be beneficial to opt for more conservative tackles, or ones that you are sure you can hit. It might be less aggressive, but a guaranteed tackle is better than a missed tackle with good intentions.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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