Madden NFL 25 Beginner’s Guide: Essential Tips to Win

New to Madden 25?

Don’t sweat it – plenty of first-timers pick up this awesome game each year. But as you know, winning football games can be tough. This quick guide will help you step up your game.

Passing in Madden 25

Lob Pass: Hit the receiver’s icon to throw a high ball over the defense. This works great for deep routes or when your player has beaten the defender and has open field ahead.

Bullet Pass: Hold down the receiver’s icon to make a speedy direct pass: so this works well to push the ball through tight coverage or hit quick routes like a fast out to the sideline… I use this when I need to get the ball to a receiver on important third-down plays.

Touch Pass: Tap the receiver’s icon for a short time to throw a pass that’s not as strong as a bullet but goes deeper than a lob. This is ideal to drop the ball over linebackers but in front of safeties: I like it best when I want to put the ball where my receiver can catch it on deep routes down the middle.

Pass Leading: Use the left stick to direct your pass where you want it to go. For example when throwing a slant and the defender is behind, aim the pass to the right. This helps you avoid interceptions & places the ball where your receiver can make a play.

Catch Options

RAC (Run After Catch) Catch: Press and hold X (PlayStation) or A (Xbox) to catch while moving and continue running. This method works best when you want to gain extra yards after catching the ball on long passes.

Possession Catch: Hit Square (PS) or X (Xbox) to ensure your receiver grabs the ball and stays in bounds. This move works great near the sideline or when defenders get close helping to prevent drops and secure the catch.

Aggressive Catch: Push Triangle (PS) or Y (Xbox) to jump and snatch the ball at its peak: so this option shines when you want to win a one-on-one battle but keep in mind it carries some risk. It’s a solid choice for targeting taller receivers in cramped spaces.

Cool Catch: New this year, you can press L1 (PS) or LB (Xbox) to make a flashy one-handed catch. It’s a neat way to impress people, but watch out—this is more about looking stylish and can put you at risk when defenders are nearby. I’ve tried this a few times to create a memorable catch, but it doesn’t always pan out.

Inching Forward: Hold on before you dash. Just step up a bit to avoid those tough sideline pursuers and complete a cleaner pass.

Running the Ball

Sprint: Push R2 (PS) or RT (Xbox) to reach your fastest speed. But avoid holding sprint behind the scrimmage line; this may cause blocks to break down quicker. I’ve seen better results when you move with the left stick first then sprint once you find open space.

Ball Carrier Moves:

Juke: Flick the right stick left or right to make a quick direction change.

Spin: Press Circle or B to spin and avoid tackles. This move has gotten me out of tight spots many times when I’ve run into crowded areas.

Hurdle: Press Triangle (PS) or Y (Xbox) to jump over a low defender. This helps me avoid tackles when I see a defender diving for my legs.

How to Beat Man Defense

Routes that Work:

Angle (Texas) Route: This route works well against linebackers because they often have trouble with man-to-man coverage.

Comeback Route: You can make a receiver run a comeback route by pressing the right trigger and selecting the receiver. When you time it right, it succeeds because defenders often fall behind.

Post Route: Move the right stick up in hot routes to send a receiver on a post route.

Crossing Routes: Fast receivers can run deep or shallow crossing routes.

How to Beat Zone Defense

Set up with three receivers on one side. Send one deep, one to the corner, and one to the flat. Placing the deep route near the sideline can create space in deep zones and free up the corner or flat routes.

Include drag routes underneath to challenge both man and zone defenses.

Coverages:

Cover 2 Man: A solid choice for beginners. It’s effective this year as man coverage performs well offering both one-on-one coverage and two deep zones to stop big plays.

Cover 3: While it’s a safe zone option, it’s not as strong this year. If you decide to go with Cover 3, choose cover 3 Sky or cover 3 Cloud to provide adequate field protection.

Tampa 2: Another reliable zone defense that forces the opposing team to make short passes and slowly move down the field.