- Primary Subject: Madden NFL 27 (Season 1)
- Key Update: Features a brand-new control scheme that significantly changes offense and defense button layouts for both PlayStation and Xbox players.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: January 20, 2026
- Quick Answer: Madden 27 introduces revamped controls across pre-snap, passing, defensive pursuit, and coverage mechanics, requiring new controller layouts for Xbox and PlayStation users.
Whether you want to take the league by storm in Superstar mode, dominate opponents on Ultimate Team, or turn the Jets into a respectable franchise, you first need to master the Madden 27 controls.
Learning the controls will give you an advantage over players and the CPU. That's even more true this year, as the controls scheme underwent significant changes that even veteran players will take time getting used to.
In this guide, we tell you everything you need to know about the Madden 27 controls, making mastering them easier and faster.
Madden 27 Controls Guide
The Madden 27 controls are divided into two main categories: defense and offense, as you might have suspected.
However, both offense and defense have a few sub-categories, with each one focusing on an important part of the game, such as pre-snap adjustments, catching controls, and tackling, among other elements.
In this guide, we will go over each sub-category, reiterating their importance and the best way to master them.
Defense Controls
Defense is the most important part of Madden, and also the hardest to fully master. A mediocre offense can win you games, even in online play, but you won't get anywhere with a mediocre defense.
Being a great defensive player also makes scoring so much easier, as you will benefit from shorter fields, which in turn makes it easier to build bigger leads and subsequently run out the clock.
There are six defense sub-categories: preplay, defensive engaged, defensive pursuit, defensive coverage, and blocking.
Getting a good understanding of all of them is key, and since the control scheme changed in Madden 27, we recommend you spend a good amount of time in the practice feature to get used to it.
If you want to win games, be it offline or online, focus on defense first and foremost.
Preplay Controls
These controls allow you to change your defensive approach pre-snap, such as player assignments, cover type, and pressure style, to adapt to the opponent's playcalling.
It's a key part of your defensive strategy, and arguably the most important one, as good changes pre-snap can make your job of getting a stop much easier.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Global Coverage | LT | L2 |
Show Playart | RT | R2 |
Custom Adjustments | LB | L1 |
Defensive Keys | RB | R1 |
Coverage Audible | Y | △ |
Audible | X | ◻ |
Switch Player | B | O |
DEF Hot Route | A | X |
Pre-Play Menu | RS | R3 |
DL Shift / LB Shift | RS | R3 |
Call Timeout | View | Select |
Player Lock | Ls (press two times) | L3 (press two times) |
Zoom Camera In (Up) | D pad up button | D pad up button |
Coach Vision (Left) | D pad left button | D pad left button |
Substitution (right) | D pad right button | D pad right button |
Zoom Camera Out (down) | D pad down button | D pad down button |
Defensive Engaged Controls
Once the ball has been snapped, these are the controls you use to survey the field, switch between players, and swat the ball from opponents.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Effort/Block Steer | RT | R2 |
Swat | Y | △ |
Switch Player | B | O |
Disengage | A | X |
Rip | Right Stick left and right | Right Stick left and right |
Bull Rush | Right Stick up | Right Stick up |
Club | Right Stick left and right up | Right Stick left and right up |
Swim | Right Stick left and right down | Right Stick left and right down |
Spin | Right Stick semicircle | Right Stick semicircle |
Long Arm | Right Stick down | Right Stick down |
Defensive Pursuit Controls
These controls are complementary to the defensive engaged controls, as they allow you to tackle players, strip the ball, and navigate the offensive line to reach the quarterback.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Strafe | LT | L2 |
Defensive Assist | LB | L1 |
Sprint | RT | R2 |
Strip Ball | RB | R1 |
Aggressive / Dive Tackle | X | ◻ |
Switch Player | B | O |
Breakdown Tackle | A | X |
Hit Stick | Right Stick up | Right Stick up |
Cut Stick | Right Stick down | Right Stick down |
Blow-Up Blocker | Right Stick flick | Right Stick flick |
Defensive Coverage Controls
As the name indicates, these controls allow you to change your defensive coverage style and player position on the field pre-snap.
Post-snap, you can move your players to cover passing lanes, switch players to make a tackle, and press receivers.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Strafe | LT | L2 |
Defensive Assist | LB | L1 |
Swat/ Attempt Interception | Y | △ |
Switch Player | B | O |
Player Movement | Left Stick | Left Stick |
Press/Chuck Receiver | A + Left Stick | X + Left Stick |
Takeoff Stance | Left Stick Down | Left Stick Down |
Blocking Controls
These are the controls you use to control the players in the line of scrimmage, blocking for your running back or protecting your quarterback.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Player Movement/Block on Collision | Left Stick | Left Stick |
Switch Player | B | O |
Aggressive Impact Block | Right Stick Up | Right Stick Up |
Aggressive Cut Block | Right Stick Down | Right Stick Down |
Block Steer/ Effort | RT | R2 |
Offense Controls
While defense wins championships, both in real life and in Madden, you still need to get points on the scoreboard to win games.
Be it passing or running touchdowns, long-distance field goals, or 4th and short conversions, having an offense you can rely on makes every situation easier.
Defense feeds offense, and vice versa. If your offense can score at a consistent rate, your defense will have a bigger field to work on, making the opposing offense's job much harder.
There are five offense sub-categories: ball carrier, passing, preplay, ball-in-the-air, and player-lock receiver.
All of them are important, and we will go over every single one below.
Preplay Offense Controls
Preplay controls let you adjust your offense before the ball is snapped by calling different plays, changing player routes, adjusting pass protections, and much more.
These adjustments are the backbone of a successful offense, as it's here you can make changes to exploit the defensive scheme liabilities, allowing you to adapt to different coverages on the fly.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Pass Protection | LT | L2 |
X-Factor Vision | RT | R2 |
Fake Snap | RB | R1 |
Custom Adjustments | LB | L1 |
Hot Route | Y | △ |
Audible | X | ◻ |
Switch Player | B | O |
Snap Ball | A | X |
Pre-Play Menu | Press RS | R3 |
Motion Player | RS left and right | RS left and right |
Call Timeout | Share | Select |
Motion Player | LS Left or Right (Hold) | LS Left or Right (Hold) |
Player Lock | Double Press LS | Double Press L3 |
Zoom Camera In (Up) | D pad up button | D pad up button |
Coach Vision (Left) | D pad left button | D pad left button |
Preplay Subs (right) | D pad right button | D pad right button |
Zoom Camera Out (down) | D pad down button | D pad down button |
Ballcarrier Controls
Establishing the run is a key part of finding success on offense, as it opens the field for the passing game, forces defense to worry about two things, and makes it much harder for opponents to predict your next play.
Mastering the running game will make short fourth downs easier to convert and significantly increase your success in the end zone.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Play Celebration | LT + RT + A | L2 + R2 + X |
Pitch | LB | L1 |
Sprint | RT | R2 |
Protect Ball | RB | R1 |
Hurdle | Y | △ |
Slide (QB) | Tap X | Tap ◻ |
Give Up | Tap X | Tap ◻ |
Dive | Hold X | Hold X |
Spin | B | O |
Stiff Arm | A | X |
Truck | Right stick Up (flick) | Right stick Up (flick) |
Dead Leg | Right stick down | Right stick down |
Effort Reach | LT + Right stick Up | L2 + Right stick Up |
Spin | Rotate right stick | Rotate right stick |
Juke | Right stick left and right | Right stick left and right |
Passing Controls
Passing is as important as the run game, as if there is one thing you don't want to be on offense is one-dimensional.
If you are trailing with not much time on the clock, you have to pass the ball. In a 3rd and long situation, you almost have to opt for a pass.
There are many situations where the passing game is your only or best option. If for some reason you can't establish the run, your passing game will have to do the heavy lifting.
For that, you will need to learn all the pass types: bullet, touch, and lob, as it's crucial to know how to hit your receivers in stride.
Every eligible receiver on your team becomes a much more dangerous weapon when you are proficient in the passing game.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Free Form (Placement) | LT | L2 |
High Pass Modifier | LB | L1 |
Scramble | Left Stick + RT | Left Stick + R2 |
Receiver 5 | RB | R1 |
Receiver 4 | Y | △ |
Receiver 3 | X |
◻ |
Receiver 2 | B |
O |
Receiver 1 | A | X |
Playmaker | LT + Right Stick (Flick) | L2 + Right Stick (Flick) |
Throw Ball Away | Right Stick (press) | R3 |
Pump Fake | Double Tap Receiver Icon | Double Tap Receiver Icon |
Ball in Air Controls
These controls allow you to select the type of catch you want to perform, being a very useful mechanic in contested throws.
However, these controls are also available for players on defense, allowing you to ask for a defensive assist, ball hawk, or swat balls from the hands of receivers.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Sprint | RT
| R2 |
Strafe | LT |
L2 |
Spectacular Catch Modifier (Offense) | LB | L1 |
Defensive Assist (Defense) | LB | L1 |
Aggressive Catch (Offense) | Y | △ |
Ball Hawk (Defense) | Y | △ |
Rac (Offense) | X | ◻ |
Swat (Defense) | X | ◻ |
Switch Player | B | O |
Possession Catch (Offense) | A | X |
Play Receiver (Defense) | A | X |
Player Locked Receiver Controls
These controls allow you to lock into one defender and focus on the receiver they are covering.
It's a good way to stop a red-hot receiver, but it takes away control over other players and limits your defensive impact.
Command | Xbox | PlayStation |
|---|---|---|
Foot Fire Release | LT | L2 |
Just-Go Release | RT | R2 |
Player Lock | Left Stick (Press and Hold) | Left Stick (Press and Hold) |
Route Running/Move Player | Left Stick | Left Stick |
Take Off | Left Stick Up | Left Stick Up |
Conservative Change-up Release | A | X |
Hop Step Release | RS | R3 |
This is everything you need to know about the Madden 27 controls.
We hope this guide was useful and that it helps you secure plenty of wins in the online and offline gridiron.
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