Pass Defense Tips and How To Intercept in Madden 23

With Madden 23's new FieldSense controls, WR and DB battles are much more realistic. Receivers have more freedom on cuts and the defense can execute more jamming and chuck moves at the line of scrimmage. The new passing controls also makes in-air fights for the ball more in-depth, with positioning mattering more than ever.

Having good pass defense is important for a winning formula. There are a few ways to improve your pass defense and get a leg up on the competition. Here are some tips for pass defense and how to get in the right position to intercept the ball.

Related: How To Change the Camera Angle in Madden 23

Pass Defense Pre-Play tips

To get the most out of your pass defense, you will want to put your players in the right position before the play. Make sure to check what formation the offense is running when choosing your defensive play. Then during pre-snap, make sure your DBs are in a good position to defend the pass.

To change your DB positioning, press Triangle (PlayStation), Y (Xbox), or C (PC). Then adjust the positioning with the Right Stick (PlayStation and Xbox) or click the coverage adjustment (PC).

Pass Defense tips

After the ball is snapped and you know it is a pass, you can control a DB or LB to try to defend against routes. If you are in man coverage, you can see your matchup by holding L2 (PlayStation), LT (Xbox), or L Ctrl (PC).

If you are in zone coverage, try to look out for any receivers entering your zone. Predicting what routes will be run takes some practice, but like real football, learning schemes and situational play-calling helps. If you are struggling to learn where you should be positioned during plays, hold the defensive assist button L1 (PlayStation), LB (Xbox), or Alt (PC).

How to Intercept the ball in Madden 23

Once you are in position on defense, there are a couple of ways to intercept the ball. Here is how to intercept the ball:

• PlayStation: Press or Hold Triangle
• Xbox: Press or Hold Y
• PC: Press or Hold R

Holding the intercept button while the ball is in the air will engage the Ball Hawk assist, meaning your player will get into the best position and attempt to intercept the ball when it is close enough. This is the easiest way to ensure you are in the right spot to intercept the ball. However, Ball Hawk assist is less effective at higher difficulty levels.

To fully control the interception, time the pass and press the intercept button when the ball is close enough to catch. If you time the pass well, you will have a much higher chance of a successful interception. You will know you timed the pass well if an indicator pops up saying User Lurk Interception.

For more Madden 23 guides, check out How to Juke in Madden 23 – Tips and Controls on Pro Game Guides.