How to Intercept in Madden 25

Playing defense is easily the most difficult part of Madden 25. You have to consistently swap between players in order to make the best play on the ball, depending on what the opposing offense is running. Of course, that’s easier said than done, as trying to keep up with offensive players while staying in your defensive formation is a lot to juggle at once. However, if you can manage to stick with an offensive player long enough in Madden 25, you might have a shot at intercepting a pass.

A majority of the time, interceptions either happen when a CPU is controlling your defensive player, or you pick the ball off just because your player was in the right spot. Usually, you don’t press a specific button to intercept a pass in Madden 25. Unbeknownst to many players, though, there is actually a set of buttons you can press to make it more likely for your defensive player to intercept the ball.

I’ll show what those buttons are and the best time to try and use them on defense in Madden 25 in the guide below.

Intercepting A Pass in Madden 25

Naturally, to intercept a pass in Madden 25, you’ll need to be on the defensive side of the ball. To start, the right situation needs to present itself in order for you to have any chance at picking a ball off.

The best interception chances come when an opposing quarterback is targeting one of your cornerbacks in man coverage or trying to split a zone between your safeties. These types of throws are often Lob passes that take a while to get to the receiver and, unless the ball is perfectly placed, offer a 50/50 chance between an interception and a completed catch.

If a quarterback is targeting your corner in man coverage, your defender should be closely following a receiver up or across the field. It’s easier to intercept a pass when the receiver is running straight up the field, as there’s less room for the ball to go, but if you have a speedy corner, you can intercept a ball on a crossing route.

On the other hand, you can utilize one of your safeties if they’ve dropped back in coverage and intercept a ball intended for a receiver doing a vertical or crossing route. Your safety needs to be in a decent position with you not controlling them, though, as you rarely control a safety at the start of a play.

Speaking of controlling your defenders, you want to let the CPU do most of the legwork when it comes to getting in position to intercept a pass. While you can control a cornerback or safety from the start and work them into position near a receiver, it’s far easier to control a linebacker or defensive lineman and then switch to your defender who has a chance to intercept the ball.

In Madden 25, here’s the best case scenario to intercept a pass and what buttons to press to pull it off:

• Start by controlling your normal defender, which is often a linebacker in the middle of the field
• As the play gets underway, wait for a quarterback to target and throw to a receiver
• Before the pass reaches its target, press Circle/B to swap to the defender nearest the ball. You might need to use your D-Pad to specifically target a specific defender
• When the defender you want is now under your control, wait for the ball to come down and just before it reaches the receiver’s hands, press Triangle/Y to initiate an interception attempt
• You can hold Triangle/Y to have a larger window for your defender to try and snag the ball, but the best course of action is to perfectly time your attempt and just tap the button
• If you press the button too early or too late, your defender won’t react, and the receiver will likely catch the ball.
• So it’s up to you whether to hold the button or tap it. Holding the interception button yields a higher chance that your defender will make an attempt, but tapping the button at the perfect time gives you a higher chance at actually picking the ball off

If you’re playing a mode in Madden 25 with Superstar Abilities or X-Factors, some abilities give your defender better odds at intercepting a pass or even make it so your defender can jump while making an interception attempt. Here are all of the Superstar Abilities and X-Factors in Madden 25 that offer increased interception odds:

• Lurker (Superstar Ability)
• Pick Artist (Superstar Ability)
• Shutdown (X-Factor)
• Zone Hawk (X-Factor)

Your defender’s individual ratings will also come into play when it comes to whether they intercept a ball or not. If your defender has a high man coverage or zone coverage rating, they’ll have a better chance to pick a pass off in those respective coverages. However, as long as you can get your defender in the right position and press the interception button at the right time, you’ll have the best odds possible at taking a pass the other way in Madden 25.