Madden 25: How to Spike The Ball, Explained

One of the most underutilized plays in the entirety of Madden 25 is the spike. It’s a play most never want to use, as it usually means you’re trailing and relying on a last-second miracle to win a game. However, everyone needs to stop the clock at some point, and if you don’t know how to spike the ball, that could mean the difference between winning and losing.

Of course, the phrase “spike the ball” has two different meanings in football. One meaning is the process of clocking the ball at the line of scrimmage to stop the clock, and the other is a classic celebration that was made famous by tight end Rob Gronkowski. Below, we’ll go over both forms of spiking the ball in Madden 25.

How To Spike The Ball At The Line Of Scrimmage In Madden 25

First up, let’s go over the form of spiking the ball that most players likely struggle with in Madden 25. There’s nothing worse than the clock running down, needing to stop the clock, and not knowing how to do it without timeouts. While you can try to run a play to the sideline, spiking the ball at the line and resetting your formation on offense is the much easier route to take.

If you’ve tried to search the controls in Madden 25 for how to spike the ball, however, you’ve likely found nothing. For whatever reason, the game doesn’t make it very clear on the process to spike the ball, so we’ll lay out the steps for you below:

• There are technically two ways to spike the ball in Madden 25. One way goes through calling a set play that’s available in all offensive playbooks, and the other allows you to spike the ball quickly without needing to select a play.
• The first method to spike the ball is very simple. All you need to do is go into the “Formations” tab of your offensive playbook when selecting a play. From here, scroll down until you reach “Special Teams.” In this tab, scroll over to the Clock Management section and then select the “Spike Ball” play. When the offense lines up, hike the ball and your quarterback will throw the ball to the ground.
• The other method of spiking the ball is mainly used when you don’t want to waste time with selecting a play. This method requires you to hold down Circle/B after a play has ended. Keep holding Circle/B until your offense lines up for the next play. When the offense is lined up, press X/A to hike the ball and your quarterback will spike it. Make sure to continually hold Circle/B as soon as a play ends and up until you can spike the ball, otherwise your QB won’t spike the ball.
• As a note, the second method will not work in Superstar mode in Madden 25. For some reason, holding Circle/B will put your offense into “hurry-up” mode instead of spiking the ball. All other modes in the game allow you to hold Circle/B right after a play has ended to spike the ball.

It’s unknown why Superstar mode features different rules for the process of spiking the ball in Madden 25. However, in Franchise mode, quick play, or MUT, holding Circle/B after a play has ended and then hiking the ball will result in a spike.

In Superstar mode, you have to call the set “Spike Ball” play if you want to stop the clock effectively. Memorizing how to get to the “Special Teams” formation quickly is beneficial for anyone who plays Superstar.

Can You Spike The Ball As A Celebration In Madden 25?

Finally, let’s turn our attention to the spike celebration instead of the play call. Fortunately, there’s nothing you need to know about spiking the ball as a celebration, as the game determines when you can celebrate. Usually, you’ll be able to celebrate after a big play, such as a key first down or interception, and any scoring plays.

When these plays happen, you’ll see a prompt appear on your screen that allows you to use your D-pad arrows to select a specific celebration. Sometimes, you’ll see the “Spike” celebration appear as one of the options. All you need to do is press the corresponding arrow to where the “Spike” celebration is and your player will power spike the ball into the ground like they’re prime Gronk.

And there you have it, those are the different ways to spike the ball in Madden 25. Whether you were looking for ways to stop the clock or celebrate a big play, you should now know exactly what to do to accomplish what you want.