Madden Online Tips: Defensive Assist

I noticed on the front page of Madden NFL that they had a tip about using the Defensive Assist button to help your user-controlled player be in better position to make a play. This is the first time I've heard of such a feature.

To use Defensive Assist, you hold down X on PS3 (A on XBOX) and the player will automatically move to his assigned coverage. If no one is in the assigned area the defender will look for the closest player. So, if you find yourself out of position with the player you are usering you can hit the Defensive Assist button and he will move to the area that he's supposed to cover. If he's in man, he will go to his assigned man coverage.

Generally, the best time to use Defensive Assist with a defender is in a space that doesn't have any potential offensive blockers in front of him. You tend to have more success with Linebackers and Safeties as they usually have a better chance of having free lanes to the ball carrier.

One of the best times to use Defensive Assist is when the ball is in the air. Users have sometimes found it difficult to position themselves to make a play on the ball in the open field, so using Defensive Assist will help position the defender to make a play without the fear of giving up a big play.

I’ve always had trouble playing defense in Madden, especially in the secondary. I'm definitely going to give this Defensive Assist feature a try.