Picking just the right defensive play in Madden 21 is going to be vital to your success, but sometimes that isn’t going to be quite enough. There are many other elements prior to the snap that you can adjust to help shore up your defense to best prepare yourself for the offensive play. Having the defensive line set correctly can play a big part in this, whether you are pinching them inside or trying to spread them out. This is why knowing how to do this is so important and this guide will explain how this can be done.
How To Shift Defensive Line Pre-Snap
Madden has changed some of the pre-snap control schemes over the years, while some have remained the same. Adjusting the defensive line pre-snap is one that has changed a few times, but it is still every bit as vital as many of the other options.
The defensive line controls the line of scrimmage in football, with a well organized line being able to easily break past the offensive line and get to the quarterback or stuff the running back in the backfield. This can be done by moving your defensive line around, which is pretty simple to pull off.
To adjust the defensive line during pre-snap in Madden 21, press left on the D-Pad. Doing this will then bring up the menu seen at the top of this guide. This gives you multiple different options to choose from too, which is going to defender on the situation.
If you’re having a lot of trouble stopping the run up the middle, you’re going to want to pinch the line. If you are expecting a pass, spreading the line can be a good option instead. You can also move the line left and right if you feel like there’s a specific way they are going to run, such as if they are continually exploiting one side of the field. All of these can be chosen by press the left analog stick in different directions.
There are also some options with the right analog stick as well, which will adjust the point of attack on the line if you are going to focus specifically in one direction.
