In the Madden 21 game, players often find themselves in tough spots, where they have very little time left but need to score. That may be when it’s best to know how to lateral pass in Madden 21. It can keep the ball away from defenders and extend the play’s chances of a successful score. Here’s our guide for how to lateral pass in Madden 21.
How to lateral pass in Madden 21 on PS4 or Xbox One
The lateral pass is generally used by offensive players besides the quarterback, although it’s not something a QB can’t use. Still, the best way to practice how to lateral pass in Madden 21, is running the ball with a halfback in practice.
The key is to run past the line of scrimmage, using your halfback. Once you’ve done so, you’ll simply tap the left bumper on your controller. If you’ve advanced far enough and aren’t being tackled, your HB laterals the ball back to an available player. That could be your quarterback too.
- To lateral pass on PlayStation 4, press Left Bumper (L1) on controller.
- To lateral pass on Xbox One, press Left Bumper (LB) on controller.
We recommend using practice mode to learn how to do it best. Try a rushing play, especially a Pitch play. That should give you some space for your halfback to advance the ball. Once you’ve passed the line of scrimmage, press the L1 or LB button on your controller and watch the ball get passed lateral style.
Here’s just one example of a lateral during a practice session. There may be other times when a lateral works better, such as on a late kick or punt return with little time left and a score desperately needed. However, this shows a lateral that successfully goes from the halfback to the quarterback.
Strategy is key. Too much lateral, or using it in a bad spot could result in fumbling the ball away. There are plenty of options available when running the ball. There are also plenty of things to do with your quarterback to prevent losing the ball. Check out how to slide in Madden 21 for an option to keep your QB safe when advancing the ball.
The Yard also has laterals, trick plays
It’s also worth mentioning that with Madden 21’s new mode The Yard comes heavy use of trick plays, including lateral passing. It’s actually encouraged for the mode, which is more backyard, 6-on-6 ironman football. You can use the same buttons as above to activate a lateral in The Yard. It may look quite different, though, such as a behind-the-back style pass.
Other buttons will also lateral, only in The Yard mode. Just keep in mind that those same sorts of plays won’t be available for use in regular simulation games on Madden 21. However, it could help you with the uptempo, hot potato nature of trying to lateral the ball around late in a regular game.
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