Imagine this scenario: it’s third down and the opponent needs two yards to move the chains. You come out with a blitz to stop a run play, but the opposing team sets up in the shotgun with three wide receivers and a tight end. Unless this is a draw play, there’s a good chance this will be a pass play, as opposed to the run that you were expecting. There are two options that you have: either hope that the quarterback doesn’t complete the pass, or run an audible and change the play so that the defense is set up for success. Knowing how to run audibles in Madden 21 is important for a number of reasons (to catch the opponent off guard, to ensure you don’t give up big yards to the opposing offense, etc.), but how do you run one? Let’s go over the steps.
First, once you are in the pre-snap formation, you will be able to see how the opposing team is formed. If you feel that you need to change your formation, press X/Square (both offense and defense), and you will see a number of plays that you can call at the bottom right of the screen. To call one of these plays, press the button that is indicated to the left of the play. You can also modify the play that you are currently in by using the right stick, as you can tell your defensive backs to either press (move closer) to the opposing receiver or move back, if necessary.
Keep in mind, however, that when you initially press X/Square to run an audible, you will only see a select few plays. The reason being is that the default screen will only show plays that are in the same formation that you are currently in. In order to scroll through plays from different formations, hit either left or right on the left pad (Xbox or PlayStation controller) and additional plays will be shown.
