Madden NFL 16

While previous Madden games have made defence feel a bit passive, the side where players choose the play and sit, watch and hope the opposition doesn't score a touchdown, Madden NFL 16 makes controls much more intuitive and encouraging for you to have a direct impact on proceedings.

With simple one-touch inputs to intercept or make bone-crunching tackles, Madden is now a much more entertaining prospect on both sides of possession. However, defence can still prove a pretty overwhelming prospect to newcomers, which is why VideoGamer has put together a few tips to help you get to grips with some of the basics of plays.

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To start, control a defensive lineman

When you first start playing Madden 16, the easiest players to control is the defensive linemen. The behemoths who man the line of scrimmage, looking to push past the offensive line and get to the quarterback require the least amount of tactical know-how (no disrespect, of course), and in-game you have to simply follow a series of quicktime events in order for them to do their job. If the game doesn't give you control of a linemen immediately, press Circle/B plus the left stick to guide the cursor to one.

The one important thing to remember as a lineman is to not jump the gun and cause offside or neutral zone infraction penalties. The quarterback will call fake snaps to try and get you to move early and concede yards. Rather than try and get the jump on his call, wait for the symbol to appear above your player's head, that way you don't cost your team.

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When you switch to another defender, release the left stick

Once the ball is thrown, you can switch to the defender nearest the ball by tapping Circle/B, but be sure to let go of the left stick. If you're still holding the left stick when you switch, the defender you take control of will run out of position and give the receiver an easy catch.

The defender will continue tracking the receiver without you guiding them, so don't try and change their path. It's tricky at first to avoid doing this, but once you get out of the habit, it'll feel natural.

Below we'll take a look at a new mechanic in Madden 16, which allows players to either intercept the ball or make a tackle, and when to do either.

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Knowing when to intercept and tackle

Madden 16 has introduced new ways to deal with passes in the air. With just the press of a button, you as the defender can choose whether to try and tackle the player or intercept the ball.

The Madden tutorials do a great job of explaining the different situations in which to use both, but it's worth repeating: in most cases, tackles are best made when a player is short of a first down, and a catch wouldn't be of huge consequence. Playing the man will minimise the number of yards after the catch, while there's still the chance of the pass falling incomplete should the tackle be tough enough..

Try to play the ball for deep passes, or when your defender can nip in front of the receiver, or in a crowded climb for a high catch. It's risky, as attempting a catch leaves the receiver free, and if you miss, they're in acres of space free to run at the endzone. Remember: by opting to attempt a catch, you're essentially abandoning your assignment and focusing on the ball.

Learning to make these split-second decisions will take time, but to start it's safer to opt for tackling over catching.

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How to tackle a running back

Strafing prevents you from over-committing a linebacker, and makes it much easier to set up a tackle. Holding L2/LT will get you into position and track the runner before you decide to bring them down. There's nothing worse than running completely away from where you need to be and messing up your defence, so try and keep yourself close.

Aggressive tackles are best to use when the ball-carrier is running straight towards you. Because your defender is committing more to the challenge, they're faster, and more ferocious, therefore more likely to cause a fumble. However, as you might expect, it's more difficult to pull off and carries a greater risk of missing. Conservative tackles are less powerful, where the linebacker tries to grab and pull the runner to the ground. While you're more likely to catch elusive runners with this, there's also a chance of them breaking the tackle and powering through. meaning there's a risk of the runner pushing through.

Make sure you use a camera angle that allows you to see the space between defender and ball-carrier, otherwise you could find the defender falling hopelessly into empty space. Clicking L3 will have the camera snap behind the player you're controlling, which can make things much easier.

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Keep dragging lineman out of position

Even if you can't get past your offensive lineman, dragging them out of position could be pivotal enough for another defender to get a clean run at the quarterback and sack him, or at least force a bad throw.

Just pressing left or right on the analogue stick (there'll be an arrow on screen telling you which way to drag your opponent) will drag them away from their position, giving blitzing linebackers a free hit.

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Your opponents will make passes and touchdowns, that's ok

Very few games in the NFL see one or both teams fail to score a touchdown. There will be times when your opponents make yards, score and sometimes have a good spell in possession, and that's ok. Unlike other sports, where it's very momentum-based, American football almost resets at the turn of every possession.

Once the play is over, focus on getting the ball back in the next, and don't get too disheartened if your opponent makes a big play, it happens.

Stick with using the game's play-calling until you can learn what the formations means and their significance to the types of strategies against offence.