Defensive Hot Route Guide (for Beginners)

**XtremeWTRocker** · 12-17-2011, 04:07 AM

Most Madden gamers know how to use hot routes already. This guide is for people who are wondering how to make adjustments on the defensive side of the ball that our members may discuss in other threads.

First, I recommend turning on your Strategy Pad Quick Links
1. Go to My Madden
2. Go to My Settings
3. Go to Game Options
4. Turn Strategy Pad Quick Links on
This allows you to use the X(PS3)/A(Xbox), the L1/LB, and R1/RB buttons instead of using the D-pad for all of your hot routes.

Here are some terms you may see listed in setups around the forum and how to execute them. I have tried to list their actual names and some names that our members may refer to them by.

D Line Adjustments:
DL Spread-L1/LB+D-pad Up
DL Pinch-L1/LB+D-pad Down
DL Shift Left-L1/LB+D-pad Left
DL Shift Right-L1/LB+D-pad Right
Edge Rush/Crash Out-L1/LB+Right Stick(RS) Up
Crash Middle/Crash Down-L1/LB+RS Down
Crash Left-L1/LB+RS Left
Crash Right-L1/LB+RS Right

Linebacker Adjustments
LB Spread-R1/RB+D-pad Up
LB Pinch-R1/RB+D-pad Down
LB Shift Left-R1/RB+D-pad Left
LB Shift Right-R1/RB+D-pad Right
All LB Zones/Hook Zone All LBs-R1/RB+RS Up
All LB Blitz-R1/RB+RS Down
ROLB Blitz-R1/RB+RS Left
LOLB Blitz-R1/RB+RS Right

Coverage Adjustments:
Back Off Coverage-Triangle/Y+D-pad Up
Press Coverage/Bump n Run Coverage-Triangle/Y+D-pad Down
Show Blitz-Triangle/Y+D-pad Left
Man Align-Triangle/Y+D-pad Right
Zones to Sidelines-Triangle/Y+RS Up
Zones to Middle-Triangle/Y+RS Down
Zones to Left-Triangle/Y+RS Left
Zones to Right-Triangle/Y+RS Right
Individual Coverage/Shade a Receiver-Triangle/Y+X/A+(Receiver Button)+D-pad Direction
Spotlight Receiver-Triangle/Y+X/A+(Receiver Button)+X/A

Individual Hot Routes:
Hook Zone/Yellow Zone-X/A+D-pad Up
Blitz/Reblitz-X/A+D-pad Down
Flat Zone/Light Blue Zone-X/A+D-pad Left
Curl to Flat/Buzz Zone/Purple Zone-X/A+D-pad Right
Deep 2A/Deep Zone/Deep Blue Zone-X/A+RS Up
Man Coverage/Man Up-X/A+RS Down+(Receiver Button)
QB Spy-X/A+RS Left
QB Contain-X/A+RS Right

Also note that when our members talk about individual positions such as ROLB or LE, it does not pertain to where they are located on the screen but rather their actual position from the defense's perspective.

So:
LE (The Left Defensive End) and LOLB (Left Outside Linebacker) will be located on the right side of your screen.

RE (Right Defensive End) and ROLB (Right Outside Linebacker) will be located on the left side of your screen.

Feel free to ask any questions.

**kamron** · 12-17-2011, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by XtremeWTRocker

Most Madden gamers know how to use hot routes already. This guide is for people who are wondering how to make adjustments on the defensive side of the ball that our members may discuss in other threads.

First, I recommend turning on your Strategy Pad Quick Links
1. Go to My Madden
2. Go to My Settings
3. Go to Game Options
4. Turn Strategy Pad Quick Links on
This allows you to use the X(PS3)/A(Xbox), the L1/LB, and R1/RB buttons instead of using the D-pad for all of your hot routes.

Here are some terms you may see listed in setups around the forum and how to execute them. I have tried to list their actual names and some names that our members may refer to them by.

D Line Adjustments:
DL Spread-L1/LB+D-pad Up
DL Pinch-L1/LB+D-pad Down
DL Shift Left-L1/LB+D-pad Left
DL Shift Right-L1/LB+D-pad Right
Edge Rush/Crash Out-L1/LB+Right Stick(RS) Up
Crash Middle/Crash Down-L1/LB+RS Down
Crash Left-L1/LB+RS Left
Crash Right-L1/LB+RS Right

Linebacker Adjustments
LB Spread-R1/RB+D-pad Up
LB Pinch-R1/RB+D-pad Down
LB Shift Left-R1/RB+D-pad Left
LB Shift Right-R1/RB+D-pad Right
All LB Zones/Hook Zone All LBs-R1/RB+RS Up
All LB Blitz-R1/RB+RS Down
ROLB Blitz-R1/RB+RS Left
LOLB Blitz-R1/RB+RS Right

Coverage Adjustments:
Back Off Coverage-Triangle/Y+D-pad Up
Press Coverage/Bump n Run Coverage-Triangle/Y+D-pad Down
Show Blitz-Triangle/Y+D-pad Left
Man Align-Triangle/Y+D-pad Right
Zones to Sidelines-Triangle/Y+RS Up
Zones to Middle-Triangle/Y+RS Down
Zones to Left-Triangle/Y+RS Left
Zones to Right-Triangle/Y+RS Right
Individual Coverage/Shade a Receiver-Triangle/Y+X/A+(Receiver Button)+D-pad Direction
Spotlight Receiver-Triangle/Y+X/A+(Receiver Button)+X/A

Individual Hot Routes:
Hook Zone/Yellow Zone-X/A+D-pad Up
Blitz/Reblitz-X/A+D-pad Down
Flat Zone/Light Blue Zone-X/A+D-pad Left
Curl to Flat/Buzz Zone/Purple Zone-X/A+D-pad Right
Deep 2A/Deep Zone/Deep Blue Zone-X/A+RS Up
Man Coverage/Man Up-X/A+RS Down+(Receiver Button)
QB Spy-X/A+RS Left
QB Contain-X/A+RS Right

Also note that when our members talk about individual positions such as ROLB or LE, it does not pertain to where they are located on the screen but rather their actual position from the defense's perspective.

So:
LE (The Left Defensive End) and LOLB (Left Outside Linebacker) will be located on the right side of your screen.

RE (Right Defensive End) and ROLB (Right Outside Linebacker) will be located on the left side of your screen.

Feel free to ask any questions.

So on playstation is it R2 & WR icon? for spotlight?

**kamron** · 12-17-2011, 12:10 PM

This does help the rooks tho!

**jdmsi7** · 12-17-2011, 12:27 PM

Good info

**XtremeWTRocker** · 12-17-2011, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by kamron

So on playstation is it R2 & WR icon? for spotlight?

No, it's Triangle+X+(Receiver Button)+X

**iTheTruth** · 12-27-2011, 07:38 PM

Can you also spotlight by holding RT and pressing the WR's button? I was just wondering if you could do that because it would make it so much faster

**GOLAKESHOW4LIFE** · 12-29-2011, 05:18 PM

kool man

**TheMeInTeam** · 01-02-2012, 02:31 PM

This is definitely something rookies need to learn. Making these little shifts can allow the same defensive call give up large yards or cause a turnover...against the same play. Proper line + lb shifts also go a long way to stuffing the run even out of basic 4-3.