How to slide and dive in Madden NFL 23 and when to do it

The option to slide and dive is an important one in Madden NFL 23, giving players the ability to balance risk and reward on a scramble.

Back in the day, the only option players had in football games when dealing with the ball carrier was to dive. This allowed players to potentially steal an extra yard for a first down, but came with an increased risk of fumbling. As time went on, players could go in the opposite direction by sliding to avoid a fumble or injury at the expense of extra forward progress.

The ability to slide or dive is back in Madden NFL 23, but it’s not particularly obvious how to perform these techniques. Here’s how and when to use these skills in a game.

How to dive in Madden NFL 23

Players can dive in Madden NFL 23 by pressing and holding the square button on PlayStation or the X button on Xbox controllers.

Unlike a slide, dives can be performed whether on offense or defense. Hitting the dive button will cause the player to lunge forward and flop to the ground. On offense, this can be done with the ball carrier to have the ball as far forward as possible in order to gain an extra yard. On defense, this can be done to get some extra reach for tackling.

Diving is a high-risk, high-reward maneuver on both sides of the ball. Offensively, it allows players to better position the ball to score a narrow first down or touchdown at the expense of a greater chance for a fumble if a defender is nearby. 

A dive from a defender allows them to knock a ball carrier down or off-balance when they’re out of range of a normal tackle. The drawback is that once the player dives, they’re basically taken out of the play due to how long it takes to get back up. This removes them from the equation for any group tackling opportunity that may develop.

How to slide in Madden NFL 23

To slide in Madden NFL 23, press and quickly release the square button on PlayStation or the X button on Xbox controllers. If the button is held for any length of time, the player will dive instead.

Unlike dives, slides are exclusively an offensive maneuver. The primary use for a slide is when scrambling with the quarterback with defenders approaching. A slide sees the quarterback drop to the ground to stop the play. Slides are done both to protect the ball from a fumble and to lower the risk of injury to the quarterback from a hard tackle.

Though there isn’t a defensive slide, players still have the ability to deliver a tackle to the lower body. This is done through the hit stick, allowing defenders to chop down ball carriers at the knee.