Lateraling the football can be an extremely effective tactic in Madden 24 for keeping a play alive or catching the defense off guard. However, it is also a high-risk maneuver that must be executed properly to avoid turnovers. This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about how to effectively lateral the ball in Madden 24.
A lateral in Madden 24 refers to a backwards pass to a teammate. It is not considered a forward pass, so it cannot be intercepted by the defense. However, if the lateral is dropped, it can be recovered as a fumble by either team.
Laterals are useful for keeping a play alive by getting the ball to trailing teammates when the ball carrier is about to be tackled. They can also catch the defense off guard to spark big plays.
Successfully executing laterals requires timing, precision, and awareness to avoid costly turnovers. But when done right, laterals can be game-changing plays.
To execute a lateral in Madden 24, press the L1 button on Playstation or LB button on Xbox while on offense with the ball. This will make the player with the ball toss it backwards to the nearest eligible teammate behind them.
You can also use the lateral icon on the right stick to lateral to a specific player instead of whoever is closest. While holding L1/LB, flick the right stick in the direction of the intended receiver.
When attempting a lateral, it is crucial that the receiving player is ready and aware that the ball is coming to them. Blind laterals without signaling your teammate will often result in dropped balls and fumbles.
Only lateral when you see that the teammate has space from nearby defenders to field the pass cleanly. Never lateral when boxed in by the sidelines or end zone, as an errant toss can go out of bounds and result in a turnover.
Here are the specific control schemes for lateraling on each platform:
PlayStation: Press L1 while on offense to lateral to nearest teammate. Hold L1 and use right stick icon to lateral to specific teammate.
Xbox: Press LB while on offense to lateral to nearest teammate. Hold LB and use right stick icon to lateral to specific teammate.
PC: Press P while on offense to lateral to nearest teammate. Hold P and use right stick icon to lateral to specific teammate.
While laterals can lead to exciting, game-breaking plays, they do come with inherent risks:
To help mitigate these risks, only attempt laterals when the receiving player has open space and time to secure the ball. Carrying the ball with two hands also reduces fumbles.
Knowing when to attempt a lateral is critical to proper execution. Here are some of the best times to try lateralling:
Conversely, avoid lateralling in the following situations:
For more precision, you can lateral to a specific teammate rather than the closest eligible receiver.
To do this, hold down the lateral button (L1/LB) and use the right stick to flick towards the intended target. Check that they have space from nearby defenders before releasing the button to initiate the lateral.
Try lateralling to fast receivers streaking downfield behind the play. But avoid passing to heavily covered targets or into traffic.
Since laterals have a high risk of fumbles if not executed properly, it’s important to take measures to reduce turnovers:
Laterals can be extremely effective when trying to pick up key first downs or even score touchdowns:
But also exercise caution in close games or bad field position to avoid costly turnovers. Laterals are always high risk/high reward.
With practice, you can become an expert at integrating lateral passes into your Madden 24 offense:
Lateralling the ball in Madden 24 is a high risk/high reward maneuver that can drastically impact a game when done correctly. But reckless lateralling will also lead to back-breaking turnovers.
By mastering the techniques in this guide, you’ll be able to integrate lateral passes into your offense to keep plays alive and take advantage of misdirection. With proper timing, awareness and ball handling, laterals can help you pull off thrilling comebacks and last-second victories.
Just be sure to exercise discretion and lateral only when you have a clear tactical advantage. Your on-field decision making will determine whether laterals ultimately help or hurt your team.
Related:
Latest Madden 24 Update Patch Notes
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