There is something comforting about the formulaic style of gameplay within popular franchises. A game likeCall of Dutywill innovate with new modes or unique stories, but the gameplay is designed specifically to feel the same each year, so fans can jump right in and carry over their skills from previous games.Madden NFLis no different. While modes like MUT were added a few years back and even story-based ideas like Longshot have trickled into the series, the on-field gameplay ofMaddenis basically the same every year. The sameness of the moment to moment gameplay helps with consistency over the long haul, but it can also be a bit stale. InMadden NFL 21,one unique new mode is tackling the gameplay by mixing things up drastically, and that mode is The Yard.
The Yard is an intimate 6v6 mode played on a smaller field and with backyard rules. The feel of the game isn’t quite as arcadey as sayNFL StreetorBlitz, but the rules and pace of the game feel very much like playing football in the playground as kids, but with extra style and flair.
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WhileMaddenNFL 21is improving on in its standard gameplay, veterans will need to rethink the way they play the game when it comes to The Yard. Defensive ideologies like sprinting directly to the ball may not be wise, and dissecting the defense as a standard pocket QB may not be taking advantage of the unique gameplay features that will result in success on the field and more points. Players will certainly pick up quickly, and the development team has even discussed how it is anticipating seeing things it hadn’t even imagined, but The Yard could take a bit to get used to at first. With that in mind, there are a few helpful tips for The Yard that will help fans ofMadden NFL 21hit the ground running based on Game Rant’s experience with The Yard.
Keep the Ball Moving
The biggest change to The Yard, when compared to thestandardMaddengameplay, is the movement of the ball. The football is constantly switching hands, whether for misdirection purposes or to keep a play alive. The ball can be thrown behind the line of scrimmage infinitely. For example, the quarterback can start with the ball, toss it to the wide receiver behind the line of scrimmage, the WR could then throw the ball (still behind the line of scrimmage) over to the running back, and then the RB could heave the football down the field to the tight end. Utilizing the double pass will be one of the key elements to success in The Yard.
The double pass is helpful for three purposes. The most obvious is that it can keep a play alive. Perhaps the QB (Cam Newtown as a Patriot, for example) is under pressure right away, tossing the ball to the RB will keep the play alive where the RB can now throw the football down the field. Misdirection is also paramount in The Yard. As a defensive player, it may be hard to keep up with the football as it is getting lasered back and forth between different offensive players, and eventually, someone can get wide open down the field because of this. Lastly, the double pass can grant a bonus point on touchdowns. A TD is worth 6 points, like standard NFL football. However, if the touchdown is scored with a double pass as a part of the play, an additional point will be added.
On top of the double pass, the ball can also be directly snapped to other offensive players, like one of thebest WRs inMaddenfor example, or the RB. It would be wise to look at how the defense is lining up before the snap. If the defense is playing press-man coverage, a direct snap to the WR may result in him being instantly sacked. However, if they are playing off coverage or zone, then the direct snap to the WR could mean that he has some room behind the line of scrimmage to now look for someone to through the ball down the field too. Or, as pressure is coming, he could throw the ball back to the QB who has all the talent needed to throw the pinpoint rocket down the field.
The double pass behind the line of scrimmage is just one aspect of keeping the ball moving, as laterals can be pulled off at any location on the field. Tossing the ball just moments before getting tackled can be the difference between a 10-yard gain and a 60-yard touchdown, which is exactly what happened toGame Rant as it was previewing The Yard.
Strategies New and Old in The Yard
Just becauseThe Yard is played in the backyard, that doesn’t mean that strategy is thrown out the window. There are a few key things to watch out for before the snap, and different ways to control players on defense. When playing on the defensive side, it may be wise to use man defense against the CPU and zone defense against human players in Squads. The CPU doesn’t quite take advantage of the double pass and laterals the same way human players may. This means that they will run more simplistic plays on offense, so sticking to one man per each receiver should do the trick in most situations.
Whenplaying socially in Squads in The Yardagainst human players, however, the ball will be flying all over the field. This means that sometimes a man to man defense will leave a part of the field wide open. Playing zone defense, and remembering to always respect and stay in that zone, will help stop the big explosive plays. Remember, the ball can be thrown back and forth in ways that the standardMaddenexperience doesn’t allow, so sprinting out of a zone and to the ball could result in getting burned down the field by a double or triple pass that wasn’t expected.
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Another key thing to look out for is QB motion. The QB of the play will be the one who makes adjustments at the line, so players will notice the QB waving his hands or making a signal that a play is being altered. Because the formations are much different than normal Madden, it could be possible to not realize where the QB is. But just because the QB is lined up in a specific spot, that doesn’t mean the ball will be snapped to him. Remember, the ball can be snapped to anyone, even a WR who clearly isn’t atop 10 QB inMadden,but can still chuck the ball with decent success.
Changing up defensive plays and being aware of the positions on the field is important, so even though zone defense may be best, just like in anyMaddengame it is smart to mix up the plays to confuse the offense. Just be aware of those double passes and laterals.
Players Can Line Up Anywhere
One final and important thing to note about The Yard is that players can line up anywhere on the field, meaning a QB isn’t relegated to the QB position.Lamar Jackson may be the cover athlete ofMadden NFL 21and the MVP of the NFL, but his skills throwing the ball as a QB are just one reason for that. His athleticism allows him to be an amazing runner of the football. When picking a team in a 1v1 experience or even 3v3 online, there is the likelihood that players of varied positions will be “out of place,” from what fans would expect, but this can be used strategically as an advantage.
Going back toLamar Jackson (with his X-Factor abilities)as an example, lining him up as the Running Back/MLB (remember players step out onto the field for both offense and defense) could result in explosive offensive success. Maybe Aaron Rodgers can be the QB/Safety, while Lamar Jackson lines up right next to him at RB/MLB. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey is a part of the squad as well, and because the RB spot is taken, the all-pro running back can line up at Slot Reciever/Nickle Cornerback, because he has excellent hands and can easily play a receiving role. Meanwhile, a cornerback like Jalen Ramsey can be the WR1/CB1, providing shutdown defense and decent receiver play as well.
The flexibility of the positions allows for some really interesting strategies on the football field. There are no rules against Patrick Peterson lining up as the QB/Saftey and simply snapping the ball directly to the RB every play who is the Josh Allen prototype. In fact, mixing things up like this will probably confuse the defense and allow for a schematic advantage. Additionally, using all defensive players on the field could result in interceptions (which are a one-point bonus) and stifling stops. But the offense may struggle to be quite as efficient.
With The Yard one thing is abundantly clear, the rules ofMaddenhave been broken, for the better.Maddenhas been a solid franchise for years, but changing things up is a welcome idea. Keeping the ball moving in The Yard, gathering bonus points, mixing up strategies, and taking advantage of the positionless nature of the game will help players succeed in The Yard. In this social experience, bragging rights are king, so now all that is left to do is go out there and shock the competition and take the victory.
Madden NFL 21releases on August 02, 2025 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One with future releases planned for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
