How to Spike the Ball in Madden NFL 25

Running a two-minute drill in Madden NFL 25 is challenging. When finding yourself in need of a score with no timeouts, understanding how to spike the ball to stop the clock is essential. Let’s run through the different ways to spike the ball so you’re prepared next time you have to march downfield for the win.

How to Spike the Ball

There are a couple ways to spike the ball in Madden NFL 25. The first is to select it through the playbook menus:

1. Tab over to play type.
2. Click on special.
3. Tab once to clock management.
4. Select the spike play.

After snapping the ball, your QB will automatically spike the ball, stopping the clock and hopefully giving you enough time remaining to win the game.

Here’s how to spike the ball immediately after a play:

1. Tap circle on PlayStation.
2. Tap B on Xbox.
3. Snap the ball.

Be careful, however, as there’s a clock runoff when using this method. I lost a game when trying to hurry up and spike the ball due to the last 20 seconds of the game clock running off. This is why it’s recommended to select the spike play through the playbook menus instead.

How to Fake Spike

Fake spikes are rare in actual NFL contests, and tricky to pull off successfully in Madden NFL 25. While Dan Marino made scoring a touchdown on a fake spike look easy, scoring on the play is much tougher than it looks. Try a fake spike when the defense is exhausted, their players have low awareness, or if you like a one-on-one matchup on the outside and want to take a shot downfield.

You can select the fake spike play in the playbook by going through the same steps as finding the regular spike. The fake spike plays are in the same row as the normal spike.

You can also audible into a fake spike after selecting the regular spike play.

1. Hit square on PlayStation or X on Xbox to pull up the audible menu.
2. Select one of the three fake spike options to change your play.

With the spike play at your disposal, you should be well equipped for running a two-minute drill at the end of a game. Check out Gameskinny’s Madden 25 hub for other guides, like how to run a no huddle offense.