A new year of Madden has arrived and with it the chance to develop a scheme that crushes your opponents on both sides of the ball. To be able to do that though, you need to have the best playbooks in Madden 25 for offense and defense.
Plays in Madden are the instructions that your players will follow on that down. While it doesn't always go to plan, having the best playbooks, and thus the best plays, can give you an edge on your opponent. Utilizing the best playbooks in Madden 25 can be the difference between winning and losing.
Best Offense Playbooks in Madden 25
Speed kills in Madden 25, so having the fastest players is vital, but having the plays to use that speed is all the more important.
The Green Bay Packers playbook is widely regarded as the best playbook in Madden 25. This playbook is very balanced but excels in shotgun plays, offering a plethora of different formations that were meta in past editions and are still incredibly strong.
Formations such as Tight Y Off, Trips TE, Bunch Wide, Bunch Str Offset, and also Bunch TE, are all a part of this playbook. Away from shotgun you have I Form Close Flex and Strong Close to really lean into the ground game.
For players who want to have a good mixture of passing and running the football, then the Baltimore Ravens playbook is the perfect one.
This playbook contains a good mix of singleback, I form, pistol, and shotgun with some pretty unique plays. The Heavy Raven formation out of shotgun lets you utilize the QB run game, with a new formation U Off Trips that compliments the misdirection style. Split Wing Nasty is not in a lot of playbooks and can confuse a defense very easily.
The Ravens playbook is always a strong one in Madden, but this year it might just be the best as it is littered with bunch formations that are always strong and uses a ton of auto motions which are much more prominent in Madden this year to better reflect the real NFL.
Another playbook players need to at least try out is the Indianapolis Colts playbook.
This playbook is also shotgun-heavy, but it has something that differentiates it from the rest, as it contains the Bunch Offset formation. Furthermore, as of the time of writing, it's the only playbook in the game with the Double Post play, which has been one of the best plays in Madden for years.
Best Defensive Playbooks in Madden 25
It's almost impossible to win games without getting stops, and that's why having a good defensive playbook is crucial, as it can help players nullify their opponents, and secure easy wins.
The Kansas City Chiefs' defensive playbook is the best one in Madden 25. It contains some great formations, such as 4-3 Even 6-1, and Big Nickel Over G, which is great for veteran players who excel at making cover adjustments, Nickel 3-3, and Dime 3-2.
These formations provide a good pass rush, allow users to pressure the quarterback, and have the ability to make a plethora of adjustments. Dime 3-2 also has many new formations which can come in handy, especially when players are trying to surprise their opponent.
In second place we have the Multiple D playbook, which contains some great defensive formations, such as Nickel 3-3, and Dime 3-2, both of which are also in the Kansas City Chiefs playbook, and the 3-4 Odd one.
This playbook contains some great blitzing plays, allowing users to put a lot of pressure on the opposing offensive line. It also has great zone-cover plays, making it an all-around solid playbook.
The Eagles defensive playbook is also one players need to try out, as it contains great formations and unique plays, and the 3-3-5 Penny formation allows for a lot of player adjustments, that many other formations don't.
These playbooks can help players take their defense to the next level, and secure a lot of wins in Ultimate Team, or Franchise mode.