For years the ball would snap to a player's hand in a catch even though in the process the ball might be pulled through a defender. Now it will collide with body parts and be knocked out when appropriate.

Since there is no scripting for the path of the ball, it bounces differently after tips. EA made new animations for reacting to tips, attempted and successful fumble recoveries, and knee/ankle/sliding catches. Also, the player models can move their arms better to track the ball.

Here's an example of the new zones in action: The Slant Drag Combo (the TE comes across the middle, and the slot receiver slants over the top) vs. a Cover 3 Sky. This year the linebackers in the Cover 3 Match track the receivers as they come through the defenders' zones. So what looks like a zone defense before the snap shifts to man-to-man as the play develops.

Similarly, defensive pattern matching plays set the rules and responsibilities for defenders. For instance, In a match defense, if you're a linebacker and the number one receiver crosses your face on a slant or drag route, your responsibility is to match him instead of letting him run by. But if the number three receiver goes vertical on that same play, you follow him down the field instead. "It's not the same reads you've been making for the last 25 years, because things play out a lot differently now," Dickson says.

The new kicking meter works like the traditional three-click golf swing. First button press starts the kick, second one sets the power, third one determines accuracy. Through this new meter, ratings for kickers and punters will matter more.

Kick block formations, like overloading one side or clogging the middle, have been added.

New kick types inlcude sky punts, backspin punts, and the return of onside aiming and squib kicks.