NBA 2K21: How to Call Plays

Like any other sports game, NBA 2K21‘s depth comes from reacting to the positioning of your opponents with the appropriate play in a matter of seconds. That’s why we’re here to make sure you know how to do so with a guide on how to call plays in NBA 2K21.

How to Call Plays in NBA 2K21

There are a few different ways you can call plays in NBA 2K21, and you’ll need to know how to use all of them if you wish to succeed regularly.

The first method is to call a Quick Play the game has decided is the best way to go up against your opponent. This is done by pressing the Left Directional Button on the D-Pad, and is the best way to switch up where all of your players are at while on offense in a matter of seconds.

This can allow you to react to the opposing team’s defensive movements quickly and efficiently, letting you place your energy and focus into how to drive the ball to the net.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to make more minute changes to your players’ positioning, then you can call a Play by Position by pressing L1 or R1 on PlayStation 4; LT or RT on Xbox One; or L or R on the Nintendo Switch to give specific instructions to a specific player.

Pressing either button continuously will let you cycle through all of your players and apply a specific play to them. This can be useful when your opponent is using unorthodox plays to apply pressure to you, and can allow your team to set up strategies the game might not otherwise see.

How to Call Defensive Plays

These controls also apply if you’d like to call Defensive Plays in NBA 2K21.

Shoud you wish to switch up how you’re trying to put pressure on your opponent, you can cycle through your players and select specific plays to run. Again, this is useful if you need to react to unorthodox movements by your opponent or if you want to pressure them in a way that might allow you to steal the ball and switch over to offense.

Hopefully this cleared up how to call plays in NBA 2K21. For more on the game, check out our other guides on topics like how to challenge calls and what all the VC prices are.