Quick Answer
On the May 4, 2023 Xbox layout, use the left stick to skate, A to pass, X to shoot, and B to check. The same layout assigns Y to your special ability, LT/RT to backward skating, and RB to puck lift. For Tape to Tape game controls on your setup, open Settings to view the button layout.
Which buttons control skating, passing, shooting, and defending?
The Xbox layout dated May 4, 2023 assigns skating to the left stick, passing to A, shooting to X, and checking to B.
| Action | Xbox input |
|---|---|
| Skate | Left stick |
| Pass | A |
| Shoot | X |
| Check | B |
| Special ability | Y |
| Backward skating | LT/RT |
| Puck lift | RB |
Start with the four basic actions when you need to get moving: steer with the left stick, pass with A, shoot with X, and check with B. Keep the special ability and puck lift inputs separate from those basics. Y activates the special ability; RB performs the puck lift.
This is the May 4, 2023 layout. The October 23, 2026 version 1.0 update included adjustments to player movement and controls. Check your button layout in Settings before following the older bindings.
How do you skate backward and lift the puck?
The May 4, 2023 Xbox layout assigns backward skating to LT/RT and puck lift to RB.
These are separate actions from ordinary skating and shooting. The left stick is the skating control in that layout, while the triggers have the backward skating assignment. Likewise, X is the shooting button and RB is the puck lift button. Keep those distinctions in mind when finding an action in your own layout.
Find the skating controls
Open Settings and view the button layout. Look for skating and backward skating as distinct actions, using the dated Xbox table above as a reference.
Find puck lift separately from shooting
Locate the puck lift assignment rather than treating it as another name for Shoot. On the dated Xbox layout, those inputs are RB and X respectively.
Once you have the actions straight, move on to the Tape to Tape game tips for help putting the controls to use.
Which button do you use to defend?
B is the Check button in the May 4, 2023 Xbox layout.
Checking and shot blocking are different actions. Use the Check assignment when you are looking for the body check control. The separate shot-block action has a version history that matters if you are following older instructions.
| Shot-block history | Change |
|---|---|
| October 12, 2023, version 0.1.8 | Added on PS L1 / Xbox LB |
| October 10, 2025, Campaign 2.0 Beta | Temporarily removed |
The original shot-block feature arrived with L1 on PlayStation controllers and LB on Xbox controllers. The later Campaign 2.0 Beta announcement described its removal as temporary and said it was planned to return after further refinement.
Do not treat the older L1/LB shot-block instruction as a current defensive binding. For the dated Xbox layout on this page, B means Check; the separate shot-block feature was temporarily removed during Campaign 2.0 Beta.
Can you remap the controls?
Button remapping was introduced in version 0.1.13 on April 23, 2024.
The two dated statements about remapping describe different stages of the game. On May 3, 2023, the game had no in-game remappable keybinds. The April 23, 2024 update then introduced functional keybind remapping. Read the dates before treating an older restriction as something that still applies to your setup.
| Date | Remapping status |
|---|---|
| May 3, 2023 | No in-game remapping |
| April 23, 2024 | Remapping introduced |
If the button you use differs from the older Xbox table, check the action's assignment in your layout. A remapped control should be read by its action name, such as Pass or Check, rather than by the button listed in a historical layout.
Where can you see the keyboard or controller layout?
Open the game's Settings menu to view the button layout.
The game was built around keyboard input and a regular controller. Use the layout for the device you are playing with rather than translating the Xbox button names yourself. This is especially useful when you need the basic skating, passing, shooting, and checking inputs on another device.
Open Settings
View the button layout before relying on an older control list.
Match actions to your inputs
Find Skate, Pass, Shoot, and Check, then look for the special ability, backward skating, and puck lift assignments as needed.
Finding an action's button is separate from setting up a shared session. If you need help playing together, continue to Tape to Tape game multiplayer and Remote Play.
What should you do after checking the controls?
Choose how you want to play next with Tape to Tape game modes. Keep your own Settings layout as the reference for button assignments, particularly when following instructions written for an older version.
FAQ
The Xbox layout from May 4, 2023 uses the left stick for skating, A for passing, X for shooting, and B for checking. View the layout in Settings for your own setup.
LT/RT are assigned to backward skating in the May 4, 2023 Xbox layout. Ordinary skating is assigned to the left stick.
Puck lift is assigned to RB in the dated Xbox layout. Shoot is a separate action assigned to X.
Version 0.1.13 introduced keybind remapping on April 23, 2024. The earlier statement that in-game remapping was unavailable dates to May 3, 2023.
LB was the Xbox shot-block input when the feature arrived on October 12, 2023, but Campaign 2.0 Beta temporarily removed shot blocking in October 2025. The older LB instruction should not be treated as a current binding.
You can view the button layout in Settings. Follow the assignments for your input device instead of converting the dated Xbox buttons into keyboard keys.