The application of new type fertilizer is of great importance to reduce nutrient runoff losses. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of coated urea application on rice growth and runoff losses of nitrogen and phosphorus from paddy field. The experiment included five treatments such as CK (conventional fertilization), PU1 (59% P, 80% N with conventional urea), PU2 (59% P, 67% N with conventional urea), UR1 (59% P, 67% N with coated urea) and UR2 (59% P, 54% N with coated urea). Results showed that nitrogen and phosphorus contents in rice of PU1 and UR1 treatments were similar to CK, but the total nitrogen and phosphorus uptake of PU1 increased by 11.21 kg/hm² and 2.69 kg/hm², respectively with the comparison to CK. The shoot dry weight and grain yield of rice of PU1 and UR1 were higher than CK, as grain yield increased by 7.68% and 5.77%, respectively. Moreover, the content and the discharge of total phosphorus through runoff from paddy field of PU1, PU2, UR1 and UR2 treatments were lower than CK, which decreased by 13.18%~21.51%. The total nitrogen (TN), ammonium-N (NH₄⁺-N) and nitrate-N (NO₃^--N) concentrations in runoff of the treatments with coated urea (PU1, PU2) were lower than that with normal urea (CK, UR1, UR2), and TN, NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N cumulative losses decreased by 12.90%~26.91%, 54.52%~49.38% and 4.03%~15.95%, respectively, while the NH₄⁺-N cumulative losses of the treatments with normal urea were significant lower than that with coated urea (P<0.05). The application of coated urea and optimized fertilization can promote the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus by rice, increase rice grain yield, significantly reduce the runoff losses of nitrogen and phosphorus in paddy field, which is worthy of application in rice production.