Rocket League terminology: Brazil, Rule 1, 50/50, cheating and more

Many people claim Rocket League should be a simple game because it’s centred around a simple concept. Vehicles hitting around a ball sounded like a simple enough game until it wasn’t.

From ‘killing’ in a video game without any kills to openly admitting to ‘cheat’, here’s your car soccer dictionary for further instances, so you don’t have to Google a word or phrase mid-game.

Communication is key and we have the key chain, so without further ado, here’s your Rocket League glossary and terminology updated to 2021.

Rocket League dictionary, terminology and glossary

Clear: any ball hit from the defensive side to the middle or offensive side of the field in one touch

Banging/Bang it: used to describe a hard clear or a hard touch, expect the ball to fly fast

50/50: a test of strength where two opposing players dive nose-first into the ball, every game and kickoff starts this way

Dunk: whenever one player tries to catch, clear or touch the ball at an upwards angle and an opponent 50’s them and effectively winning the challenge because of the angle

An example of a pinch in Rocket League. (Picture: Psyonix)

Killing/Killing It: used to describe when you will trying to fully stop the ball’s momentum so a teammate can take control next

Cheat/Cheating/Cheating up: staying really close to the play, a common kickoff play is for a teammate to kill the ball midfield with a good 50/50 so another teammate cheats up following up on the play and gaining immediate possession

Double Tap: any play, be a pass or shot, where you touch the ball twice while being in the air

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Cherry Pick/Redirect: any touch on a ball already on its way to the intended net that tries to change the direction of which the goalie has read at first instance

Sweaty/Tryhard: usually an insult to another player, stating they are taking the game too seriously hence ‘sweating’ or ‘trying too hard’

Shadow Defense: staying between the attacker and your net in the limbo of turning and challenging or driving the shooter outside of the danger zone

Rule 1 in full effect. (Picture: Psyonix)

Back Post: the furthest defensive post from the ongoing play

Whiff: a swing and a miss, dodging or aerialing but utterly missing the ball

Small/Wide Rotations: Small rotations are quick and strategic touches between two or more teammates whereas wide rotations solo plays are more common and teammates give each other much more space, respecting possession

Smurf: a highly-skilled player with an alternate account playing opponents inferior to their rank

Rule #1: when two cars lock front-to-front, back-to-back or back-to-front, neither car shall move until time expires or a goal is scored out of courtesy

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Pogo: used by freestylers or in recoveries, it’s when a battle-car bounces after hitting the ground with either the exhaust or nose without losing momentum

Pinch: basically, it’s 50/50ing the ball against the ceiling, wall or floor making it shoot out into the vanishing point of the play

Half flip: used for faster positioning and recoveries, it’s when a player flips backwards and air rolls to land on their wheels to keep moving forward but with momentum

Pre Flip: flipping or dodging into where the ball is going to be before it gets there

(Picture: Psyonix)

Wave Dash: a mechanic used to get back in the play faster done by jumping off a surface, landing straight on the two back wheels and immediately dodging forward for a speed boost

Supersonic: when your battle-car trail shows on-screen, the fastest speed that can be reached driving in Rocket League

Brazil: to finish a game with a 7-1 scoreline in reference to the Brazil vs Germany football match played in the 2014 World Cup with the same result

“This Is Rocket League”: a running gag between the Rocket League Esports community parodying the greatest goal in RLCS history to date.

JSTN's 0-second goal. (Picture: Psyonix)

Squishy save: popularized by Mariano “SquishyMuffinz” Arruda, instead of rotating when under the net, the battle-car has to drive forward and up the ramp until coming out the net backwards, using the infinite dodge to save the ball

Musty Flick: popularized by Wyatt “Musty”, it’s a dribble or a shot where the battle-car has to be completely perpendicular to the floor and when flicked backwards, the hood of the vehicle will simulate a ‘kicking’ motion

Kuxir pinch: popularized by Francesco "kuxir97" Cinquemani, it’s when a pinch goes from the defensive-third sidewall to the opponent’s net usually without touching the ground

Aztral pinch: popularized by Maello "AztraL" Ernst, it’s when a pinch from the offensive-third corner wall goes into the opponent’s net

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And that’s about it! The simple car soccer game has many, many layers and the terminology could go on for days but we are fairly sure we’ve prepared you for 99% of the chat rooms, comment sections and casting booths you’ll encounter during your stay in the Rocket League community.

Good luck, have fun and What a save! What a save! What a save! Chat disabled for 4 seconds.

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