Many of the lower ranks describe bumping and demolitions as cheap, foul play, and even as morally wrong. If you bump someone at a lower rank, you’ll most likely get some sort of quick chat backlash that expresses the opponent’s anger and how you are so bad that you have to resort to bumping. Something along the lines of “Wow!” And then “ur bad, stop bumping”.

As you rise through the ranks, bumps and demolitions begin to be a part of the meta. Players will most likely respect your decision and quick thinking to bump them to get rid of the last defender. However, from personal experience, while it can be annoying to be bumped, players begin to use bumps and demolitions strategically. It has evolved so far that bumps have begun to be a part of aerial attacks.

In the community, Rocket Sledge is a figure that is known for his demolitions. He has 26 thousand recorded demos! I had the privilege of chatting with Rocket Sledge and asking him about his approach to demolitions. As bumps become a larger part of the meta, you need to make sure you can keep up. In this guide, Rocket Sledge will help me teach you, the reader, the aspects of a bump/demolition and how to approach a demolition.

What is a Bump/Demolition? Why is it important?

Bumps and demolitions fall under the same category in Rocket League. When you bump another player, your car rams into their car, causing their car to be launched into the air. A demolition is a mechanic that is triggered where your car "demolishes" your opponent's car, forcing them to respawn.

Rocket Sledge: "Psyonix didn’t design the game for cars to phase through each other. You’re allowed to touch, and we are driving “battle cars” after all. The main point is that it’s a mechanic that is part of the game. No-one has to use it but ignoring it or making up rules for yourself to follow (it’s cheap, unsportsmanlike, dishonorable, etc.) is going to put limits on your game that no one else you play is bound by. The goal of almost every mechanic in RL is to put your opponent at a disadvantage or out of the play, bumps and demolitions can be used in exactly the same way."

As Rocket League players continue to improve their skills and discover new strategies, bumps and demolitions are slowly becoming a larger part of the meta. We constantly see professional players using demolitions as a way to dismantle their opponents' defense, allowing for a clear shot on net.

Rocket Sledge: "I think the player-base has “matured” and thus embraces them more. Just like an MMO where players start to min/max to get the best results, players have started to realize it would be foolish not to use every available skill and mechanic in a competitive game. This transition starts at the top. Pro players are not going to limit themselves with made up rules and we’ve seen lots of demo/bump plays in the RLCS over the last few seasons."

What should you look for when going for a demolition? When is the right time to go for a demolition?

Rocket Sledge: "I look for unsuspecting victims and opportunities to create space for my teammates without putting my team at a disadvantage. The easiest demo is going to be catching an opponent looking at the ball or driving in a straight, predictable path."

A demolition is one mechanic of the hundreds of mechanics in Rocket League. Making demolitions your priority may not always be the smartest idea, but it could be the best option to dismantle your opponent's strategy.

Rocket Sledge: "It comes down to analyzing the positions of your opponents, teammates, and the ball. I go into a lot of example situations in my tutorial series, but of course opportunities in game rarely fit into a specific category. Ideally, you want your demo play to not break rotation (too much), be easy to recover from (whether you get the demo or not), and not involve a lot of chasing or boost wasting."

Rocket Sledge: "Sometimes, it involves making split-second decisions to transition from playing the ball to playing the man. Note that rotation out was the first thing on my mind after the demo. Demos aren’t guaranteed goals and you always need to be ready to rotate quickly after any attempt, whether it is successful or not."

What is the most efficient way to move your car to ensure you get a demolition?

The faster your car goes, the more of a chance your car will demo your opponent, right?

Wrong. If you have more control over how your car makes contact with your opponent's car, you will have a higher chance of demolishing them.

Rocket Sledge: "It’s important to remember you don’t need to be driving around supersonic all the time. You’ll have more control over your car if you manage your speed. Once the target is lined up, a quick burst of boost before impact should be enough to get you to demolition speed. Alternately, dodging into your opponent can give you the needed speed as well as catch someone as they are jumping."

Here is a tutorial from Rocket Sledge on Youtube, "Rocket League - Demolition Tutorial":

What are Aerial Bumps? How do you perform an aerial bump efficiently?

Aerial bumps are the newest form of bumping that we've seen from professional players. Simply put, an aerial bump is when you perform an aerial hit on your opponent's car, either demolishing them or bumping them out of the way. This can be extremely helpful when going for an air dribble or a ceiling shot, or just helping your teammate's shot get through to the goal. This skill requires a huge amount of technical skill. I wouldn't recommend doing it unless you've practiced it and can do it consistently.

Here is an aerial bump from Cloud 9's Mariano "SquishyMuffinz" Arruda against Renault Vitality at RLCS Season 5's LAN:

Rocket Sledge: "It’s important to recognize whether your target can see you or not. If they can see you, then it is usually a good idea to count on their jump attempt and jump as well. High aerial bumps and demos, those are not usually a recommended play as they are hard targets to predict, use a lot of boost, and ultimately can put you out of the play for a significant about of time. The only times I really use them is if it is part of a follow-through during a play on the ball or an aerial challenge."

What is the best way to avoid a demolition?

Rocket Sledge: "Why would I tell you that?!!! Demo avoidance mostly comes down to situational awareness, and not moving in predictable ways. Most demo attempts by the average Rocket League player are going to be fairly obvious, and easy to dodge. Once you start to recognize good demolition opportunities in your own game, you should also realize when you are in situations that you could be demolished."

Rocket Sledge: "It’s easier to dodge a demo then get one. I plan on covering demo avoidance in detail in a future tutorial, until then your readers may appreciate this short video I made in regards to one under-rated, demo-dodge method that I regularly use myself:"

Rocket Sledge: "Also, don’t sweat the demo attempts that have no impact on the play. The only times I’m concerned about a demo attack is when it could create a disadvantage to my team, I’m not going to waste my time keeping track of an opponent that is going way out of his way to demo me while the ball is at the other end of the field."

Rocket Sledge: "The following GIF has me and random teammate playing against a team that went hard for demos right from the start of the game. They out-demo’d us, but most of the demos they got were useless or even costly to their team. Otherwise, their obvious attempts were easy to dodge. I don’t usually get into demo-battles against players like this (beside my little response attack once the game was won), instead I go full avoidance and punish their mistakes. "

Are there any other tips that players should know regarding bumps and demolitions?

Demolitions are one aspect of the game. Though it can be extremely helpful, don't overdo it. Good players are able to demolish players when it is really needed. Demolitions aren't based on how many demolitions you can get, but how important they are to the play. By demolishing an opponent on defense, you may cut off their team's rotation. By demolishing an opponent on offense, you can give your team a clear shot on net.

Rocket Sledge: "Getting consistent demolitions is a skill that could be considered harder than hitting a ball. You are predicting and hitting moving targets that are usually actively trying to avoid you. But in end, anyone can run around and get a few demos. The real skill is making good demolition decisions that maintain rotation while giving your teammates space and opportunities. A well-rounded player will employ demolitions as a tool to complement their ball and team play."

Are there any community resources that could help players get better at bumps/demos?

Rocket Sledge: "Well, I have to plug my channel, Rocket Sledge, because it is the only demolition tutorial resource on YouTube. My three-part series covers the basics of the demolition mechanic, defensive demolitions, and how to use demos to score goals. With a heavy emphasis on rotation, the goal of these videos is to help you responsibly add demolition plays to your game."

Rocket Sledge: "I also welcome people to join my Discord: Sledge Central (https://discord.gg/PHHA2AX) or The Boom Squad (https://discord.gg/BSSadBx), which is a collection of demo-heavy players that like to post their plays and discuss the demolition meta."

Like our content? Support us by getting our merchandise in our shop