Rocket League is undoubtedly one of the most mechanically demanding and positionally focused games in the world. While every match feels unique, the game’s consistent structure creates a proven framework for success. This makes decision-making more black-and-white than in most competitive titles, rewarding players who understand what to do and when to do it.

#1 Allowing Attackers to Get Control of the Ball

One of the biggest mistakes I see Rocket League players make in a 1v1 situation is allowing the opponent to get control of the ball on top of their car. Generally, ball control requires an initial touch to get the ball ready to be carried on top of a car. That first touch is the exact moment you want to attack. That attacker is in a very vulnerable state. Typically, the best moment to strike as a defender is when you see the attacker underneath the ball, waiting for it to fall onto their car. Pictured below is an example of what it looks like when you should be attacking the opponent in a 1v1 situation. Notice how the ball is too high to be flicked, but too low to get any substantial shot. This is most applicable when an attacker is obviously preparing to get a flick over you. Think of it this way: why give the opponent time to get control of the ball when you could prevent their attack in the first place?

#2 Making the Wrong Decision Slowly

We all make mistakes while playing Rocket League. Over the 10 billion Rock League games played, there has never been a game where someone played perfectly. Making mistakes is not the issue; making mistakes slowly is what hurts players the most. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in a game is knowing you are making the wrong decision, hesitate, and then not make the right decision in time, or worse, not make a decision at all. It is far better to make a bad decision fast than it is to make a good decision slowly; the opportunity could slip away. Rocket League is a game of milliseconds and does not allow for slow thinkers to thrive.

#3 Spending Boost as Soon as You Pick it Up

This habit is a very easy one to pick up, but a hard one to kick. We are so used to playing as fast as possible, and we equate boost usage to speed. Although we know this is not always the case, it is easy to subconsciously waste boost as soon as you pick up a full boost pill. One can easily feel like they need to use boost to be active in the game. This means you won’t have the proper resources when it actually matters. Learning to have more boost discipline and small pad pathing greatly increases your usefulness.

#4 Rotating Front Post

Rotating front-post rather than back-post is one of the most common mistakes you see at every rank in Rocket League. Even the pros sometimes get caught trying to cheat the play, and they get punished for it. The back-post, for those who do not know, is defending from the opposite post of the goal the ball is on. When you are coming back from the attacking zone into the defensive zone, rotating to the back-post allows you to cover the most surface area of the goal as well as take a winning angle on a challenge. Pictured below, you will see an example of what it will look like when you need to rotate back-post. Rotating back-post is a very intricate and crucial aspect of the game, and takes lots of studying to truly grasp. My favorite in-depth guide on rotating back-post comes from Wayton Pilkin, whose video can be watched here.

Graphic From Slyk

#5 Air Rolling Too Much

This is one I myself am very much guilty of. We get so used to air rolling in certain directions that we forget that other ways exist, too. It wasn’t until recently that I learned from my own replays that I hardly ever air rolled to the left. I had gotten so used to practicing the right side and got so comfortable using it, I did not even notice how much it was affecting my game. This was causing me to air roll too much. Instead of making quick, minimal corrections, I was making full, unnecessary turns. Usually, this means that you are not making good initial jumps when you begin aerialing for a ball. In turn, this makes you slower, your touches weaker, and your recoveries longer. Whilst watching other players’ replays, I learned I am not the only person who does this. In fact, the majority of players are air rolling too much. The best way to break this habit is to go into an aerial training map and continuously air roll in different directions. Constantly air roll while you navigate the map, as it will get you more accustomed to all angles of air rolling.

Wrapping Up

Rocket League is the game where players are most susceptible to falling into bad habits because every game is so consistent in its structure. Although subjective, decision-making in Rocket League can generally be categorized into good decisions or bad decisions. This applies to the mechanical aspect of Rocket League as well. Neither is more important than the other, so neglecting either one leaves you in a vulnerable spot and will prevent you from reaching that next level. Watch your replays and see if you do any of these bad habits or others. Write them down, but remember to work on one at a time, even if it means going into casual games. Working on too many habits at a given time will often lead to players not improving on any habits at all. Generally, it is best to work on one habit, maybe two at most, at a time. Habits are hard to break, but with consistent focus, you will properly adjust your gameplay to playing Rocket League the correct way.