In any sport, the scorers gain the most attention. Simply put, it is because they are the goal scorers; they are the flashy players that score and often are admired by the common viewer. This is no different in Rocket League. Many viewers of esports see players like Alexandre "Kaydop" Courant, Mariano "SquishyMuffinz" Arruda, or Jacob "JKnaps" Knapman as their favorite player because they are able to score consistently and take the shots when it matters.

But in recent competitive play, viewers are beginning to recognize the importance of that third man on a team. The third man is the player that is either posted up at mid-field or further back, waiting to cut off any sort of possible counter attack or follow up a missed shot. They are able to adapt to any sort of situation that the strikers of the team put them in and are the main defense and support force of the team. Overall, there is more to being a third man than just being able to defend. In esports, the most notable of these players include Kyle "Torment" Storer and Jayson "Fireburner" Nunez.

How does a third man support his team? Why has the third man been so ignored until just recently? What can you do to become that solid third man that your team might need?

The Third Man Role

In my opinion, the third man is possibly the smartest player on a team. He controls the flow of both the offense and the defense. If a team are going for a slower, more cautious attack, then the third man would most likely stay further back, not pushing up unless a teammate is rotating back. If a team is looking for an urgent, fast paced attack, then the third man would most likely push up with his teammates, looking to cut off a clear or take a shot on net.

A third man should also know the positioning of his teammates. With this knowledge, the third man can do several things. He can pass to them, receive a pass from them, or even bump a defender, as well as allowing his teammates to play their attacking game while he interferes when it is necessary.

Here is a Reddit post that includes a GIF that explains some basic responsibilities of the third man role from u/sledge98 along with discussions from players: Understanding the Defensive Roles of the Third Man

Also, here is a replay of the entire Dignitas vs NRG RLCS S5 World Championship Final:

When the camera is on Fireburner's point of view, try to take note of his positioning, his camera view, and when he decides to either push up or stay back.

Need-to-Know Mechanics for a Third Man

A good third man should have a specific set of skills that help his team immensely. In this section, I will be going over the half flip, the wave dash, and positioning.

The Half Flip

The Half Flip in general is a a need-to-know mechanic for any good player. In short, the half flip is currently the most used way to recover and change the direction of your car. The half flip is where you back flip into an air roll to land on your wheels in the opposite direction from which you were first facing.

Here are some tutorials from some creators to help you learn how to do a half flip:

The Wave Dash

The Wave Dash is a useful skill for any player to have, but it's especially helpful for the third man, as he needs to constantly make a speedy recovery from one end of the field to the other. The wave dash is a mechanic that players use when they have no boost to recover back onto defense or to reach a ball faster than other players. Recently, the wave dash has also begun to see activity in flashy ways to scores, but that isn't the focus of this section.

The Wave Dash is when your car is in the air and you land on your back wheels. You land on your back wheels or even your side wheels for a side dash. Right before your wheels land, you press your jump button and dodge forward as if you were doing a front flip. This causes your car to suddenly gain a lot of speed in the direction you dodge.

Here are some tutorials from Sir Timbers and Cameron "Kronovi" Bills:

Positioning and Rotations

The term "positioning" encapsulates multiple things that a third man should know. Good positioning allows for a third man to keep the pressure on an attack or to recover quickly and stop a counter attack. It also allows for smooth rotations, in and out of attack and defense.

Here is a video from SunlessKhan that explains 3v3 rotations:

Here is an infographic from u/lmfao__schwarz that SunlessKhan refers to throughout this video:

If you go through this video and if you read through the infographic, you will be able to understand the rotations that come with a 3v3 team. The third man will often be the one in the back position, behind his two teammates. In times of panic and crises, the third man will be the main defensive force of the team, and maybe cut off rotations just to help his no-boost teammate in goal. In rotations, the job of the third man is to be the defensive anchor and to be able to give his teammates time to get boost and go for another attack.

Conclusion

As Rocket League competitive play continues, the third man will become more and more recognized for his all-around playstyle and the support that he gives to his teammates. Though strikers that score flashy goals will often have the spotlight, players that are molded into that third man role will always be respected.

If you want to become that important third man, learn some of mechanics that I mentioned previously. If your team needs a solid third man that can support his teammates, you may want to take in some of these notes.

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