Pre-jumping in Rocket League is an awkward aspect to the game. This is because it can be seen as a bad habit, yet can be quite skillful. To brush up on its meaning, a pre-jump is having your car jump before the opponent goes for a shot and flying in order to save an aerial shot from entering the net. Attempting to read an opponent's actions in this way can be extremely dangerous, and the player must be certain that their opponent is going to take that action without a doubt.

Examples of Pre-Jumping

Below is a clip of a friend, Steven 'Manxii' Lamb, in a 3v3 match. This is a subtle example of pre-jumping and is done when an opponent is approaching your goal and a flick or air dribble is about to be performed in order to hopefully score.

The opponent had already jumped in order to hit the ball as it was being centered in front of the orange net. This player, however, pre-jumped and managed to intercept the shot before reaching the goal. Again, somebody must have a strong confidence in their judgement of the enemy's actions. Otherwise, a goal for their team would be much more probable.

Confidence in an enemy's moves is not the only component of a successful pre-jump, but also remaining calm and collected. If a player is frustrated or is rushing, the accuracy behind a pre-jump save is almost certain to have decreased in comparison to a pre-jump that is performed under calm conditions. Below is a replay from the RLCS (Rocket League World Championship) in which Chris "Dappur" Mendoza misses a pre-jump save after noticing the other two teammates were unable to hit the ball. This resulted in Dappur rushing to save the shot as opposed to staying calm and allowing the shot to happen in order to get a better read and decide what to do next.

After Dappur made this mistake, his other two teammates became confused and began scrambling to save the ball. This unfortunately resulted in a goal for the other team.

Pre-Jumping for a Dunk

Another very common way of pre-jumping is to jump to get a dunk on another player as they try to maintain possession. Below is a clip of me in a 2v2 match. After saving the shot, I immediately jumped along the side of the net, as I predicted the action of the other player. This allowed me to get a dunk on this player, which led to the ball advancing to the other half of the field, meaning my teammate could push forward.

Pre-jumping to intercept the possession another player has over the ball can be quite risky. Therefore, it is crucial to know the positioning of your teammates in any match other than a 1v1. In the clip just shown, my teammate had rotated back into the net. This means that if I was to miss the pre-jump hit on the ball, my teammate would be there to clean up after me and save the shot from entering our goal.

Ultimately, in terms of pre-jump dunks, they can certainly be effective as long as you are aware of your teammates and understand the repercussions in the event of you missing that shot.

Pre-Jump Passing Plays

Pre-jump passing plays are quite rare. This is due to how dangerous they are to pull off. During a passing play, more than one player must be participating, meaning if the pre-jump is missed and fails, the whole team could potentially be at risk of allowing a goal for their opponents. Kyle "Torment" Storer uploaded a short video of a 2v2 match with Mariano "Squishy" Arruda. Torment jumped off the floor of the enemies' side before Squishy flicks it up to Torment. The ball is hit vertically downwards meaning Squishy could secure the goal.

Not only does this look stunning, but it also means the opponents are very confused. Due to this play being very difficult to read, the defence becomes scrambled, meaning they are less likely to save the shot.

Confidence is a must when performing pre-jump passing plays. This confidence comes from trusting your teammates and knowing what to do if the pre-jump fails and the enemy can possess the ball. Communication between teammates can significantly improve confidence, and playing online matches using communication effectively can have a great impact on your overall gameplay. Always be sure to inform your teammates of what you plan to do, as going for a pre-jump of any kind can be risky if your teammates are not understanding of what you are trying to pull off.

When Else Can Pre-Jumping Be Useful?

This skill can be useful in situations where:

You want to clear the ball to the opponents' half to avoid further danger.
When attempting to save a fancy shot that is almost guaranteed to go into the top of your net, such as a ceiling shot or an air dribble from a distance.
When two teammates are pushing up to perform a pre-jump passing play, where one teammate is left on defense.

Be sure, however, not to overperform this skill. By doing this, you could aggravate your teammates, as it may not always be the best option.

The Overall Do's and Don'ts

In terms of Pre-Jumping as a whole, do:

Make sure that you have a teammate that is there if your pre-jump is unsuccessful.
Be confident in your opponent's actions. There is no point in going for a pre-jump if you do not know what they are going to do next.
Be fast, as an opponent will be able to see your pre-jump if you are too slow and could work around it.

However, do not:

Go for a pre-jump too often in a single match.
Go for a pre-jump pass if there is nobody there to defend or if your teammates are unaware of it.
Pre-jump in an area where there are many opponents, as the chance of them reading what you are doing is increased at that point.

Hopefully this has been a useful guide into the world of pre-jumping. The skill is certainly not compulsory to climb the ranks but can definitely help you in doing so if you are able to perform them quickly and seamlessly. Try them with a friend in private matches or in casual online matches before diving into ranked straight away and you may just see it become much easier.

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