50/50s may seem like a coin flip, but they’re anything but random in Rocket League. With pro tips from Bora, this guide explains how to control challenges and turn “losing” 50s into a strategic advantage.
The 50/50 has been part of Rocket League since its predecessor, Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars. The concept of throwing your car in front of the ball when you’re at a disadvantage doesn’t just apply in-game; it mirrors challenges you see in real football as well.
Dignitas published a guide on winning 50/50s back in 2018, but with insight from Bora “Bora” Sari, it’s time to revisit those fundamentals and update them for 2026.
So what is a 50/50?
A 50/50 is when you and your opponent make contact with the ball at the same time. You can ‘win’ the challenge by sending the ball into your opponent’s half, or they can win it and direct it toward your net. Of course, there are also situations where your goal is to 50 the ball intentionally to a teammate.
It sounds simple: a 50/50 implies an equal chance of the ball going either way. In reality, that’s not how it works. One of the biggest misconceptions about 50/50s is that they’re random, two players throw their cars at the ball, and hope for the best. However, outcomes are far from luck-based. With the right mechanics, you can position your car to control where the ball goes and consistently influence the result.
Winning 50s is about putting as much of the body of the car into the ball as possible and flipping at the right time. If you don’t flip into the ball, but they do, it may go over and behind you, so you have to flip into the ball at the right time so it cancels out.
As Bora said, there are a few tips that are helpful when trying to win 50s.
Tip 1: Make your car as big as possible
This tip is always floated around the Rocket League community, and for good reason. During a 50, the ball effectively “pinballs” between both cars. To come out on top, you want as much of your car’s surface area behind the ball as possible, increasing your chances of getting the final touch.
Tip 2: Avoid taking 50s from the side
Challenging from the side is almost always a losing play. If you cut in on an opponent who has possession and force a 50 from an angle, the ball is very likely to pinch in the direction they’re already facing, usually toward your own net. Instead, aim to challenge more head-on.
Tip 3: Absorb the ball
While 50s often involve the ball bouncing between cars, it can actually be advantageous to make contact second. By jumping and positioning your car properly, you can absorb your opponent’s hit and redirect the ball past them. If you do reach the ball first, you’ll need to carefully time your flip to ensure you still get the final touch. In most cases, winning the 50 comes down to getting that last hit.
Tip 4: Read the situation
These challenges are highly situational; sometimes they’re the safest and smartest option, other times they’re unnecessarily risky, and sometimes it’s the ONLY option. Good players recognize when a 50 will relieve pressure or create an advantage, and when it’s better to try to get the ball into the opponent's half or delay the play to keep possession.
Usually, you’re forced into a 50 when you’re low on boost and defending. In those situations, the goal is often just to stall the play, buy time for your teammates to recover, or break the opponent’s momentum. At the pro level, players will try to direct 50s backward to their teammates to maintain possession. Most of Rocket League is about controlling the ball, so winning a 50 often means keeping possession, unless you can send it straight into the opponent’s net.
That’s another important aspect of the 50/50. There are situations where it’s actually beneficial to “lose” the challenge and allow a teammate to collect the ball and make a play. It’s a unique mechanic, you can use the first three tips to win or draw most 50s, but when you’re intentionally losing one, positioning becomes even more critical.
If you’re going to drop a 50 on purpose, you need to control the angle so it doesn’t turn into a free goal for your opponent. For example, if you’re defending in your own half on the right wing, you should challenge from the left side of the ball. Since your opponent is likely trying to shoot from your right side, this positioning helps direct the ball away from danger. Challenging from the right side in that scenario increases the risk of the ball pinching straight into your own net.
Reading a Teammate's 50/50
When you recognize that a teammate is about to take a 50, your job is to position correctly. Ideally, you want to place yourself in the most likely path of the ball so you can collect it and turn the play in your favor. That said, the responsibility still primarily falls on the challenger to control the outcome and avoid sending the ball flying past you and into your own net.
Stay a bit behind your teammate and be patient, letting the 50 come to you. Ultimately, it’s more on the player taking the 50 to direct it toward their teammate than it is on you to perfectly position for the ball.
The 50/50 challenge is the most common type of challenge in Rocket League. You see it in every rank from Bronze all the way up to SSL. Knowing how to take the 50s even when in a disadvantageous position is critical to ranking up and becoming a well-rounded Rocket League player. To practice these tips, the best recommendation would be to play 1v1 and take as many 50/50 challenges as possible to get a feel for how to win them.
As always, thank you to Bora for taking the time to chat with us. If you want to see more of the future world champion, follow him on X @borarl6.
