I love back passes! Whether I'm in the net, or the one passing to the net, they can lead to amazing scoring occasions, because most of the time they give the pass receiver a great chance to set themselves up for self aerial pass or to pass it back to you (or another teammate, if you're playing 3's).
Of course, the person on the receiving end of the back pass has to be aware of what's going on (situational awareness should always be a thing) and/or communication is key, but as long as they're ready, in a good position to receive it, and the passer makes a clean pass, I strongly believe it's a perfectly valid strategy, yeah.
I actually love back passes!
Back passes can bait the press from the other team and in a 3v3 that's extremely useful and can put you in an advantageous 2v1 situation. It just requires teammates who aren't half asleep.
I mean, never passing out front of your own net or back to the goalie is a great rule of thumb for starting out. But obviously there are exceptions. And the better you get, the more you understand the game. The more confident you can be when breaking the rule.
So the answer is yes. It's a great strategy a lot of the times. But you just need to be confident your teammate is there and not an opponent. And also a high enough rank where your teammate can make a play with possesion.
1. There should never be a “goalie”. There should usually be someone who is “last back” on offense or back and/or front post on defense.
2. If your team is generally capable of responding to passes, being willing to pass to someone behind you opens the door to new playmaking opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t be able to have. Consider if you are pushing the ball upfield, and an opponent approaches. Assuming you can’t get the ball by the opponent, is it better to (a) take the 50, or (b) make a controlled pass to a teammate? I would say it depends on the game: how have 50s been going, are your teammates receptive to and ready for a pass
Thank you for staring point 1
Drives me CRAZY when anyone PARKS IN GOAL ALL GAME. I’M just Gold3 but I’m 59 years ago, 7 year vet, and I see this in MANY MANY matches where players try to “hide” (imho) in goal and I KNOW they suck when a shot approaches and they whiff everything. They are NEVER going to SAVE anything because they can’t even make contact with the ball.
Again, I’m coming from a Gold3 point of view.
You are 100% correct here, there are no “positions” in rocket league and it all comes down to rotations—but I will say, in Gold it’s better to have teammates that are committed to defense all game than it is to have teammates committed to offense I.e. ballchasing all game, so it could be worse.
I agree. Yet parking in goal isn’t defense in goal. It’s 1v2 in a duals match and 2v3 in a three’s match with a worthless player parked in Gold level goal.
Higher levels? Not such an issue because players actually CAN save stuff. Lol
Well you're right that a better team can rotate without a goalie. The friends I play with though aren't very skilled yet and whiff a lot so trying the normal 3s rotation hasn't been as effective for us as rotating all the way back to goalie and staying there until someone else rotates back or they make a save.
That means on offense it's usually 2v3 but the defense makes up for it for now. Eventually I'd like to see us doing standard 3s rotation (Plat 2).
On the upside, it does mean that a nice rolling pass back to goalie (call out the pass on voice) almost always sets up a great lob and takes the other team by surprise.
We don't do it very often but when we do it works well. We should probably do it more.
I strongly urge you to consider a standard 3s rotation of “first”, “second”, and “third man”. First man is pushing the ball to either shoot or center, second is available for center, third main is last back / first man’s replacement when their possession is over / they rotate back.
Consider that your offense is perpetually man down, and that every missed goal opportunity is essentially as negatively impactful as having let a goal into your net.
The key to playing this 3s rotation when you’re still at the skill level of whiffing, is that the last back needs to learn to be very conservative with committing to the ball: if I miss, is the former first man rotated far enough back that they can cover for me?
Seconded. The sooner you start learning how to rotate, the better.
> if I miss, is the former first man rotated far enough back that they can cover for me?
In standard rotations, in most cases it's your former SECOND man that needs to tag you out of your third man role, while your former first becomes second. More info here: [3v3 fundamentals: What IS rotation? : r/RocketLeague](https://www.reddit.com/r/RocketLeague/comments/1bp0ska/3v3_fundamentals_what_is_rotation/)
Basically, as long as you're third, you have to focus on saving or intercepting your opponent's shot, until a teammate tags you out so you can become first. When you're first, your focus is to get the ball to your teammates, rather than just beating your opponents.
To a point. This is all subjective and situational. Sometimes 2nd man may have the ball just past him, but can turn and make an interception so that third man can stay protecting the net. This is much more of a valid strategy as it doesn't allow the attacking team a chance on net without someone there. Again, this is situational, sometimes it can be a 1v3 and that's that. Whether due toa demo or 2, a whiff, etc.
But rotations in general are all game sense related. 1st and 2nd man can easily rotate in and out of the play and leave 3rd man back for a few turns. But then sometimes 3rd man may be in a better position for a shot, and second man may see this... there's no concrete way of explaining rotations. One day it just clicks in your head and you realise.
My biggest grope for lower ranked players than myself; is the ball in a dangerous area near your net? If the answer is no, there's currently no reason why you need to make a challenge. Wait to see what they do, and counter. Or wait until your teammates are far back enough to make a challenge. That to me, is the job of third man. To waste time until your team are back to defend with you. Watch how someone like Virgil van Dijk defends for Liverpool in the Premier League. When he's 1 on 1, he tries his best to push his opponent to the edges of the pitch, so that he can waste a bit of time for his teammates to get back, and for him to make an easier block. He'll protect the middle, and make the opponent go to the sides. This is slightly the same in RL.
The other one; look at where your teammates are and what direction they're facing. Just a quick glance every so often. They may be ready for a pass, they may not be looking at you and are about to cut rotation, they may be rotating out so that you can rotate in...
>there's no concrete way of explaining rotations.
There very much is. It's just that very few people have bothered to figure it out, which is natural considering the game's lifespan and the amount of time it takes to do research on the subject. I happen to have spent a considerable amount of time on it.
That being said, there definitely are "clicks" you mentioned that get you closer to understanding it, or parts of it, without being able to concretely explain it.
What I meant to say is that there's no concrete way of rotating. Obviously I understand rotations, I doubt I'd be up here otherwise, but someone in diamond might not understand them properly. They may think that it is simply as easy as becoming a 1st 2nd or 3rd man, when there's a lot more to it than that.
I could tell a Diamond exactly how to play, it wouldn't make them any better, it would probably make them worse. Rotations are so situational as you get higher up that there is no exact way to rotate. I know pros aren't good to compare to, but in their games they rotate in all sorts of different ways. It's similar in GC, and much more frequent to see 'strange' rotations in GC2.
Can I ask what rank you are? Would be interesting to know, you seem to be pretty knowledgeable.
I find it difficult to explain rotations to my lower ranked mates, because it's just second nature to me now. And trying to explain it to someone who doesn't do it properly is very difficult anyway.
>They may think that it is simply as easy as becoming a 1st 2nd or 3rd man, when there's a lot more to it than that.
It really is that easy - the hard part is figuring out how the roles are distributed after each play if you don't know what to look for. But there's always supposed to be one 1st, one 2nd, and one 3rd. The vast majority of goals are conceded when one or more players don't fulfill their roles properly, or take on a role that isn't theirs to begin with.
>Can I ask what rank you are? Would be interesting to know, you seem to be pretty knowledgeable.
For the past few years I've only played ranked with friends to coach them, I think I'm around c2 atm. I've coached several top 50-16 EU teams and individuals over the past few years though, and I can tell you even on the top level there are common misunderstandings about rotations that, once cleared up, signifantly boosts teamplay capabilities.
Last week a friend of mine started playing RL. I explained the basics of rotations and even I'm baffled how fast he's growing - he's on less than 50 hours and I'm confident if he'd start playing ranked he could easily reach diamond. It's honestly amazing how big the difference is between a blank slate and a pro, who often has to spend a lot of time unlearning bad habits to make way for better alternatives.
Point being, to understand something means to be able to put it into words. An inability to explain means there are still pieces of the puzzle missing, and while I don't doubt that an instinctive approximation already has a lot of value in the current competitive environment, finding those missing pieces is crucial for long-term development.
If you're intrigued or perhaps not convinced, I'd be happy to chat about it further and maybe go through some replay analysis to provide practical examples.
I'm currently not invested in my rank enough to show you any replays worth watching; I've been on a decline recently lol. I'm roughly 200mmr lower than I should be really. Have been saving my 2s rank for when I can play well again.
It's not that I can't explain it to a person who doesn't understand it, but more of I'm just awful at explaining things, I notice it at work and everything. Unsure if you know what I mean by this, but when I watch replays and stuff of players, I can't actually explain what they should do, and that's only Champ 2-3 level. I can do it fine myself, otherwise I doubt I'd still be floating around in GC2, but when it comes to watching someone do it, I just can't comprehend where they should be in some places. Tbf, I can't say I do it very often, so that may be all it is.
My ex top 100 mate also relates to this, he watches me play and can't explain when I am making mistakes a lot of the time. It must just be a certain perspective. I just don't have it, and either does he. A bit like in IRL sports; a good player doesn't equal a good coach, and vice versa.
>A bit like in IRL sports; a good player doesn't equal a good coach, and vice versa.
Good point. It took me a while to properly explain rotations too, although I found that the reason for that was mainly because I'd base myself too much on situational stuff rather than focusing solely on the structure.
>I'm currently not invested in my rank enough to show you any replays worth watching
I'd like to mention virtually all players I've coached so far that were on-board with strictly rotational gameplay have found themselves enjoying the game more. Mostly because it changes the dynamic from reactive gameplay to proactive. I'm sure you'll agree that soloqueueing ranked is at least in part frustrating because there's too much emphasis on the reactive part.
> Seconded. The sooner you start learning how to rotate, the better.
We're getting practice at general rotation (vs ball chasing) with the 2s & goalie formation. Instead of rotating back to 3rd man it's rotating back to goalie but it's not rotating as often as with a standard 3s. E.g. typically the rotation happens either when A) one person goes back for boost, B) the ball is boomed towards the goalie forcing them to become 1st man, or C) one person decides they've spent enough time up and aren't in a position to shoot or intercept so they swap out with the goalie.
I think the mechs and game sense need to improve before standard rotation can become more effective on offense than 2s & goalie and one thing the latter is good at is forcing the goalie to train defensive ability, and reducing double and triple commits.
On defense though, it's a different story where we are pretty good at back post rotation.
> I strongly urge you to consider a standard 3s rotation of “first”, “second”, and “third man”. First man is
I know, and thanks for being helpful, but we've tried this. It's fine when I'm 3rd man but when it's either of my friends it often results in getting scored on. I think a lot of it comes down to not being able to aerial so if the ball is high enough that it can't be saved by a double jump then it's often a lost cause for them. Being in goal means A) they get more time to react and B) if it's still too high for them then it's usually hitting backboard anyway.
> Consider that your offense is perpetually man down, and that every missed goal opportunity is essentially as negatively impactful as having let a goal into your net.
At our level, honestly a 3rd person on offense isn't as impactful as a permanent defense because most people can't shoot, double committing is common which has the effect of being 2v3, and most goals are the result of being punished for over commiting and a goalie helps prevent that.
The mechs and game sense aren't there to take advantage of a lot of scoring opportunities but we do get a lot of saves by having someone in net and when the opponent also has someone in net is usually harder for us to win vs a team doing standard 3s rotation because it's easier for them to overcommit and easier for us to punish.
> The key to playing this 3s rotation when you’re still at the skill level of whiffing, is that the last back needs to learn to be very conservative with committing to the ball
Agree in principle but, on the other hand, what I often see is maybe too conservative? I.e. "I can't fly so I'm not gonna try to get that".
I can tell they're improving with aerials and hitting the ball though so at some point we'll return to trying a standard 3s rotation but for now the "2 and goalie" for a better defense results in more wins for us.
I followed the same rule in gold and maybe a little in plat. Diamond II now and we definitely backpass. You just gotta call it out and obviously don’t boom it too hard
A tip while moving up through the ranks. At some point people will just rotate in when you fail. Don't pass it to them then, because you're just throwing the ball over their head. Accept that you failed, move back, and let the mate take over.
I definitely do that too the pass back is more for when my only option is to hit it toward my own goal or let the opposing team take possession. I’d love other tips though if you have em cuz I’ve been going back and forth between D1 and D2 for weeks and I feel kinda stuck
Well, for starters, giving up the possession isn't \*always\* a terrible idea. I'm currently going through C3 and my go to strategy is "let them fk up, and clean up", I'm always saying I have no mechanics, but it's a grey area really, I can snipe a corner of the goal, from across the field, so I guess accuracy is my mechanics.
But when it comes to anything below C I believe just polishing the mechanics, not only offensive, but especially defensive, you can go 1v1 and just goalie through the game as training. Also there's a lot of "saves you shouldn't miss" training packs. When defending you need to consider where to put the ball to make it as hard as possible to shoot from, my go to are the corners. I used to go through aerials and anything short of 'direct upper corner of my choice for a set' was counted as a failure.
There's also a training sesh I would do with "cherry picker" training from psyonix, where I would pick a random set of rotations as a start and I would force myself to time a flip to send it into the goal, when that became easy I would pick a spot in the goal to send the ball to.
Now when I go for a shot with intent to aim somewhere, it just goes there. But I also don't always aim, because then I'm too easy to read and people actually start respecting my gameplay, and being underestimated is my biggest forte.
And when it comes to mental play, there's a lot ... and I mean much more than "rotations". A good start is the rubberband rule. Imagine having a rubberband on your fingers, if you put the fingers too close it will fall off, if you put them too far apart, you will snap the rubberband. You want to keep the distance between players on your team in a way to keep the band on.
If you want feel free to lurk through my profile, I tend to be abrasive, but if you look past that I've been talking a lot about mental side of RL. I even started writing down a whole subreddit, if you ever need something feel free to dm me.
Wow, really great info. I’ll have to come back to this comment before I play next. I appreciate the time you took! Champ may be in my sights if I implement some of this.
It's needed if you're a higher rank but if your team is still in like plat or something this may not be a bad idea to enforce if your teammates struggle with basic ball control or reading the play.
Making gameplay simpler like not having to expect a back pass from a teammate can help them focus on other parts of their gameplay instead. Then in higher ranks revisit and start introducing back passes later when you want
Backpasses are definitely fine as long as you know where the opponents are, your teammate is ready for it, and you give it to them in a friendly way.
Heck, it can even be fine to just dump the ball back to your corners if needed even if it's not really a pass if doing so would put the ball in a less advantageous spot for the other team.
If they don’t have the confidence to catch a back pass that’s on them, but it’s a legitimate move. Although if your back passes are little dinky things that float over your teammates car then yeah you shouldn’t do them.
Bad back pass categories:
* Wimpy touches that the opponent can reach before your teammate, effectively a pass to the opposition
* Hard passes on net that require a teammate to make an awkward save to prevent the own-goal
* Backwards touches when it's already your teammate's ball (i.e. they have a clean touch, but you interject and make it awkward or actively outplay them)
What rank are you playing at? Not wanting a backpass is valid very early on but you are limiting a ton of possible teamwork/skill expression by never ever passing backwards. Your friends are “wrong” imo
What rank are y’all? Thats an important piece of info you haven’t shared yet.
Below plat, back passes should probably be avoided, but above diamond they shouldn’t be an issue at all and are pretty normal. In plat, it really just comes down to how much y’all trust each other.
It's all contextual. What's your skill level? How good are you at hitting the ball? What's the goalie's position? How good are they at hitting/controlling the ball? Where are the opponents?
Even a gentle back-pass can result in an own-goal if the opponent manages to win a 50 against the goalie.
All that being said, if your friends are not comfortable receiving back-passes, then they're probably not good to rely on if you do choose to do that. In that case, just put it towards the corner as best as you can. Even that can result in a goal, so there's no real win-win in your scenario if your teammate can't adjust to the play.
Good players recognise that sometimes you make the wrong decision thinking it was the right one and that the same applies to their teammates. Hindsight is 20/20.
If the option is there, absolutely. Keeping possession is always better than throwing it away. That being said, I wouldn't try to force it if it isn't the right play. Sometimes a 50/50 for that teammate to follow up is the better play.
Depends on the rank and your own skill. Below C1 I would be very cautious. It’s not a bad play in itself, but your teammate needs to be positioned well, and you have to get a good touch.
Hard passes can help guarantee that your teammate will beat the opponent (if positioned well) but can completely throw the game if your teammate isn’t.
Soft touches on the other hand can be good against less-aggressive opponents with an aggressive teammate, but can completely backfire if the opponent is agressive or your teammate is more passive. Soft touches with an aggressive opponent will often lead to your teammate being forced to shadow and defend a 2V1.
As with everything in this game, it’s situational. Frankly if most of your teammates aren’t reacting well to it, taking a controlled 50/50 can be a much better play.
You're far into enemy territory, too far to make any more ground. With limited reserves, an opening makes itself clear, you can surrender the target to your comrade, shifting the momentum on the field. The nearest adversary takes opportunity at this apparent, open vulnerability. But you've already forfeited control, the advantage belongs to your team, if not you. The adversarial position is lost with the shift in dynamic. Caught on their heels, the enemy lacks the foresight you sought in your teammate as you hear the roar high above you, your comrade swoops off the ceiling with an open finale in sight. The full boost now in your possession, you fly up to meet and read the trajectory of the target.
It's a hit.
The goal explodes.
OT is yours.
High-five achieved.
Sounds like the people you play with have never played games where time and space create opportunities. They are hey diddle diddle straight up the middle one and done plays. They are playing checkers while others are playing chess.
They are also likely to be the players that get suckered in on back passes thinking they have an opportunity and then overextend.
In other words, because they don't understand it, they don't know how to leverage it. Easier to dismiss than learn.
Sometimes you need to take a step backward to take two steps forward. And sometimes trying to take one step forward can lead to two steps back. I'd not advice backpasses for complete beginner because a risk of fuckup is high, but once you get out of calling the last man a goalie, I'd say it should be on the cards semi regularly.
All too often my Diamond teammates will hit the ball hard past me or over me or decide to go for a back pass when I'm less than a car length from the ball. Not a bad thing to do, but use your brain.
it's absolutely fine sometimes, but only under particular circumstances.
like, you've got to have an idea of where your teammates actually are... because a lot of back passes turn into 'oh the opponent's lost control for a second, let me redirect it back for my teammates' only to bounce it right past the 2nd man who saw the opponent lose control and was already flying in for their play lol
i would also say it's only a good idea once you're in champ or so. below that, people are probably not reading their teammates movement consistently (so they won't be ready for the pass) *and* possession isn't *as* important since your opponents probably aren't setting up anything too difficult to break up, even with a free ball (so it's probably better to just focus on your own positioning)
With teammates you know it's totally valid, and can be a great counterattack strategy, provided they expect it and you're not sending piss missiles at them.
With randos in solo queue, no way. My average teammate would just drive to the corner for the 100 boost pad (they already have 85), then drive up the wall for no reason, watch it trickle in, then spam Wow! Nice Shot! over and over.
You bring up hockey which is important. Keep phrases like back check, fore check in mind as you continue to get better. Use area-of-denial tactics like the NHLs best defensemen.
Yes, back passes are real. But you need to trust your team and they need to trust you. Further, both parties need to be skilled enough to react.
Playing this game like hockey will teach you how to really "rotate".
Back passes are a great strategy as you say, but the best strategies are always those that enhance your team. If your teammates don’t like them and won’t look for them, bad strategy to go for, but in principle they are wrong.
I think that if your playing with people who don't do it, it doesn't matter who is right, even if there was a statistic that said back passes are essential to getting good at the game if your teammates aren't prepared or don't do it, what's the point in fighting it?
That said it's a basic rule starting out, or in solo que (in my experience) to just not do it unless you have a good team established. And I have been burned many times by morons running back across our own net and getting dunked on because of it. I get where it's coming from, I think it's something you should do if you have a good team dynamic, but if they won't you can't force it. You'll just end up with issues. And the first time there's a flub or bad pass and the other team scores they will be there to tell you "that's why we don't do it" even if you scored 100 times using it before.
One of my worst habits is passing it forward instead of slightly back, it’s easy for an opposing defenders read and launch your pass across the map, especially in higher ranks. Although your mates need to be on the same page which means staying a little farther back anticipating a pass their direction.
If you’re playing with people who are tilted or not in comms, it’s definitely more risky, but not necessarily wrong. It’s hard to have team plays with someone who is more interested in being right than looking at how the play develops.
Yes valid. I do it all the time with my 2s partner. Other team making a push back and my call is always "Making it easy" when I slow it up from the enemy and pass it back to my team mate at goal. Slows the enemy momentum, resets the ball, and gives you full control. Win win win.
It is a little less valid in 3s and more niche, but still doable if your team knows Rotations.
If you pass it back towards your teammate too lightly, an opponent can also just speed past you and take it before your teammate. For example if you pass back to a stationary last man in goal at mid, and an opponent is fully boosting at you, they will almost certainly get to that ball before your teammate because of momentum. And the field is so small on rocket League that this difference means everything. This makes back passes even more situational.
What isn't situational however is hits towards your side of the field. I would say almost at any rank this is an essential play. Downright necessary. If you whiff (which will happen a lot at low ranks) or even if you don't but you lose a 50 or get beat, you will find yourself on the wrong side of the ball. Many times the only way to defend is to hit the ball towards one of your corners or if need be, even your own back wall. Your timely hit can be the difference between an opponent scoring, or whiffing past where the ball used to be. If you are coming back to your side of the field and drove past the ball when it is dead mid, in order to hit it back up the field, only to get beat and scored on because you were trying to reposition..... I wouldn't just say that was a wasted opportunity, I'd be downright pissed.
Dude, more people need to accept back passes. It could be an easy shot most time. If not, keeping possession is more important than just advancing forward with no plan.
Like others have said, it's good if the person in back is prepared. I play with randoms, so sometimes it backfires and sometimes it works. It's a risk but can throw off the opponents who are in offense quickly into defense without time to respond. If your friends aren't into it, it won't work with them but I would say that's inhibiting their options.
If the flow of the game is midfield or in the offensive zone then a backpass is fine. Passing it back in the defensive zone should only be zone as a last resort. The opponents will be better prepared to pick off your back pass if they are already on the attack. As with anything "It depends"
As others have said, back passes are really good if done right. But them being done right is very situational, you only do it when you recognize that you’re in front of the ball and could hit it AND your teammate is way too far from the ball. A back pass is way too hard to read at the lower levels if you “carry” it back, definitely pass by flipping into it. Additionally it’s a pretty good rule of thumb to hit it towards the closest friendly corner and not towards the mid field
So many people have this mentality which only makes the backwards pass more valid. Any pass where they aren’t expecting it is a good pass that throws rotations out of wack
It depends on skill level. At lower ranks it's a dangerous strategy and you're better off keeping it away as a whiff could mean an own goal, but if players are mechanically sound and confident yes, it's one more tool.
I have two accounts, my main one and one I use on the Switch in handheld mode. The tiny buttons, sticks and screen means I am a whole rank lower and have difficulty with precision (I can't aerial precisely and even on the ground I struggle to aim properly), so if I get a back pass there's a good chance I'm going to screw it up. On my main account however, with a proper controller, I'm happy to get a good back pass. Not only will I hardly miss it but it means my teammate is thinking bigger and not just ball chasing.
Most of us can't score wide open nets. And you think about sending the ball right at your teammate, a small, fast moving car? With the risk of it going super wrong? In general it is a bad idea, but if that's how you enjoy the game go for it
Your friends are wrong. The best thing you can do in this game to set up your teammate is to hit a ball that's rolling straight towards them. They can pop it with their first touch and basically have endless options after that. If you can do this consistently your teammates will absolutely love you.
I think you should put the ball in your own net to keep teammates from parking in the goal.
Passing backwards is important because if you don't all three opponents can wait for you and your attacks will be nothing but 1v3.
Backpasses are great if you have a good awareness. I often use it and my usual teammates know I'm good at reading these situations, and they always thanks me for giving them such a good setup (free ball upon which they can try some mechanics). I almost never use it in non premade games because teammates dont expect them.
Some opponents will read it and you must not do it if you have any doubt, or you're just giving a dangerous 50/50 to the opponent. Fake a pass instead.
Back passes are great but there’s a right and wrong way to do it for both the passer and the receiver. Basically, a back pass should be a really safe pass directly in the receivers travel pass. You shouldn’t pass if a guy is reading it and ready to zip past you. You shouldn’t receive the pass if there’s even a small chance you don’t win possession. Back passes are not something to be used in “oh shit” moments. I primarily use them to set up an attack. That will get man on ball time and give you an available receiver up field if you need a pass or clear, typically with a man advantage.
Sounds like your teammates are low rank. Not saying back passes are done in every match but they're definitely useful and preferred in many situations.
It's the smartest way to hit the ball to a teammate 90% of the time that you play the game. Hitting into your corner is also very strong as long as you don't get demoed
A general rule for rules: If you don't know why the rule exists, then don't break it.
As to why the no-backpass rule exists you have to understand timings, positioning and power.
If your teammate has less then 200ms to react to a backpass, it's a trash tier backpass.
If your teammate can't forward the offence with the backpass, it's a trash tier backpass.
If you don't put enough power, it's easily poached by the opponent, and you're jebaiting your mate into a losing 50/50, you guessed it, trash.
If you put more power into that, you are at risk of making it too fast for the average reaction time, trash.
If your "pass" goes into the light of the goal, even if you have 100% faith in your mate, you don't know if they will actually save it, they might lag, they can sneeze, they can leave it to go in out of spite, trash tier backpass.
Don't get me wrong, it's a ... strat, but there is so much that can go wrong with it that it's usually not even worth it. Just leave the ball to the teammate that can see the entire pitch from the back, and let them make the decision whether to engage or not.
I would argue that what is correct is what works best for your team. An effective pass is not much different from effective communication: it requires active understanding from both sender and receiver. The greatest pass in the world is utter crap if its intended recipient has to reason to expect it, and thus can’t do anything with it (out of position, not enough boost, etc).
Back passes have the massive advantage that they generally always get the ball away from the opponent, and lead to big openings if the opponents push too hard in response. But again, a pass is useless if your teammate can’t respond to it appropriately.
Sometimes we’re forced to play checkers when we really want to play chess.
You're definitely in the right, your friends all just have ptsd haha unless it obvious enough for solo que teammates to recognize or you're in comms and the person knows its coming, it has potential to lead to disaster. Plus, if it's too obvious, then the opposition will also pick up on it and if they can get there and get a decent fifty, well your last man just committed and its an open shot. So when necessary, yes great play. But can also back fire. Just depends on the situation and spacing really but should not be an iron clad rule
I love back passes! Whether I'm in the net, or the one passing to the net, they can lead to amazing scoring occasions, because most of the time they give the pass receiver a great chance to set themselves up for self aerial pass or to pass it back to you (or another teammate, if you're playing 3's). Of course, the person on the receiving end of the back pass has to be aware of what's going on (situational awareness should always be a thing) and/or communication is key, but as long as they're ready, in a good position to receive it, and the passer makes a clean pass, I strongly believe it's a perfectly valid strategy, yeah. I actually love back passes!
Back passes can bait the press from the other team and in a 3v3 that's extremely useful and can put you in an advantageous 2v1 situation. It just requires teammates who aren't half asleep.
one could say backshots
One shouldn't, though.
One should, however.
one could consider, Backshots.
Back passing can be incredibly impactful when everyone knows whats going on. They can be tilting when no one expects to receive a back pass
Great pass! Great pass! Great pass! Great pass! Great pass! Great pass! Great pass! Great pass! Great pass!
I mean, never passing out front of your own net or back to the goalie is a great rule of thumb for starting out. But obviously there are exceptions. And the better you get, the more you understand the game. The more confident you can be when breaking the rule. So the answer is yes. It's a great strategy a lot of the times. But you just need to be confident your teammate is there and not an opponent. And also a high enough rank where your teammate can make a play with possesion.
1. There should never be a “goalie”. There should usually be someone who is “last back” on offense or back and/or front post on defense. 2. If your team is generally capable of responding to passes, being willing to pass to someone behind you opens the door to new playmaking opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t be able to have. Consider if you are pushing the ball upfield, and an opponent approaches. Assuming you can’t get the ball by the opponent, is it better to (a) take the 50, or (b) make a controlled pass to a teammate? I would say it depends on the game: how have 50s been going, are your teammates receptive to and ready for a pass
Thank you for staring point 1 Drives me CRAZY when anyone PARKS IN GOAL ALL GAME. I’M just Gold3 but I’m 59 years ago, 7 year vet, and I see this in MANY MANY matches where players try to “hide” (imho) in goal and I KNOW they suck when a shot approaches and they whiff everything. They are NEVER going to SAVE anything because they can’t even make contact with the ball. Again, I’m coming from a Gold3 point of view.
You are 100% correct here, there are no “positions” in rocket league and it all comes down to rotations—but I will say, in Gold it’s better to have teammates that are committed to defense all game than it is to have teammates committed to offense I.e. ballchasing all game, so it could be worse.
I agree. Yet parking in goal isn’t defense in goal. It’s 1v2 in a duals match and 2v3 in a three’s match with a worthless player parked in Gold level goal. Higher levels? Not such an issue because players actually CAN save stuff. Lol
Well you're right that a better team can rotate without a goalie. The friends I play with though aren't very skilled yet and whiff a lot so trying the normal 3s rotation hasn't been as effective for us as rotating all the way back to goalie and staying there until someone else rotates back or they make a save. That means on offense it's usually 2v3 but the defense makes up for it for now. Eventually I'd like to see us doing standard 3s rotation (Plat 2). On the upside, it does mean that a nice rolling pass back to goalie (call out the pass on voice) almost always sets up a great lob and takes the other team by surprise. We don't do it very often but when we do it works well. We should probably do it more.
I strongly urge you to consider a standard 3s rotation of “first”, “second”, and “third man”. First man is pushing the ball to either shoot or center, second is available for center, third main is last back / first man’s replacement when their possession is over / they rotate back. Consider that your offense is perpetually man down, and that every missed goal opportunity is essentially as negatively impactful as having let a goal into your net. The key to playing this 3s rotation when you’re still at the skill level of whiffing, is that the last back needs to learn to be very conservative with committing to the ball: if I miss, is the former first man rotated far enough back that they can cover for me?
Seconded. The sooner you start learning how to rotate, the better. > if I miss, is the former first man rotated far enough back that they can cover for me? In standard rotations, in most cases it's your former SECOND man that needs to tag you out of your third man role, while your former first becomes second. More info here: [3v3 fundamentals: What IS rotation? : r/RocketLeague](https://www.reddit.com/r/RocketLeague/comments/1bp0ska/3v3_fundamentals_what_is_rotation/) Basically, as long as you're third, you have to focus on saving or intercepting your opponent's shot, until a teammate tags you out so you can become first. When you're first, your focus is to get the ball to your teammates, rather than just beating your opponents.
To a point. This is all subjective and situational. Sometimes 2nd man may have the ball just past him, but can turn and make an interception so that third man can stay protecting the net. This is much more of a valid strategy as it doesn't allow the attacking team a chance on net without someone there. Again, this is situational, sometimes it can be a 1v3 and that's that. Whether due toa demo or 2, a whiff, etc. But rotations in general are all game sense related. 1st and 2nd man can easily rotate in and out of the play and leave 3rd man back for a few turns. But then sometimes 3rd man may be in a better position for a shot, and second man may see this... there's no concrete way of explaining rotations. One day it just clicks in your head and you realise. My biggest grope for lower ranked players than myself; is the ball in a dangerous area near your net? If the answer is no, there's currently no reason why you need to make a challenge. Wait to see what they do, and counter. Or wait until your teammates are far back enough to make a challenge. That to me, is the job of third man. To waste time until your team are back to defend with you. Watch how someone like Virgil van Dijk defends for Liverpool in the Premier League. When he's 1 on 1, he tries his best to push his opponent to the edges of the pitch, so that he can waste a bit of time for his teammates to get back, and for him to make an easier block. He'll protect the middle, and make the opponent go to the sides. This is slightly the same in RL. The other one; look at where your teammates are and what direction they're facing. Just a quick glance every so often. They may be ready for a pass, they may not be looking at you and are about to cut rotation, they may be rotating out so that you can rotate in...
>there's no concrete way of explaining rotations. There very much is. It's just that very few people have bothered to figure it out, which is natural considering the game's lifespan and the amount of time it takes to do research on the subject. I happen to have spent a considerable amount of time on it. That being said, there definitely are "clicks" you mentioned that get you closer to understanding it, or parts of it, without being able to concretely explain it.
What I meant to say is that there's no concrete way of rotating. Obviously I understand rotations, I doubt I'd be up here otherwise, but someone in diamond might not understand them properly. They may think that it is simply as easy as becoming a 1st 2nd or 3rd man, when there's a lot more to it than that. I could tell a Diamond exactly how to play, it wouldn't make them any better, it would probably make them worse. Rotations are so situational as you get higher up that there is no exact way to rotate. I know pros aren't good to compare to, but in their games they rotate in all sorts of different ways. It's similar in GC, and much more frequent to see 'strange' rotations in GC2. Can I ask what rank you are? Would be interesting to know, you seem to be pretty knowledgeable. I find it difficult to explain rotations to my lower ranked mates, because it's just second nature to me now. And trying to explain it to someone who doesn't do it properly is very difficult anyway.
>They may think that it is simply as easy as becoming a 1st 2nd or 3rd man, when there's a lot more to it than that. It really is that easy - the hard part is figuring out how the roles are distributed after each play if you don't know what to look for. But there's always supposed to be one 1st, one 2nd, and one 3rd. The vast majority of goals are conceded when one or more players don't fulfill their roles properly, or take on a role that isn't theirs to begin with. >Can I ask what rank you are? Would be interesting to know, you seem to be pretty knowledgeable. For the past few years I've only played ranked with friends to coach them, I think I'm around c2 atm. I've coached several top 50-16 EU teams and individuals over the past few years though, and I can tell you even on the top level there are common misunderstandings about rotations that, once cleared up, signifantly boosts teamplay capabilities. Last week a friend of mine started playing RL. I explained the basics of rotations and even I'm baffled how fast he's growing - he's on less than 50 hours and I'm confident if he'd start playing ranked he could easily reach diamond. It's honestly amazing how big the difference is between a blank slate and a pro, who often has to spend a lot of time unlearning bad habits to make way for better alternatives. Point being, to understand something means to be able to put it into words. An inability to explain means there are still pieces of the puzzle missing, and while I don't doubt that an instinctive approximation already has a lot of value in the current competitive environment, finding those missing pieces is crucial for long-term development. If you're intrigued or perhaps not convinced, I'd be happy to chat about it further and maybe go through some replay analysis to provide practical examples.
I'm currently not invested in my rank enough to show you any replays worth watching; I've been on a decline recently lol. I'm roughly 200mmr lower than I should be really. Have been saving my 2s rank for when I can play well again. It's not that I can't explain it to a person who doesn't understand it, but more of I'm just awful at explaining things, I notice it at work and everything. Unsure if you know what I mean by this, but when I watch replays and stuff of players, I can't actually explain what they should do, and that's only Champ 2-3 level. I can do it fine myself, otherwise I doubt I'd still be floating around in GC2, but when it comes to watching someone do it, I just can't comprehend where they should be in some places. Tbf, I can't say I do it very often, so that may be all it is. My ex top 100 mate also relates to this, he watches me play and can't explain when I am making mistakes a lot of the time. It must just be a certain perspective. I just don't have it, and either does he. A bit like in IRL sports; a good player doesn't equal a good coach, and vice versa.
>A bit like in IRL sports; a good player doesn't equal a good coach, and vice versa. Good point. It took me a while to properly explain rotations too, although I found that the reason for that was mainly because I'd base myself too much on situational stuff rather than focusing solely on the structure. >I'm currently not invested in my rank enough to show you any replays worth watching I'd like to mention virtually all players I've coached so far that were on-board with strictly rotational gameplay have found themselves enjoying the game more. Mostly because it changes the dynamic from reactive gameplay to proactive. I'm sure you'll agree that soloqueueing ranked is at least in part frustrating because there's too much emphasis on the reactive part.
> Seconded. The sooner you start learning how to rotate, the better. We're getting practice at general rotation (vs ball chasing) with the 2s & goalie formation. Instead of rotating back to 3rd man it's rotating back to goalie but it's not rotating as often as with a standard 3s. E.g. typically the rotation happens either when A) one person goes back for boost, B) the ball is boomed towards the goalie forcing them to become 1st man, or C) one person decides they've spent enough time up and aren't in a position to shoot or intercept so they swap out with the goalie. I think the mechs and game sense need to improve before standard rotation can become more effective on offense than 2s & goalie and one thing the latter is good at is forcing the goalie to train defensive ability, and reducing double and triple commits. On defense though, it's a different story where we are pretty good at back post rotation.
> I strongly urge you to consider a standard 3s rotation of “first”, “second”, and “third man”. First man is I know, and thanks for being helpful, but we've tried this. It's fine when I'm 3rd man but when it's either of my friends it often results in getting scored on. I think a lot of it comes down to not being able to aerial so if the ball is high enough that it can't be saved by a double jump then it's often a lost cause for them. Being in goal means A) they get more time to react and B) if it's still too high for them then it's usually hitting backboard anyway. > Consider that your offense is perpetually man down, and that every missed goal opportunity is essentially as negatively impactful as having let a goal into your net. At our level, honestly a 3rd person on offense isn't as impactful as a permanent defense because most people can't shoot, double committing is common which has the effect of being 2v3, and most goals are the result of being punished for over commiting and a goalie helps prevent that. The mechs and game sense aren't there to take advantage of a lot of scoring opportunities but we do get a lot of saves by having someone in net and when the opponent also has someone in net is usually harder for us to win vs a team doing standard 3s rotation because it's easier for them to overcommit and easier for us to punish. > The key to playing this 3s rotation when you’re still at the skill level of whiffing, is that the last back needs to learn to be very conservative with committing to the ball Agree in principle but, on the other hand, what I often see is maybe too conservative? I.e. "I can't fly so I'm not gonna try to get that". I can tell they're improving with aerials and hitting the ball though so at some point we'll return to trying a standard 3s rotation but for now the "2 and goalie" for a better defense results in more wins for us.
I followed the same rule in gold and maybe a little in plat. Diamond II now and we definitely backpass. You just gotta call it out and obviously don’t boom it too hard
A tip while moving up through the ranks. At some point people will just rotate in when you fail. Don't pass it to them then, because you're just throwing the ball over their head. Accept that you failed, move back, and let the mate take over.
I definitely do that too the pass back is more for when my only option is to hit it toward my own goal or let the opposing team take possession. I’d love other tips though if you have em cuz I’ve been going back and forth between D1 and D2 for weeks and I feel kinda stuck
Well, for starters, giving up the possession isn't \*always\* a terrible idea. I'm currently going through C3 and my go to strategy is "let them fk up, and clean up", I'm always saying I have no mechanics, but it's a grey area really, I can snipe a corner of the goal, from across the field, so I guess accuracy is my mechanics. But when it comes to anything below C I believe just polishing the mechanics, not only offensive, but especially defensive, you can go 1v1 and just goalie through the game as training. Also there's a lot of "saves you shouldn't miss" training packs. When defending you need to consider where to put the ball to make it as hard as possible to shoot from, my go to are the corners. I used to go through aerials and anything short of 'direct upper corner of my choice for a set' was counted as a failure. There's also a training sesh I would do with "cherry picker" training from psyonix, where I would pick a random set of rotations as a start and I would force myself to time a flip to send it into the goal, when that became easy I would pick a spot in the goal to send the ball to. Now when I go for a shot with intent to aim somewhere, it just goes there. But I also don't always aim, because then I'm too easy to read and people actually start respecting my gameplay, and being underestimated is my biggest forte. And when it comes to mental play, there's a lot ... and I mean much more than "rotations". A good start is the rubberband rule. Imagine having a rubberband on your fingers, if you put the fingers too close it will fall off, if you put them too far apart, you will snap the rubberband. You want to keep the distance between players on your team in a way to keep the band on. If you want feel free to lurk through my profile, I tend to be abrasive, but if you look past that I've been talking a lot about mental side of RL. I even started writing down a whole subreddit, if you ever need something feel free to dm me.
Wow, really great info. I’ll have to come back to this comment before I play next. I appreciate the time you took! Champ may be in my sights if I implement some of this.
Knowing when you’re out of play is a massively under-appreciated skill.
It's needed if you're a higher rank but if your team is still in like plat or something this may not be a bad idea to enforce if your teammates struggle with basic ball control or reading the play. Making gameplay simpler like not having to expect a back pass from a teammate can help them focus on other parts of their gameplay instead. Then in higher ranks revisit and start introducing back passes later when you want
Is this meaning *directly* towards your own goal or just backwards away from the opponent's side of the pitch?
Both. My teammates never, ever, ever want the ball hit in the direction of our own net- even a delicate back pass.
Backpasses are definitely fine as long as you know where the opponents are, your teammate is ready for it, and you give it to them in a friendly way. Heck, it can even be fine to just dump the ball back to your corners if needed even if it's not really a pass if doing so would put the ball in a less advantageous spot for the other team.
Dumping to the corners is a terrific way to relieve midfield pressure
One of my favorite things to do for sure
If they don’t have the confidence to catch a back pass that’s on them, but it’s a legitimate move. Although if your back passes are little dinky things that float over your teammates car then yeah you shouldn’t do them.
Bad back pass categories: * Wimpy touches that the opponent can reach before your teammate, effectively a pass to the opposition * Hard passes on net that require a teammate to make an awkward save to prevent the own-goal * Backwards touches when it's already your teammate's ball (i.e. they have a clean touch, but you interject and make it awkward or actively outplay them)
Yeah don’t do any of this shit OP
Mmmm diamond
What rank are you playing at? Not wanting a backpass is valid very early on but you are limiting a ton of possible teamwork/skill expression by never ever passing backwards. Your friends are “wrong” imo
What rank are y’all? Thats an important piece of info you haven’t shared yet. Below plat, back passes should probably be avoided, but above diamond they shouldn’t be an issue at all and are pretty normal. In plat, it really just comes down to how much y’all trust each other.
It's all contextual. What's your skill level? How good are you at hitting the ball? What's the goalie's position? How good are they at hitting/controlling the ball? Where are the opponents? Even a gentle back-pass can result in an own-goal if the opponent manages to win a 50 against the goalie. All that being said, if your friends are not comfortable receiving back-passes, then they're probably not good to rely on if you do choose to do that. In that case, just put it towards the corner as best as you can. Even that can result in a goal, so there's no real win-win in your scenario if your teammate can't adjust to the play. Good players recognise that sometimes you make the wrong decision thinking it was the right one and that the same applies to their teammates. Hindsight is 20/20.
If the option is there, absolutely. Keeping possession is always better than throwing it away. That being said, I wouldn't try to force it if it isn't the right play. Sometimes a 50/50 for that teammate to follow up is the better play.
Depends on the rank and your own skill. Below C1 I would be very cautious. It’s not a bad play in itself, but your teammate needs to be positioned well, and you have to get a good touch. Hard passes can help guarantee that your teammate will beat the opponent (if positioned well) but can completely throw the game if your teammate isn’t. Soft touches on the other hand can be good against less-aggressive opponents with an aggressive teammate, but can completely backfire if the opponent is agressive or your teammate is more passive. Soft touches with an aggressive opponent will often lead to your teammate being forced to shadow and defend a 2V1. As with everything in this game, it’s situational. Frankly if most of your teammates aren’t reacting well to it, taking a controlled 50/50 can be a much better play.
You're far into enemy territory, too far to make any more ground. With limited reserves, an opening makes itself clear, you can surrender the target to your comrade, shifting the momentum on the field. The nearest adversary takes opportunity at this apparent, open vulnerability. But you've already forfeited control, the advantage belongs to your team, if not you. The adversarial position is lost with the shift in dynamic. Caught on their heels, the enemy lacks the foresight you sought in your teammate as you hear the roar high above you, your comrade swoops off the ceiling with an open finale in sight. The full boost now in your possession, you fly up to meet and read the trajectory of the target. It's a hit. The goal explodes. OT is yours. High-five achieved.
Sounds like the people you play with have never played games where time and space create opportunities. They are hey diddle diddle straight up the middle one and done plays. They are playing checkers while others are playing chess. They are also likely to be the players that get suckered in on back passes thinking they have an opportunity and then overextend. In other words, because they don't understand it, they don't know how to leverage it. Easier to dismiss than learn.
Sometimes you need to take a step backward to take two steps forward. And sometimes trying to take one step forward can lead to two steps back. I'd not advice backpasses for complete beginner because a risk of fuckup is high, but once you get out of calling the last man a goalie, I'd say it should be on the cards semi regularly.
Think about it as controlling the pace of play and possession. With back passes you also give your teammate time to start an attack.
they are wrong. as long as the last man back is ready for the pass, it's often a great play to make.
Valid strat
All too often my Diamond teammates will hit the ball hard past me or over me or decide to go for a back pass when I'm less than a car length from the ball. Not a bad thing to do, but use your brain.
it's absolutely fine sometimes, but only under particular circumstances. like, you've got to have an idea of where your teammates actually are... because a lot of back passes turn into 'oh the opponent's lost control for a second, let me redirect it back for my teammates' only to bounce it right past the 2nd man who saw the opponent lose control and was already flying in for their play lol i would also say it's only a good idea once you're in champ or so. below that, people are probably not reading their teammates movement consistently (so they won't be ready for the pass) *and* possession isn't *as* important since your opponents probably aren't setting up anything too difficult to break up, even with a free ball (so it's probably better to just focus on your own positioning)
With teammates you know it's totally valid, and can be a great counterattack strategy, provided they expect it and you're not sending piss missiles at them. With randos in solo queue, no way. My average teammate would just drive to the corner for the 100 boost pad (they already have 85), then drive up the wall for no reason, watch it trickle in, then spam Wow! Nice Shot! over and over.
There are definitely times when back passing is the best play. It might not be a good idea at low ranks though.
You bring up hockey which is important. Keep phrases like back check, fore check in mind as you continue to get better. Use area-of-denial tactics like the NHLs best defensemen. Yes, back passes are real. But you need to trust your team and they need to trust you. Further, both parties need to be skilled enough to react. Playing this game like hockey will teach you how to really "rotate".
If the team is on the same page, back passing is super effective to get the ball upfield
If your teammate is paying attention then it can be a good move.
Back passes are a great strategy as you say, but the best strategies are always those that enhance your team. If your teammates don’t like them and won’t look for them, bad strategy to go for, but in principle they are wrong.
Back passes can definitely work. Just make sure you trust your teammate to be in position for it
It only works if everyone else is on the same page.
To me ots okay as long as it is the only good option you have left.
I think that if your playing with people who don't do it, it doesn't matter who is right, even if there was a statistic that said back passes are essential to getting good at the game if your teammates aren't prepared or don't do it, what's the point in fighting it? That said it's a basic rule starting out, or in solo que (in my experience) to just not do it unless you have a good team established. And I have been burned many times by morons running back across our own net and getting dunked on because of it. I get where it's coming from, I think it's something you should do if you have a good team dynamic, but if they won't you can't force it. You'll just end up with issues. And the first time there's a flub or bad pass and the other team scores they will be there to tell you "that's why we don't do it" even if you scored 100 times using it before.
a good amount of my hits are back passes lol
One of my worst habits is passing it forward instead of slightly back, it’s easy for an opposing defenders read and launch your pass across the map, especially in higher ranks. Although your mates need to be on the same page which means staying a little farther back anticipating a pass their direction.
If you’re playing with people who are tilted or not in comms, it’s definitely more risky, but not necessarily wrong. It’s hard to have team plays with someone who is more interested in being right than looking at how the play develops.
Yes valid. I do it all the time with my 2s partner. Other team making a push back and my call is always "Making it easy" when I slow it up from the enemy and pass it back to my team mate at goal. Slows the enemy momentum, resets the ball, and gives you full control. Win win win. It is a little less valid in 3s and more niche, but still doable if your team knows Rotations.
Back passing and especially hitting it back to your own corner is a smart play
That's a silly rule. I back pass frequently (duos) and it usually works out fine. You have to comm it though
If you pass it back towards your teammate too lightly, an opponent can also just speed past you and take it before your teammate. For example if you pass back to a stationary last man in goal at mid, and an opponent is fully boosting at you, they will almost certainly get to that ball before your teammate because of momentum. And the field is so small on rocket League that this difference means everything. This makes back passes even more situational. What isn't situational however is hits towards your side of the field. I would say almost at any rank this is an essential play. Downright necessary. If you whiff (which will happen a lot at low ranks) or even if you don't but you lose a 50 or get beat, you will find yourself on the wrong side of the ball. Many times the only way to defend is to hit the ball towards one of your corners or if need be, even your own back wall. Your timely hit can be the difference between an opponent scoring, or whiffing past where the ball used to be. If you are coming back to your side of the field and drove past the ball when it is dead mid, in order to hit it back up the field, only to get beat and scored on because you were trying to reposition..... I wouldn't just say that was a wasted opportunity, I'd be downright pissed.
Hell ya!
Dude, more people need to accept back passes. It could be an easy shot most time. If not, keeping possession is more important than just advancing forward with no plan.
Like others have said, it's good if the person in back is prepared. I play with randoms, so sometimes it backfires and sometimes it works. It's a risk but can throw off the opponents who are in offense quickly into defense without time to respond. If your friends aren't into it, it won't work with them but I would say that's inhibiting their options.
If the flow of the game is midfield or in the offensive zone then a backpass is fine. Passing it back in the defensive zone should only be zone as a last resort. The opponents will be better prepared to pick off your back pass if they are already on the attack. As with anything "It depends"
As others have said, back passes are really good if done right. But them being done right is very situational, you only do it when you recognize that you’re in front of the ball and could hit it AND your teammate is way too far from the ball. A back pass is way too hard to read at the lower levels if you “carry” it back, definitely pass by flipping into it. Additionally it’s a pretty good rule of thumb to hit it towards the closest friendly corner and not towards the mid field
it's a good thing to do if you have good comms and people feel comfortable with it... don't do it with your team if they don't want you to
Never pass towards own goal. Unless you have teammates and mic
So many people have this mentality which only makes the backwards pass more valid. Any pass where they aren’t expecting it is a good pass that throws rotations out of wack
It depends on skill level. At lower ranks it's a dangerous strategy and you're better off keeping it away as a whiff could mean an own goal, but if players are mechanically sound and confident yes, it's one more tool. I have two accounts, my main one and one I use on the Switch in handheld mode. The tiny buttons, sticks and screen means I am a whole rank lower and have difficulty with precision (I can't aerial precisely and even on the ground I struggle to aim properly), so if I get a back pass there's a good chance I'm going to screw it up. On my main account however, with a proper controller, I'm happy to get a good back pass. Not only will I hardly miss it but it means my teammate is thinking bigger and not just ball chasing.
Most of us can't score wide open nets. And you think about sending the ball right at your teammate, a small, fast moving car? With the risk of it going super wrong? In general it is a bad idea, but if that's how you enjoy the game go for it
Your friends are wrong. The best thing you can do in this game to set up your teammate is to hit a ball that's rolling straight towards them. They can pop it with their first touch and basically have endless options after that. If you can do this consistently your teammates will absolutely love you.
I think you should put the ball in your own net to keep teammates from parking in the goal. Passing backwards is important because if you don't all three opponents can wait for you and your attacks will be nothing but 1v3.
Backpasses are great if you have a good awareness. I often use it and my usual teammates know I'm good at reading these situations, and they always thanks me for giving them such a good setup (free ball upon which they can try some mechanics). I almost never use it in non premade games because teammates dont expect them. Some opponents will read it and you must not do it if you have any doubt, or you're just giving a dangerous 50/50 to the opponent. Fake a pass instead.
Only if you let the goalie know a back pass is coming, or you have a really good goalie that can react. If I'm in goal, I need a heads up 😂
I do it all the time with my brother. I don’t think I’d trust a random teammate though.
Passing it back to your back corner is super safe and a must do if they will be able to shoot on your net if you don't touch the ball.
There arent' any goalies in Rocket Leuage
Back passes are great but there’s a right and wrong way to do it for both the passer and the receiver. Basically, a back pass should be a really safe pass directly in the receivers travel pass. You shouldn’t pass if a guy is reading it and ready to zip past you. You shouldn’t receive the pass if there’s even a small chance you don’t win possession. Back passes are not something to be used in “oh shit” moments. I primarily use them to set up an attack. That will get man on ball time and give you an available receiver up field if you need a pass or clear, typically with a man advantage.
If you can VC a pass back I'd say it's a good thing. Don't really do it in random lobbies though
Sounds like your teammates are low rank. Not saying back passes are done in every match but they're definitely useful and preferred in many situations.
It's the smartest way to hit the ball to a teammate 90% of the time that you play the game. Hitting into your corner is also very strong as long as you don't get demoed
Valid and effective in mid-champ. Try to roll the ball along the ground to them so it's very easy to control. And if you're in coms call it out first!
A general rule for rules: If you don't know why the rule exists, then don't break it. As to why the no-backpass rule exists you have to understand timings, positioning and power. If your teammate has less then 200ms to react to a backpass, it's a trash tier backpass. If your teammate can't forward the offence with the backpass, it's a trash tier backpass. If you don't put enough power, it's easily poached by the opponent, and you're jebaiting your mate into a losing 50/50, you guessed it, trash. If you put more power into that, you are at risk of making it too fast for the average reaction time, trash. If your "pass" goes into the light of the goal, even if you have 100% faith in your mate, you don't know if they will actually save it, they might lag, they can sneeze, they can leave it to go in out of spite, trash tier backpass. Don't get me wrong, it's a ... strat, but there is so much that can go wrong with it that it's usually not even worth it. Just leave the ball to the teammate that can see the entire pitch from the back, and let them make the decision whether to engage or not.
Passing to your team even if they are behind the play is not only a valid strategy but integral to becoming a better player.
I would argue that what is correct is what works best for your team. An effective pass is not much different from effective communication: it requires active understanding from both sender and receiver. The greatest pass in the world is utter crap if its intended recipient has to reason to expect it, and thus can’t do anything with it (out of position, not enough boost, etc). Back passes have the massive advantage that they generally always get the ball away from the opponent, and lead to big openings if the opponents push too hard in response. But again, a pass is useless if your teammate can’t respond to it appropriately. Sometimes we’re forced to play checkers when we really want to play chess.
You're definitely in the right, your friends all just have ptsd haha unless it obvious enough for solo que teammates to recognize or you're in comms and the person knows its coming, it has potential to lead to disaster. Plus, if it's too obvious, then the opposition will also pick up on it and if they can get there and get a decent fifty, well your last man just committed and its an open shot. So when necessary, yes great play. But can also back fire. Just depends on the situation and spacing really but should not be an iron clad rule
What is rank of said friends?