5 tips for beginners when starting Rocket League (2025)

Rocket League Season 18 released yesterday and has brought in new content, making it a great time to jump into the game. The fresh material includes a new map called Futura Gardens, the ranked playlists being wiped clean, and a new battle pass.

If you're a new player or just need some tips to get better at the game, here are five tips to make your Rocket League Season 18 journey easier.

Note: These tips solely represent the author's opinion.

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Rocket League: 5 tips for beginners

1) Do the tutorial

Select Training after the Play Game option on the main menu screen (Image via Psyonix LLC)

While this might seem evident to those familiar with the game, the training option contains more than the starting cinematic that teaches you the controls when you first open up the game.

Training teaches you the three basic play styles that every player must know to win matches. These are Aerial Control, being a Striker, and the Goalie stopping goals. Aerial Control and Strikers go hand in hand. Their main bread and butter is keeping possession of the ball within your team, defending from rivals, and finally setting up and scoring goals.

You can even queue up into a custom training game with your friends and try out tactics you wish to execute in matches.

Training Mode Options (Image via Psyonix LLC)

2) Choose your ride

The three car types at the beginning of the game (Image via Psyonix LLC)

When you first launch Rocket League, you have three options for vehicles: the Breakout, the Merc, and the Octane. The main difference is their different hitboxes, but their stats make them all move the same. For example, the Merc has a much wider hitbox on the front and back, while the Breakout is more of a wide and flat pancake, with the Octane falling in the middle.

The Merc would be great for predictable lunge shots with the wide front, while Breakout can play a great defender if you sufficiently master aerial control and stop balls with your roof. If you want a jack of all trades, try Octane. Also, cosmetics that you apply on the car don't change hitboxes. Play through the training and see which playstyle resonates with you, and choose a car accordingly.

3) Learn the locations of boost pads on the map

Orange boost pads (Image via Psyonix LLC)

Boost is a precious resource that you need to have on hand. Knowing the location of the closest boost pad makes all the difference when you need to reach before your opponent. And for all of you who wish to be aerial dribblers in the future, this is the first step that you need to learn. Aerial control is very hard with lackluster amounts of boosts.

Also, always keep an eye out for the boost pads with the floating orbs on them. These mega boost pads fill your boost meter up completely when you drive over them, so it's always worthwhile to take a detour for them.

4) Interfere with your opponents

Demo your opponents (Image via Psyonix LLC)

Keeping your eye on the ball is important, but you can also help out your teammates. While they are bumping the ball towards the goal, you can help by blocking or outright destroying the cars that stand in their way.

While the player base is divided on whether destroying your rival's car by boosting into them is good sportsmanship, it is up to you to decide what you do with this information. Otherwise, you can just crash into them normally to throw them off course and clear up the defense.

5) Trust your teammates

Teamwork makes the dream work (Image via Psyonix LLC)

A phenomenon called ball chasing occurs in the lower ranks, where people blindly follow the ball rather than having team tactics or good positioning. While this may corrupt your faith in teammates, this is a co-op game at the end of the day.

Cooperation makes or breaks your games. And as you make your way up the ranks, you will have more competent players as your teammates. Trust them, use voice comms. to play together, and this game will be a rewarding experience unlike any other.

These have been our top five tips for beginners in Rocket League. Remember, the most important tip of all is for you to have fun!