A fake in Rocket League is a quite popular form of getting into the opponents' heads, throwing them off their game. Fakes come in many shapes and sizes, some being more basic and obvious for the opposing team to understand and others being much smarter, such that the enemy is bound to become confused. And, as it goes with Rocket League, a few lucky fakes here and there, but that's all 'calculated'.

For a bit of extra insight into the topic of fakes, I asked Maurice"Yukeo" Weihs for some answers to a few areas surrounding the topic.

Are Fakes Really Useful?

Fakes in Rocket League boil down to how effectively you can pull them off, and how smart the player or players you are trying to pull one off against are. So, are fakes really that useful in online matches, or are they just all for show? To this question, Yukeo stated, "Fakes are definitely useful to have. It makes your opponent have to guess what you do and makes you more difficult to read. You should be careful of not overdoing it though."

Yukeo brings up a good point, here, in that your opponent or multiple opponents are forced into having to guess what your next move will be, basically meaning you are, at this point, already in their heads, adding more pressure on them. As he says, however, it is important not to overdo fake plays, as trying to pull them off on every chance you have on offense will make you become predictable for the other team, meaning they are increasingly less likely to fall for your fake.

If the lines are still blurry as to what a good fake play would be, I asked for an example, to which Yukeo replied, "For example, while your teammate is waiting in the middle, faking a pass can be very useful, because at very high-level people try to pre-read passing plays." This is a quite uncommon form of faking, but incredibly effective. As you might imagine when thinking of fakes, the go-to play is pretending like you are taking a shot when you really aren't.

However, thinking outside of the box and pretending to go to a pass to a nearby teammate is a much more intellectual play, which the opposing team is very unlikely to expect. Remember to think outside of the box, because the other team will think inside the box with you if you go for the basic fake plays.

Are They Overdone Already?

Fakes have definitely increased in popularity over the past couple of years or so. No doubt, this is partially due to pro players making 'fake' a common communication, and when they actually work, it is definitely impressive. However, can they be overdone to the point where they become far too predictable to be even worth attempting? When asked, Yukeo responded, "Yes, they can. Your goal should be that your opponent has no read on what you are doing next, so doing the same thing over and over makes it easier to deal with."

For elaboration, I asked him how this can have a negative impact on the game, to which Yukeo replied, "They will surprise you with a challenge that you won't expect." The irony behind this comes from the fact that a fake play should be about surprising the opponent by not going for a shot or a pass that the opposite team might predict you would go for. So to overdo fake plays to the point where you will be challenged unexpectedly shows just how quickly the tables could be turned on you.

Pulling Off Fakes and Defending Them

Assuming that you are not overdoing fake plays, how exactly can you pull off an effective fake, and how can you know how to defend your net from one? In terms of making a fake play, first and foremost, Yukeo suggested, "The best way would be when you see your opponent pre-jumping. It will make them look stupid as well. You just have to find the right moment though, you can't just fake in every situation."

By this, Yukeo means where you have complete possession over the ball, perhaps from a dribble or air dribble, and you look as though you will score a goal high in the opponents' net. Therefore, the enemy might pre-jump to defend the top half of the goal. If you see this happening, you could keep the ball low on the ground to sneak the ball below the player, resulting in a rather clever goal for your team.

One slightly advanced example of this is shown by Vioox on YouTube, where he goes for an air dribble, notices the opponents pre-jump to make the save, and instead leaves the ball to fall downwards to score a good fake goal.

(Credit: Vioox - YouTube)

What about defending this kind of shot? If your opponent has complete possession over the ball and you think they will attempt a fake play, defending it might prove to be difficult. When asked, Yukeo stated, " You need a good read on your opponent and focus on what they are doing. It should be readable."

Although this may sound like a basic suggestion, it is the only defense you can have against a faking play. Maintaining full focus on what the other player is doing and having the experience to predict what the most likely thing for them to do is going to be, is what will give you the highest success rate of saving a fake play. Remember not to get too intimidated by the fact they have full possession, and keep yourself composed, ready to make the save.

In general, then, as Yukeo rightly says, "Being unreadable can help a lot," and this is exactly what fakes aim to do help in doing. It should be known, though, that fake plays are not the only method of being an unpredictable player. Other examples could be:

Going for unusual shots, such as ceiling shots or flip resets.
Passing plays with your teammates, along with the use of good communication.

Are fakes useful overall? Definitely. Can they be overdone? Certainly. But being a smart player is the underlying message here. Yukeo puts this well, by concluding, "It's very important when you are in a team, at least. Playing smart helps you get more consistent. Ballchasing will make you better at mechanics but can backfire as well if you don't take advantage of every opportunity."