Feature Focus | Tap Mechanics ⚽️

Coming Summer 2025 | Sign Up For Beta Invites now!

Hi all! 

We’ve discussed Shoot in the previous feature post - let’s talk about another powerful way to release the ball when in possession: the Tap mechanic.

Input

As a reminder, with Shoot, the ball is aimed towards the crosshair at the center of the screen: you aim your shot by controlling the camera. The tap is different: you aim by using the directional input (Left Stick on Gamepad), so you can shoot the ball 360° around you: press X (PC/Xbox) or Square (PS5) to tap the ball in that direction. You can hold the input longer for extra power: Tap is a fast way to hit the ball that still packs a lot of punch. Tap is a great tool to pass the ball, but it can also be used to score - especially when you’re inside the penalty area. 

Metrics

Currently, the Tap’s speed at maximum power is 105 km/h. It then slows down progressively due to both air resistance and ground resistance. The current max build-up is 24 frames, plus 3 frames of freeze frame, which makes a total of 0.45s before the ball is released. The minimal build up is 16 frames (including freeze frames): this is significantly shorter than the lowest power Shoot, making the Tap a useful tool to move the ball when an opponent is in tackling range. 

Again, all these parameters are purely indicative for now - small changes can be significant ones, and we will be monitoring game dynamics closely during Beta to finalize balancing. 

Lob modifier

The default Tap is fired close to the ground. It is however possible to raise the ball in the air by holding RB/R1 while pressing the Tap input: this creates a Lob Tap, that goes in the air and is essential if you need to go above a defender standing between you and a teammate. Currently, Lob Tap’s speed at max power is 108 km/h, the ball reaches its apex height (approx. 4m) in 0.6 seconds, and touches the ground 28m away from the player. The max build up duration is 24 frames, like the regular Tap. 

Impact of movement Dynamic 

Tap is impacted by movement speed. A Tap performed while jogging will not be as powerful as a tap performed while sprinting. The direction also matters: tapping backward is not as powerful as tapping forward. Controlling your dynamic (ie. speed+direction) is the key to mastering Tap completely. 

Short Tap Modifier 

Basic Tap is sometimes too powerful for certain situations. You can reduce the power of the tap by using the Short Tap. Press A+X (PC/Xbox), Cross+Square on PS5 to perform a short tap, and avoid sending the ball too far or too fast. This can be combined with Lob to create a Lob Short Tap (RB + A + X).

Next Post 

If pressing A+X does a Short Tap, what does just pressing A do? This is used for another core mechanic, which is the most subtle way to release the ball, but remains absolutely critical: the Push Ball. That will be the focus of our next post! Any questions on the Tap mechanic ? Shoot them in the Reddit post!