How to play Nitro Pitch
Nitro Pitch is car soccer: two teams of rocket-powered cars try to knock a giant ball into the other team's goal. This guide covers the controls and the moves you will use in every match, from your first kickoff to your first aerial goal.
Last updated November 5, 2026
The goal of the game
Each match is played by two teams, blue and orange, in an enclosed arena with a goal at each end. You score by driving into the ball so that it crosses the line of the other team's goal. The team with more goals when the clock runs out wins. If the score is tied at zero seconds, the match goes to overtime and the next goal wins.
There is no ball handling in the usual sense: everything happens through your car. The direction, speed and part of the car that touches the ball decide where it goes. A soft touch with the nose rolls it forward, a hit at full speed sends it flying, and hitting it from underneath lifts it into the air. Learning to read where the ball will be, and getting your car there in time, is the whole game.
Keyboard and mouse controls
These are the default keys. You can change every one of them in Settings > Controls, and each action can have two keys plus a controller button.
| Action | Default keys |
|---|---|
| Drive forward (tilts the nose down in the air) | W or Up arrow |
| Reverse (tilts the nose up in the air) | S or Down arrow |
| Steer left and right (turns the car in the air) | A / D or Left / Right arrows |
| Jump (press again in the air to flip) | Right mouse button or J |
| Boost | Left mouse button or K |
| Powerslide (sharper turns) | Left Shift or L |
| Air roll left / right | Q / E |
| Ball cam on or off | Space or C |
| Look behind you (hold) | Middle mouse button or B |
| Use a power-up (Rumble mode) | F |
| Scoreboard (hold) | Tab |
| Mute sound | M |
| Show or hide the controls box | H |
Controller controls
Plug in or connect a gamepad and press any button; the game picks it up automatically. With a standard layout, the right trigger drives forward, the left trigger reverses, the left stick steers, A jumps, B boosts, X powerslides, Y toggles ball cam, and the bumpers roll the car left and right in the air. The View button holds up the scoreboard. Button choices can be changed in Settings in the same way as keys.
Phones and tablets
On a touch screen the game shows on-screen controls for steering and driving, plus buttons for jump, boost, ball cam and looking behind you. Everything else works the same, including online matches. A phone held sideways gives the best view of the arena.
The core moves
Driving and turning
Your car accelerates quickly but turns in a wide arc at top speed. Ease off the throttle or hold powerslide to turn tighter. Powersliding is the fastest way to turn around after a missed hit, and it keeps you facing the play.
Boost
Boost pushes your car forward at much higher speed and is the only way to reach supersonic speed. Your boost meter is shown in the corner of the screen. Small pads on the floor give a little boost back and large glowing pads in the corners and at midfield fill it completely. Collecting pads on your way to the ball is a habit that separates new players from experienced ones.
Jumping and flipping
Press jump once to hop, and hold it slightly longer for a higher jump. While you are in the air you can press jump a second time, together with a direction, to flip: the car spins forward, backward or sideways and gets a burst of speed. A front flip into the ball is one of the strongest shots in the game, and flipping is also a quick way to gain speed on the ground.
Aerials
An aerial is a hit on the ball while it is high in the air. Jump, tilt the nose up with reverse (or the stick), then hold boost to fly toward the ball. Small adjustments with steering and air roll line the car up for the touch. Aerials take practice: start with the Aerial training pack in Practice, which sets up the same shots again and again.
Wall driving
The arena walls curve up from the floor, so you can drive straight onto them and keep going. Driving up the wall lets you reach high balls without jumping, and jumping off the wall turns into a strong aerial. You can also drive along the ceiling for a moment before dropping off.
Ball cam
Ball cam keeps the ball in the middle of your screen wherever you drive. Most players keep it on almost all the time and turn it off only to look where they are going, for example when collecting boost. The camera stays level on walls and the ceiling so you are not left looking sideways.
Demolitions
Driving into another car at supersonic speed demolishes it: the car explodes and respawns a few seconds later. A well-timed demolition can clear the way to the goal, but chasing demos all match usually leaves your own goal open.
How a match works
Every match and every goal starts with a kickoff: the ball sits in the middle and both teams race to it from fixed spots. After a goal, the cars reset for the next kickoff. Online matches last three minutes by default; private matches and exhibitions can be set to five or ten minutes or no time limit. After every goal the game shows how fast the shot was in miles per hour and how far into the match it was scored.
At the end of a match each player gets points for goals, assists, saves, shots and good play, and the player with the most points on the winning side is named MVP. You earn XP from every completed match, more for a win, and it counts toward your level, your Nitro Pass and your quests.
Your first ten minutes
- Open the game and choose Play > Practice > Tutorial. It walks through driving, steering, jumping, boost, flips, ball cam and scoring in a couple of minutes.
- Go to Free play and simply hit the ball around. Try front flips into the ball and drive up the walls.
- Play an Exhibition against Rookie bots. Bots are a stress-free way to learn kickoffs and positioning.
- When you feel ready, sign in and join Casual online. Casual matches don't affect your rank.
- Read our tips page for the habits that win more games, and the game modes guide to see what else you can play.