Dash canceling

Dash canceling, also referred to as dash-canceling and dash cancelling, is a technique in Super Smash Flash 2 and Fraymakers that, hence the name, cancels a character's dashing animation. This can be performed in several different ways, each of which can have its own applications. Characters with quick or long initial dashes generally gain the biggest advantage when performing this.

Crouching
Crouching can be used to cancel a dash at any point. The player can then immediately stop the crouch to return to their idle stance while keeping the momentum from their dash, bypassing their skidding animation. This allows them to perform any standing action, such as attacking, jumping, or dashing again, while sliding forward. Characters with low traction, such as in SSF2, often benefit the most from this.

The mechanic's ease of use and high utility makes it one of the most prevalent techniques in both SSF2 and Fraymakers. It is one of the most effective ways to control a character's spacing and also acts as an alternative to rolling, as it keeps a character in a neutral position to freely execute another action.

Instant dash drop
When used atop a soft platform, the player is able to crouch while dashing to drop through it. In SSF2, the technique is known as the instant dash drop, also called an IDD or RC Dash, and is performed by crouching, then dashing, and then finally crouching again. If performed during the first few frames of the dash, then the character will carry its high momentum into their fall. This particularly benefits characters with fast dashes and can be used for traversing the stage, connecting combos more easily, or chasing off-stage opponents. The player can also drop through platforms with one press by holding the dash input while crouching, though this occurs too late in the dash to carry over its initial momentum.

In Fraymakers, the player cannot drop through platforms during a dash by dashing between two crouches, though they can still do so by crouching when holding the dash input or with auto dash enabled. However, this does not carry over the initial dash momentum, regardless of when it is used.

Dashing
A dash can be canceled by turning in the opposite direction to immediately perform a new dash. It can be performed at any point during the dash before it transitions into a run, at which point the character performs the much slower turnaround animation instead.

This mechanic enables a technique known as dash-dancing, in which the player rapidly presses left and right alternately while dashing, causing the character to repeatedly dash back and forth. Characters with longer dashes are able to dash-dance more effectively than others due to having more variance in when to cancel their dashes. Dash-dancing is primarily used as a "bait-and-punish" strategy used to make it more difficult for opponents to predict the player's next action, as the player can potentially either approach or back away from them during the technique. It also allows the player to dash away from an opponent's attack and then immediately dash back toward them to punish them.

Jumping
Jumping is the simplest way to cancel a dash. Some of the momentum from the dash is carried into the character's air speed upon jumping, with the amount conserved depending on the character's ground-to-air modifier. Characters with good aerial attacks or fast dashing or air speeds generally benefit the most from this. It is also possible to cancel a jump into a grab, which allows the player to perform a standing grab while dashing in SSF2.

Shielding
A technique commonly referred to as a dashing shield is performed by shielding while dashing. Unlike the similarly named running shield technique, will stop the character immediately upon execution, allowing players to use this technique for micro-spacing.

Attacking
In addition to dash attacks, various other ground attacks can be used directly out of a dash, causing the character to slide forward while using them. Among the most commonly used are up smashes in SSF2 and up strongs in Fraymakers, which can also be used through jump canceling. Up tilts can be used in a similar way out of a dash. Exclusively in Fraymakers, down tilts, forward strongs, and down strongs can also be used out of a dash. Attempting to use a ground attack that cannot cancel a dash uses a dash attack instead.

Certain special moves are also capable of dash canceling. This includes side special moves and up special moves in SSF2, whereas Fraymakers allows all special moves to be used out of a dash. Notably, Final Smashes in SSF2 can be used to dash cancel despite the fact that standard neutral special moves cannot.

Pivoting
A pivot is a technique that allows characters to use many different actions out of a dash. There are various ways to perform a pivot, each of which involves the act of turning around that the technique is named after.

The main method of pivoting can be performed by canceling a dash with another dash in the opposite direction. When changing direction, the character has one idle frame before returning to the dash animation. During this frame, the character can stop in place to perform any grounded action. This is primarily used for using attacks in the opposite direction out of a dash, and the character can also jump to perform a reverse aerial rush. Characters with long dashes generally benefit the most from this due to their large windows to dash back.

Perfect pivot
A perfect pivot, also referred to as a hard-stop pivot or simply a hard pivot, allows the character to come to a full stop during the single idle frame when dashing back. In SSF2, it is performed by crouching on the idle frame, whereas in Fraymakers, it is performed by dashing back for one frame and then having no movement inputs pressed during the idle frame. This pivot is primarily used for spacing, as well as actions such as dodging attacks or properly timing punishes.

Sliding pivot
A sliding pivot, also referred to as a soft pivot or a dash cancel turnaround, is the simplest method of pivoting. It is performed by canceling a dash with a crouch and then momentarily walking in the opposite direction to turn around. This allows for any neutral action to be performed while sliding backward, which can be used to properly space certain attacks or extend combos. It can also be used for a variety of advanced techniques, such as sliding backwards off of a platform to grab a ledge or perform an aerial attack. However, it is often more difficult to perform with characters who can crawl.

Pivot drop
A pivot drop is a technique that causes the character to drop through a platform while pivoting. It is performed similarly to the instant dash drop, except the crouching is performed during the idle frame between dashes. Unlike with this technique, a pivot drop does not retain the dash's momentum, instead halting it.