Strikers Club shipped into Early Access on July 17 with keyboard and mouse as a first-class input. The developer has been unusually chatty about controls in patch notes, which is how we know several defaults without guesswork: v0.78.0 introduced jockey mode on Ctrl and rebound the regular jump to F specifically to stop players jumping by accident while rushing, and v0.82.0 cleaned up the keybind menu and gave the movement skill move its own bind. What follows is the full honest table.
Verified keyboard binds
| Action | Key | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jockey mode (defensive stance) | Ctrl (hold) | Confirmed | v0.78.0 patch notes: defaults to CTRL / left bumper |
| Jump | F | Confirmed | v0.78.0: default regular jump rebound to F |
| Jockey dash | Ctrl + F (jockey + jump) | Combo | v0.82.0: jockey dash (jockey mode + jump) now jumps forward |
| Camera lock | Alt | Confirmed | v0.78.0 fix: 'alt' locks your camera |
| Menu / credits | Escape | Confirmed | v0.78.0: Escape opens the main menu (Credits entry) |
| Movement | Not yet documented | Not yet documented | We verify the default binds in game and update |
| Sprint / rush | Not yet documented | Not yet documented | Rush exists as a mechanic (v0.78.0 notes); its bind is unpublished |
| Pass / shoot / lob | Not yet documented | Not yet documented | Aiming is camera-driven (launch press release); binds unpublished |
| Poke tackle / full tackle | Not yet documented | Not yet documented | Both tackle types are named in patch notes; binds unpublished |
| Skill move (flick) | Not yet documented | Not yet documented | Flick moves confirmed per playstyle; binds unpublished |
| Movement skill move | Rebindable (own keybind) | Not yet documented | v0.82.0 added a dedicated keybind for the movement skill move; default unpublished |
What the patch notes tell us about the layout
Three details are worth reading between the lines. First, the jump key moved to F because players were jumping accidentally while using rush, which confirms rush exists as a distinct movement mechanic and previously shared a finger zone with jump. Second, jump and goalie jump are separately rebindable since v0.78.0, so keepers can build a layout without touching their outfield habits. Third, v0.82.0 added a dedicated keybind for the movement skill move, the category that covers roulette, stepover, and La Croqueta, which suggests skill moves are triggered by a bind plus direction rather than fighting-game inputs. We have not verified the exact input method in the build yet, so treat that as inference, not confirmed.
Mouse: your aim is the mechanic
The launch press release is explicit that you aim your kicks with the camera, and the store page promises no assists anywhere. On keyboard and mouse that means your mouse hand is doing what the game is actually about: setting the direction of every pass and shot. Two settings help. Sensitivity adjusts in fine 0.01 increments since v0.75.0, so tune it down until long diagonals stop spraying. And Alt locks the camera when you want a fixed view, useful on corners and free kicks. The full settings walkthrough lives on the camera and aiming page.
Rebinding
A keybind menu exists and got a cleanup pass plus clarified labels in the launch patch (v0.82.0). Between that and the separated jump binds, rebinding coverage looks reasonably deep for an Early Access build, but we have not audited every action yet. If a bind you care about cannot be remapped, the standard fallback of Steam Input remapping at client level still applies, with the caveat that the store page does not advertise native Steam Input API support.
Keyboard or pad?
There is no verified consensus this early. Mouse camera aim favors fast, precise kick direction, which pays off in passing and long shots, while analog sticks give finer movement speed control for dribbling. Play a few matches on each and keep whichever makes your passing more accurate. The pad side of the story is on the controller page.