Rediscovering Knockback: The Projectile Knockback Plugin for Minecraft Servers
If you have ever hosted a minigame server or experimented with older Spigot builds, you might remember a peculiar bug that turned snowballs, eggs, and ender pearls into surprisingly effective combat tools. Back then, hitting a player with a simple snowball would send them flying backward, creating a unique knockback effect that was never part of vanilla Minecraft. Many server owners built entire minigames around this mechanic, only to see it vanish when the bug was patched. The Projectile Knockback plugin brings that functionality back, giving you full control over which projectiles cause knockback and exactly where it happens.
What is Projectile Knockback?
Projectile Knockback is a lightweight Bukkit/Spigot plugin designed to restore the old knockback behavior for snowballs, eggs, and ender pearls. In standard Minecraft, these projectiles deal no knockback to players or mobs—they simply deal damage or teleport. This plugin changes that by allowing each projectile type to push entities on impact, just like a punch from a player or a bow shot. It works across a wide range of Minecraft versions because it avoids version-specific code, making it a reliable choice for both legacy and modern servers.
What makes this plugin especially handy is its per-projectile toggling and world-specific settings. You can enable knockback for snowballs in one arena world while keeping eggs harmless in a survival world. The entire plugin can be toggled on or off without restarting the server, giving you instant control during events or maintenance.
How the Plugin Works
Once installed, Projectile Knockback intercepts projectile hit events and applies a velocity change to the target. The knockback strength is configurable, and you can decide whether the plugin affects all worlds or only a selected few. The configuration file is straightforward, and every setting can also be managed through in-game commands, which is a huge time-saver for busy admins.
For those who enjoy tinkering with their server setup, you will appreciate that the plugin includes a built-in update notifier and optional bStats metrics. The metrics only collect anonymized data like server version and player count—no server names or IPs—so you can support the developer without any privacy concerns. If you prefer a modern, hassle-free way to manage your plugins, the Projectile Knockback mod can be easily installed via the foxygame.net launcher, a convenient and flexible Minecraft launcher where you can download mods and plugins right from the menu without digging through file directories.
Configuration and World Management
The plugin’s config.yml gives you fine-grained control. The cross-world option determines whether knockback is active everywhere or only in specific worlds. When set to false, you must add worlds to the worlds-enable list. This is perfect for networks with separate minigame lobbies and survival dimensions. You can also adjust messages, knockback strength, and toggle individual projectile types.
Here is a quick look at the key config options:
- cross-world: true/false – if false, only listed worlds are affected.
- worlds-enable: an array of world names where the plugin is active.
- snowball-knockback: enable or disable knockback for snowballs.
- egg-knockback: toggle for eggs.
- enderpearl-knockback: toggle for ender pearls.
All these settings can be changed via commands, so you never need to open the config file if you are in a hurry.
Commands and Permissions
Managing Projectile Knockback is done through a simple command set. The main command is /projectileknockback (aliased to /pkb). Here are the most important ones:
/pkb toggle– switches the entire plugin on or off./pkb snowball|enderpearl|egg– toggles knockback for that specific projectile./pkb cross-world toggle– enables or disables cross-world mode./pkb worlds add <world>– adds a world to the enabled list./pkb worlds remove <world>– removes a world from the list./pkb help– shows a help page with all commands.
Permissions are equally straightforward, allowing you to delegate control to staff members without giving them full operator status:
- projectileknockback.toggle.plugin – toggle the whole plugin.
- projectileknockback.toggle.egg, .enderpearl, .snowball – toggle individual projectiles.
- projectileknockback.worlds – manage world settings and cross-world toggling.
- projectileknockback.help – view the help page.
These permissions are only for the latest version, so if you are running an older build, consider updating to access the full command suite.
Installation and Compatibility
Projectile Knockback is a standard Bukkit/Spigot plugin. To install, simply drop the JAR file into your server’s plugins folder and restart or reload. There are no dependencies, and it works on Minecraft versions from 1.7 up to the latest releases. The developer has tested it on numerous older versions, including 1.7.2, 1.8.x, 1.9, and 1.13, with continued updates for newer server jars. If you encounter a version mismatch, a new update is usually released quickly.
Because the plugin uses no version-specific APIs, it is remarkably stable across updates. The built-in update notifier will alert you when a new version is available, so you never miss a compatibility patch.
Changelog and Updates
Since its initial release, Projectile Knockback has evolved from a simple knockback restorer into a polished, configurable tool. Early versions added a config file, multi-world support, and command-based management. Version 1.4 and 1.5 focused on code organization and bug fixes, while 1.6 became the first truly stable release. Version 1.7 introduced bStats metrics and a separate legacy build for older Minecraft versions. Version 1.8 brought 1.13 support and an IP retrieval API for metrics. The latest iterations focus on performance, eliminating lag caused by the updater and refining stability. The developer has stated that no new features are planned, but compatibility updates will continue.
Conclusion
Projectile Knockback fills a niche that many server owners have been missing since the old knockback bug was fixed. It gives you the power to recreate classic minigame mechanics or simply add a twist to PvP arenas. With per-projectile control, world-specific toggles, and an easy command interface, it fits seamlessly into any server setup. Whether you run a nostalgic 1.8 server or the latest snapshot, this plugin remains a reliable choice. Its lightweight design and commitment to cross-version support ensure that you can keep your projectile-based minigames running for years to come.