Full OLL orients the whole last layer in one look and one algorithm. It is also the last thing to learn in CFOP: finish F2L and full PLL first — they pay far more per hour of practice. The 57 dedicated algorithms buy you one look and a handful of moves over 2-look. Worth having; never urgent.
Recognition by shape
You never memorize 57 pictures. The yellow stickers already oriented on top form a shape — a dot, a bar, a letter, a fish. The shape narrows 57 cases to a family of two to eight, and the side stickers settle the exact case. Each family below shows a few representative cases.
Crosses — 7 cases, already yours
All four edges oriented, only corners twisted: the seven OCLL cases from 2-look. Zero new algorithms in this family.
R U R' U R U2 R'
SolvingSune
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
R U2 R' U' R U' R'
SolvingAnti-Sune
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →T-shapes — 2 cases
A bar of yellow through the center with two corners on one side.
R U R' U' R' F R F'
SolvingOLL 33
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
F R U R' U' F'
SolvingOLL 45
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →P-shapes — 4 cases
A 2×2 block of yellow with a stem — the letter P, in four reflections.
R' U' F U R U' R' F' R
SolvingOLL 31
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
L U F' U' L' U L F L'
SolvingOLL 32
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →W-shapes — 2 cases
Yellow staircases diagonally across the face.
L' U' L U' L' U L U L F' L' F
SolvingOLL 36
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
R U R' U R U' R' U' R' F R F'
SolvingOLL 38
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →L-shapes — 6 cases
A bare L — two adjacent edges plus the center, no corner stickers on top. The corners’ side positions tell the six apart.
R' U' R' F R F' R' F R F' U R
SolvingOLL 47
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
F R U R' U' R U R' U' F'
SolvingOLL 48
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →C-shapes — 2 cases
Yellow opens like a C — a bracket of edges and corners around the center.
R U R2 U' R' F R U R U' F'
SolvingOLL 34
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
R' U' R' F R F' U R
SolvingOLL 46
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →I-shapes — 4 cases
A full bar straight through the face, no corners up on either side.
F U R U' R' U R U' R' F'
SolvingOLL 51
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
R U R' U R U' B U' B' R'
SolvingOLL 52
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →Fish — 4 cases
A kite of yellow trailing off one corner.
R U R' U' R' F R2 U R' U' F'
SolvingOLL 9
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
R U R' U R' F R F' R U2 R'
SolvingOLL 10
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →Knight-move — 4 cases
Yellow steps sideways then up — the chess knight’s jump.
F U R U' R2 F' R U R U' R'
SolvingOLL 13
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
R' F R U R' F' R F U' F'
SolvingOLL 14
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →Lightning bolts — 6 cases
A diagonal bolt — corner, edge, center stepping across the face. Four small bolts plus two big cousins, OLL 39 and 40.
r U R' U R U2 r'
SolvingOLL 7
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
l' U' L U' L' U2 l
SolvingOLL 8
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →Awkward — 4 cases
The family that fits no letter. Two adjacent edges oriented, corners scattered — recognize it by elimination.
R U R' U' R U' R' F' U' F R U R'
SolvingOLL 29
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
F R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F2
SolvingOLL 30
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →Dots — 8 cases
No edges oriented — the yellow center alone, sometimes with corner stickers around it. Some of the longest algorithms in OLL; learn them last.
R U2 R' R' F R F' U2 R' F R F'
SolvingOLL 1
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
r U r' U2 r U2 R' U2 R U' r'
SolvingOLL 2
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
F R' F' R2 r' U R U' R' U' M'
SolvingOLL 17
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
r U R' U R U2 r' r' U' R U' R' U2 r
SolvingOLL 18
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →The stragglers
Two families remain: squares — a 2×2 block of yellow — and the two edge-only cases where every corner is already up. That’s all 57.
l' U2 L U L' U l
SolvingOLL 5
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
r U2 R' U' R U' r'
SolvingOLL 6
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
r U R' U' r' R U R U' R'
SolvingOLL 28
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →
R U R' U' M' U R U' r'
SolvingOLL 57
Starts at the case. Full colour is what this step solves, dim is already solved and has to survive it, grey is further down the method.
Open the full case page →