Roll

The Roll is a move used by Mario and Luigi in Super Mario 3D Land. To perform it, the player has to press or  on the Nintendo 3DS while crouching. This move moves Mario/Luigi forward with a quick roll. When rolling, they can kick open crates and gain distance.

Rolling Leap
If Mario or Luigi jump during the move, the roll will become a Rolling Leap. It is a type of attack, and also an upgraded version of the Leap. If they are in their Tanooki forms, this move becomes the Tail Wag (see below).

A version of the move can be used by Tanooki Mario or Tanooki Luigi, called the Tail Wag. When used, Mario or Luigi will crouch and continuously spin their tails until the or  is not pressed anymore. By combing this move with the Rolling Leap, they can move while spinning their tails, defeating every enemy in their way.

Trivia

 * In the beta version of Super Mario 3D Land, the roll is performed by pressing the or  button while moving. If the player attempts to do this in the final version, Mario or Luigi will slide while crouching instead, as in other Mario platformer games.