What is foosball?
Basically foosball is what you see here. A table with 8 rods and 'table soccer' figures all over with a ball and some handles. There is a goal at each end and a place to serve on each side in the middle. Each player/team uses their handles to move their men to strike the ball into the opposing teams goal. You always go to your right and defend at your left. The tables are very cleverly build to provide different kinds of rods with different spacing between the men. The game is fast and funny and everyone cheers and laughs. You can play for years and never get board. Don't be surprised if you get so excited you sweat a little bit from the excitement.
Objective: Use your figures to pass and shoot the ball into your opponents goal while blocking the ball from going into your your own goal. You serve (foos) it, you pass it and you try to score. Always shoot to the right.
Game: A typical game is played to 5 points. Don't get too caught up in this though, some people play to 7 points or 9 or whatever. A match would normally be best 2 out of 3 games, or maybe 3 out of 5.
Tournaments: The pro's play for hundreds of thousands of dollars ($100,000) all over the world. At a tournament the pro's play the same game as anyone else would. They simply do it much faster and with very strict rules. A typical tournament last for 3 to 6 days during which they play for 12 or more hours a day with up to 1000 players involved.
Rules: Foosball rules can be simple or they can be
complicated.
-The simple rules would be: Hit the ball into the goal. Your goal is
on the left, you try to score to the right.
-More advanced rules would include: No spinning. If you score, the
other team serves. Be polite, no swearing.
-Want to see more rules? Check this page
of rules.
How to play: Okay, this could get long. Maybe
you better check the foosball
university later.
Serve: Try to push the ball over to your figures. This can be
tricky so practice.
Hitting the ball: Never spin. The best way to strike the ball
is with a flick or snap of the wrist and hand. Give it a couple trys then
you can get it.
Passing and catching: Be soft, absorb the impact. Don't over
react to the ball. Sort of guide the ball, don't fight it. Use the
'force', don't think or try to hard.
Shooting: Move the ball along the table before you shoot.
Everyone will stay in front of you on defense so you have to move it one way or
the other quickly then snap or flick it into the goal. Don't do a big wind
up before you hit the ball. A flick motion is the answer, it just takes a
couple try's to get the knack of it.
Defense: Think of all you men as a team. They move together
to make a larger 'wall' of defenders. Try not to over react and stay in
front of the ball. Remember, the ball will be shot where it is, don't
follow the man.
Blocking slop: Balls roll into the goal on even the best
players. The key is to stay calm. Block the corners of the goal with
you goalie tilted back. Move to the ball in a steady manner, like playing
pong on an old computer game. Don't jump around the table, be smooth.
Lots more to read on the website about foosball. We have
all kinds of stuff:
Articles and how to's:
Movies:
Pictures:
Rules:
and much more in the Foos-U.
Enjoy yourselves and feel free to email us with comments. Remember, kids need good clean fun and foosball is a very safe activity which gives kids fun, teaches them discipline and hand-eye coordination and the whole family can play. (Just don't complain to us if your kids beat you :-)
