Foosball is a fun and challenging game that is typically played by 2-4 participants at a time. It’s basically table soccer using stationary figures that rotate 360° and the goal of the game is to score on your opponent by putting the plastic ball into their net as many times as possible. Scoring 10 goals wins the game.
While foosball has been played competitively since the 1950s, the creation of the International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF) in 2002 has helped to expand its scope globally. A quick search of the member list shows that member groups exist in Asia-Oceania, Africa, Europe, North America and Latin America.
Foosball is most popular in North America and throughout Europe with most world-ranked players coming from these continents. Foosball tables are commonly found in both home and commercial settings with coin-operated machines popular in bars.
Since football (soccer) is the most widely played and watched sport globally, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that foosball is a popular pastime as a result.
Let’s take a closer look at foosball popularity, the game itself and the table options that exist.
Where do the best foosball players in the world come from?
A quick scan of the current world rankings of foosball players shows that most of the best players in the world come from:
- Germany
- Austria
- France
- Switzerland
- United States
If you look at a list of the top 40 nations that produce world-rated foosball players, you’ll see players from Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East and South America.
The ITSF organizes a World Cup & World Championship which occurs every 2 years and expects to attract around 1,000 players from 45 nations and 20,000 spectators.
Let’s look further into the history of foosball and where the name comes from.
Where does the name foosball come from?
The word foosball is derived from the German word for football which is Fußball. The funny looking ß or “Eszett” as it’s known in German represents the letters “ss” so the word is still pronounced Fussball even though it’s spelled differently.
It’s actually referred to in the German language as Tischfußball (literally: table football) or Kickertisch (literally: Kicker = football player and Tisch= table) and not foosball. Fußball – as mentioned above – is the German word for what in North America we call soccer. And foosball is the word we use in English to describe the game!
The French called it baby-foot after the Frenchman who popularized it and it’s known in Italy as Calciobalilla.
A standard foosball table
A standard foosball table features two teams each comprised of four rows of players (foosmen) on eight rotating rods, four per player.
The positions of the players are as follows:
- 3 attackers
- 5 midfielders
- 2 defensive players
- 1 or 3 goalies
So each team features 11 or 13 players depending on whether you have a single goalie or three-goalie system.
Choosing a game with one or three goalies (or both) is just one option you can consider when shopping for foosball tables.
What should I look for when buying a fooball table?
Given that foosball is a well-established game with decades of history, you have plenty of options to choose from with respect to brands which we’ll talk about below, but also regarding table size and even game style.
Once you’ve determined your budget, consider the following aspects of your foosball table:
Weight of the table
A foosball table can weigh 100 lbs – 400 lbs (45 kg – 181 kg) depending on what it’s made from. The weight of the tables can vary given that more expensive tables are typically made from solid wood and are heavier than composite-produced cheaper tables.
Weight is partially determined by your budget. If you have a lower budget you might opt for a lighter cheaper table built from wood and particleboard. More expensive models from the well-known manufacturers are commonly made from solid wood which gives the table the heavier weight.
The heavier the table, generally the more solid the build which is what you want. From personal experience, foosball can be a rigorous, competitive game! When 4 people really get playing, the foosmen get spun 360 degrees and rods get rammed in and out repeatedly.
This style of play really wears on the table and lighter, cheaper tables made from composites can literally fall apart after awhile. A foosball table is rectangular and is generally held together at each corner with threaded bolts in the wood holding the pieces together. With enough force and wear, the wood frame can crack, threading can wear out and the table either becomes loose or simply falls apart.
The table legs can also suffer the same fate as the constant ramming and leaning on the table will wear the wood holes and eventually crack them too.
Moral of the story? The heavier the table, the better to a point. The more solid the table and better quality the materials used to build it, the longer the table is likely to last.
Size
Regulation foosball tables are 34″ – 36″ high, 29″ – 30″ wide and 54″ – 56″ long. When searching for tables to purchase, you’ll typically see foosball tables that are similar in size.
Consider not only the size of the table but of course the size of the room you have available. The rods extend in both directions so you need enough room for the table, 2-4 people to stand comfortably around the table and enough room to extend the rods in each direction while playing the game.
There are plenty of foosball table manufacturers to choose from. Depending on your budget, you can choose from a wide variety of makes.
Helpful options to consider when buying a foosball table
With plenty of brands, sizes and weights to choose from with a wide variety of price points, you might like to know that your options aren’t even limited there. You can also choose a table with other features that lesser tables may not have.
These features include the following:
Counter-weighted men – A counter-weighted man will stay in place when you let go of the rod. So rather than the heavy end of the man turning downwards, a counter-weighted man will remain exactly as you left it. Cheaper tables may use players that are heavier at one end than the other.
Steel rods – Each player manages four rods so there are eight in total. Quality foosball tables come with steel rods. Lesser tables use plastic or other inferior material which may crack or break with hard gameplay.
Floor levelers – Not all flooring is completely straight in your home. Just like a fridge, stove or other appliance, a foosball table might also need some help sitting completely even. Once you have your table evenly set up, use an an actual level (get one at a local hardware store) to ensure the table is in fact perfectly level for fair gameplay. Place a game ball in the center of the foosball table and see if it rolls off in another direction which may indicate the table is uneven.
Goalie configuration – You can choose a foosball table that has 1 goalie, 3 goalies or models that can be set up with either 1 or 3 goalies. Having a single goalie is a great choice for older and experienced players whereas a 3-goalie setup is often better for new players and kids.
Raised corners – Elevated corners to the left and right of the goalies ensures that the ball doesn’t get stuck in a dead zone which often occurs on tables.
Other options – Bar-quality foosball table are built heavy duty and may come with an extra feature: A bar between the two legs at each end of the table to offer additional support. Some games have a ball return in the middle of the table whereas other games have a ball return at each end for greater convenience.
Who makes the best foosball tables?
There are many foosball table manufacturers that offer relatively cheap lower quality models to more expensive higher quality tables up to heavy duty coin-operated machines for commercial usage in bars and arcades.
Ten of the best known and biggest names in foosball tables with a track record behind them include companies based in the US and Europe:
- American Heritage
- Brunswick
- Easton
- Garlando
- KICK
- Shelti
- Striker
- Tornado
- Warrior
- Wilson
There are plenty of other foosball table makers to choose from and depending on where you live, you might have your own local brands to consider, too.
How big is a standard foosball table?
An average foosball table is 2.5′ x 5′ or 30″ x 60″. The minimum recommended room size for a foosball table is 8′ x 10′. You need enough room to fully extend the rods on both sides of the table and also have enough space for up to four players to comfortably stand and play.
Once you have your foosball table size chosen, you need to ensure you have another 3.5′ – 4′ around the table to ensure players have enough room to stand comfortably and also that the rods aren’t restricted when pushed and pulled.
Since a typical foosball table weighs 100 lbs – 400 lbs (45 kg – 181 kg), it may or may not be easily moveable so depending on how big your chosen model is, you want to ensure ahead of time before complete set up that it’s located exactly where you want it. A 400 lbs table can be difficult to move!
What’s the one rule in foosball that everyone breaks?
Believe it or not, it’s ILLEGAL according to official foosball rules to spin your rod in a 360 degree motion at any time. You’d probably be hardpressed to take part in a game of foosball where every player didn’t do this on at least one occasion however.
Here are a few other rules you might want to be aware of in case you’re playing a stickler who knows what is and isn’t allowed:
- You can’t ram your rod back and forth in an act called jarring to either move the ball or gain an advantage.
- You can’t touch the ball to move it if it gets stuck. In this instance, the ball should be reserved by the last player to touch it.
Summary
When choosing your foosball table, the size of the room you’ll put the table in is paramount since you need a space big enough to house the table and allow for comfortable gameplay.
When sizing your foosball table, a bigger room size is always better than a smaller one. Foosball tends to be a vigorous game so the more space you have to enable up to 4 people to play at one time with no hindrances is ideal.
From personal experience, the fast-paced and rough nature of the game means you’re also better off buying a solid, heavy table that will hold up to use. Lighter and cheaper foosball tables will eventually wear out, including fastening bolts coming loose from the aforementioned vigorous play that tends to occur with foosball.
Even though it’s actually illegal to do so, ramming the rods back and forth does occur during competitive games. Over time they can help to separate the long side of the table from the smaller endzone pieces.
In that regard, if you’re going to purchase a foosball table, buy a solid, good quality one that will hold up to rigorous use.
One final comment: Remember that wood is subject to humidity so if you store your wooden foosball table in a humid environment, it can warp or otherwise get damaged over time so be sure to keep humidity in check particularly during summer months.