Foosball is a popular game played at many arcades, and a number of bars have a Foosball table. For the most part, they are played in a random manner, but there are rules to be followed and it makes the game more interesting as well as organised. Here are a few of the basics that can get you started.
Start the game with a toss. The winner of the toss gets to choose one of two things; they either get to choose the side they get to play or to kick off. The opponent team gets the other option that is left.
The Kick off starts from the midfield, the five bar. After every goal scored, the team that lost the goal, or conceded it, will get to kick off.
You have to make sure the opponent is ready before you kick off, this usually done by asking the opposite team if they are ready. Call out ‘ready’? If they reply ‘ready’, you are good to go. Before passing or shooting the ball must at least touch two players and there must be a one second delay before shooting.
If the ball goes out of bounds, that is out side the Foosball table or directly above it, the ball will have to be picked up and started off by the defence of the team that was not responsible for the ball leaving the table.
In case the ball goes dead, that is, no one is able to reach it and play stops, it can happen in two places, between players and in the centre. If goes to the centre, then there will be a fresh kick off from the team that conceded the last goal and if it is between players, the nearest defender gets to serve.
Goals are to be counted even if the ball bounces out back from the pocket.
So the next time you are about to start a game of Foosball or have a Foosball table in front of you, remember these rules and play like the pros.
