Foosball Blog:
What Time is it…
It's Warrior time! This month features Warrior Table Soccer's new table design and tour events hosted at great golf resorts on the west coast.
Come out and show off your Warrior skills.
Foosball Table Dimensions & Space Needed
Jeannie aks, "We are considering getting a foosball table for my family for Christmas. Can you recommend one for family use AND also give me the dimensions? I can't seem to find any online and need to see if it will fit ok in our basement. Thanks so much!"
Your Table Consultant replies, "If you are still researching a foosball table... take a look at our buying guide located at this link, In addition to the 'table dimensions' and 'room/space' needed for a table, it has some other good stuff that you may find helpful in your search for your families first foosball table"
Notes from the link...
Physical dimensions of a full size foosball table cabinet are appox Lengh of 56" and Width of 30".
Don't forget that the rods stick out on the sides and players need room. Minimum suggested playing area - 7 foot by 8 foot. That'll give you a little over a foot at each end of the table and almost 3 feet on the sides for players in competitive position. For big kids, a little more room would be recommended.
A 10 foot by 10 foot area is ideal, until the crowd starts to gather then you might need to setup some bleachers!
Turn Your iPad Into the Foosball Table You Never Had Room For
If you've found it hard to shake your addiction to foosball after graduating from college, but your first apartment doesn't afford you the room for a table of your own, all you need now is an iPad and a willing opponent.
The geniuses at New Potato Technologies have created this elaborate iPad housing that serves as a full-fledged foosball table, complete with stubby legs and eight two-axis control rods. It looks like it can support up to four players, but how you can cram four people around even the larger-sized iPad is a mystery left for you to figure out.
Everything else—from the ball, to the rod-impaled players, to sound effects—is taken care of by a free accompanying app. And free is good because the table itself will set you back $100. Expensive, but a better option than giving up your bed so you have room for a full-sized table.
When did www.foosball.com launch?
Maryland fooser Clay Gump registered www.foosball.com in 1996.... collaborating with early internet users who also happened to be foosball enthusiasts, the age of internet foosball was born!
Click here for a peek at one of the inital pages
http://www.foosball.com/blog/1996/12
The Future Of Table Soccer May Lie In Robotics
While most foosball game enthusiast have a hard time believing that a robot foosballer could ever beat a human foosballer, there are a couple of projects in universities that have built a few that can do just that. Rice University in Houston Texas and the University of Adelaide have both built robots that have never been beaten by a human. In all fairness; however, the robots, which are actually robotic foosball tables, have never played a professional level foosball player. There were several projects like this at various schools, like the University of Freiburg in Germany.
Human Defense Was Lacking
A youtube.com video illustrated a robotic table foosball wonder at work against a human opponent and the machine scored several times. It was fascinating to watch how smoothly the machine passed the ball around and the lightning speed with which it shot the goals. The human player did not try to defend his goal very well, though and often never moved to try to block, which took the value of the robot’s capabilities down several notches.
A Guessing Game
In 2008, a computer controlled foosball table was created by students at the University of Illinois that showed real promise. An overhead camera sent signals to the computer as to what moves to make. The problem of latency, or delay from the camera to actual play meant that the computer had to program ahead, using calculations to “guess” where the ball would be a few seconds before the ball was actually there. These amazing, constant calculations were very accurate.
Single Player Foosball
TablesWhile most projects were halted due to the enormous expenses involved in making any more progress than they had already attained, it does bring up one possibility for the future of the soccer table and tabletop gaming in general. Will there soon be arcade foosball tables that will allow human players to play against the machine for a few quarters? What a great way to hone your game.
Article Source: http://foosball-tables-extreme.com/blog/future-table-soccer-lie-robotics/
‘New generation’ of foosball stars will compete this month in Jessup
Maryland Football Championships will test the best in the popular table soccer game
Are you ready for some foosball?
The 2012 Maryland Foosball Championships will be held Feb. 17-19 at the Holiday Inn Columbia in Jessup, with 150 enthusiasts of the table soccer game competing for $12,000 in prize money.
According to tournament director Chun Lee, the competition that started in Maryland in the late 1980s will return after a year's hiatus. Lee said the event was not held last year because sponsor Tornado Table Soccer could not fit it into its schedule.
Lee, who has been playing the popular indoor game for 20 years, said the type of foosball being played now is much faster than it was when he started. He said it has been called a combination of tennis and chess and described it as "very fast, very intense."
Tony Spredeman, a 26-year-old Floridian who is the top ranked player in the county, will be among the "foosers" who will be showing off their quick wrists and hand-eye coordination at the event.
Lee said Spredeman and others in a "new generation" of foosers have been playing the game since they were "eight or nine years old." As a result, the game has evolved with players who have better skills and strategy than when he first started.
Spredeman, who turned pro at age 16 and has helped the U.S. win the world championships the past three years, is the defending champion of the Maryland event. Kristin Grogan of Jessup will be defending her women's title.
Competition will be held in several divisions, from beginnier to tour professional, in singles and doubles There are as many as 20 games going on at the same time, Lee said, with competition either best of three or best of five. The games go to five, and in the case of overtime, to eight.
This year's event will also offer a competition for college students, the Mid-Atlantic College Foosball Challenge.
For more information, email marylandfoosball@gmail.com.
Article Source: http://baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/bs-sp-outdoors-rail-0212-20120211,0,5202583.story
Foosball 2012 coming to PS3, PS Vita to feature cross-platform play
Jakub Miyska, CEO of Grip Games, has released a video complimenting the cross-platform play for the upcoming PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita title Foosball 2012.
Grip Games looks to be complimenting the advertised cross-platform playability that the PS Vita has, in a few very good ways. Buying the game for either version grants the other version for free, so the game only has to be purchased one time in order to play it on both consoles. This policy will also apply to any downloadable content as well, so each piece of DLC will only have to be purchased once and will be accessible on both consoles.
Foosball 2012 will also feature an automatically-syncing save system. When the game saves, it will upload to the game servers, which will also piggyback multiplayer statistics and trophies with it, and be accessible automatically on the other console. So, players don't need to play through the same things to get the trophies for both versions.
Now, the true pinnacle of cross-platform play: players on the PS3 can play against players on the PS Vita online. It's great to see a development company truly integrating all of the functionality that the relationship between the PS3 and the PS Vita can have. Check out what Miyska has to say in this trailer!
Promoter - Maryland Foosball Promotions
MD Foosball Promotions
John Lee - 410-905-5074
www.MDfooball.com
https://www.facebook.com/maryland.foosball
Promoter - IFP
Independent Foosball Promotions
Mary Moore - 859-312-2664
IFPprotourinfo@gmail.com
www.ifpprotour.com
Foosball Serve
Foosball Serving Overview:
The foosball serve, much like a kick-off in football or soccer, starts every foosball game. The serve is also known sometimes as the "drop" for obvious reasons. In tournament play, the team that serves the first ball is decided upon by a coin toss. There are no rules against serving the ball to your own men, which is why the serve is such an important step to learn when trying to master the game. Having the first possession to attempt to pass to your offensive bar will allow you to have an upper hand. This is also why the team that is scored on gets to serve the next ball to allow for a fair game.
How to Serve the Foosball to Yourself:
The easiest way to serve the ball to yourself is to place the foosball inside the hole while pinning it between your index finger and thumb with your left hand. Your index finger should be on the inside of the table and your thumb should be on the outside of the table to hold the ball in place. It is not illegal to wrap your index finger inside the table in order to hold the ball in place before you serve the ball.
Next, take your right index finger and apply pressure on the upper right hand side of the foosball to keep it pinned against the hole of the table. You can then release your left hand from the ball and place it on your 5 bar rod handle to get ready to accept the serve to yourself. Next, simply roll your right index finger to the left over the top of the ball and let it drop through the hole. See the foosball serve diagram below to see the proper way to spin the ball for a serve. This will put some spin on the ball in order to allow it to drop directly towards the 2nd man on your 5 bar. This may take some practice but you should be able to catch the foosball and maintain possession straight from the serve.
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FOOSBALL HISTORY
Foosball History Overview:
The origin of foosball started in 1922 by Harold Searles Thorton from the United Kingdom. He invented the game due to the popularity of football in Europe (known as soccer in the United States). The popularity of the sport was spreading so rapidly Harold decided to make a game that people could play in their homes. Since Europeans called the real sport football, Harold decided to call his new creation "Foosball". The game was eventually brought to the United States in the 1950's by Lawrence Patterson. The game eventually reached its peak popularity in the U.S. in the 1970's. In recent years, the invention of video games have since taken the popularity away from the game but there are many communities where foosball still thrives today. You can still find many tournaments and local bars that have foosball tables.
Old Meister offers his perception and starts a LONG dialog on Mental Attitude needed for Foos Sport
One of the top threads in foosball.com's forum is "mental atttude" started by Old-Meister in 2009... check it out for key tips and do's and don't do's for serious players moving beyond the fun social foosball game to serious competition and serious teamwork needed. http://foosball.com/forum/index.php?topic=2485.0
Learning Foosball
Learning foosball is a lifelong endeavor. These files will give you a start on the right path to playing like the big boys. When you are ready to take your new skills to the next level.
KNOWLEDGE ARCHIVE'S
Here you will find information, articles and pages which have been archived do to age. They are still of great value but simply are not on the current list above. We advise you to read everything we or anyone else offers you. All knowledge is good!
The Women of Foosball
By Mary Grayson
Last summer Liz Hill asked me if I'd be interested in promoting the women in foosball by interviewing the top players for Table Talk. These interviews would give the women a chance to talk about the things they wanted from foosball as well as tell their story to help us see what was winning for women today. The professional women of the sport would finally start to get some of the recognition they deserved. We were able to isolate some of the realities Liz and the other pro girls were facing, and began to see how some of them were affecting the entire female player base. Table Talk has devoted an entire section to women for the past year.
Being our number one ranked player, I interviewed Liz first, right before the 1995 World Championships. Dominating the majority of the titles in '95, Liz was feeling little competition at the time and mentioned it in her interview. This, along with the spectacular showing of Cami Carter in the '95 World Championships sparked the lulling fire in legendary Cindy Head who made a much anticipated and exciting return to the tour. I interviewed Cindy at the beginning of the 1996 tour. She made an announcement to return and win her way straight to the '96 World Championship title, as well as presenting a direct challenge to Liz and her championship game. The domino effect accelerated and Tiffany Billirakis took notice, claiming she was as deserving as Liz or Cindy. I interviewed Tiffany before the 1996 National Championships where she revealed her pursuit for the number one ranking. The race to Worlds was on!
The 1996 Tour made for an exciting buildup to the climactic World Championships:
In Women's Singles, Liz Hill (OK) took the 1996 Hall of Fame Classic title for the fourth consecutive year. Liz dominated the tour stop and tripled that weekend, earning three championship titles. Christina Fuchs (CA) earned the 1996 U.S. Open title, establishing the fact that she had a championship forward game to match her already recognized goalie game. Cindy Head (AL) took home two of the five titles this year, winning both the 1996 Masters and the 1996 National Championships, where she doubled for the weekend. Liz and Cindy seemed to be heavy contenders for the World Championship title this year.
In Women's Doubles, Liz Hill and Stephanie Dean (OK) were the championship team at the Hall of Fame Classic. This was Stephanie Dean's first women's open title, perhaps alleviating some of the pressure to perform put on her due to her undeniable talent. Tiffany Billirakis (IL) and Caryn Varadinek (NY) took home the title at the U.S. Open, while April Mendel (New York) and Melanee Tosh (OK) brought home the Masters title. Cindy Head and Tracy Hill (TX) brought us yet a different championship team at the National Championships. Although no team dominated the season titles this year, like 1995, the team of Hill tic Fuchs were in 3 out of 5 championship finals.
In Open Mixed, Liz Hill & Tommy Adkisson (OK) took the title at the Hall of Fame Classic. Greg "Jeep" Perrie (CA) and Bobbi Papageorgiou (TX) won the U.S. Open championship, bringing rookie Bobbi her first Open tour title. Christina Fuchs earned another title across the year at the Masters Cup where she and Tom Yore (Florida) took first place in the event. Melanee Tosh brought her seasoned goalie game into the limelight with her win at the National Championships with forward Scotty Wydman (Colorado). Again, no team dominated the event.
Happily, it is worthy to mention the event of Open Doubles this year when we speak of the women players. Tracy Hill put in an unbelievable performance this year with partner Tom Spear, earning the Highest Placing Mixed Team at both the Hall of Fame Classic and the National Championships, where they took an incredible fourth place. Tiffany Billirakis earned the award at the U.S. Open with partner Jeff Dix while Liz Hill brought home the recognition at Masters with partner Chris Cavalier. Tracy was steadily earning her reputation as a strong goalie for both Women's and Open Doubles.
This past Labor Day holiday my city hosted the 1996 World Championships. I had interviewed four of the top women in foosball, three of them favorites for the 1996 World Championship titles. On my way to the airport I remember wondering what would happen by the end of the weekend. Would Cami Carter show up to defend her Women's Singles title? Would Cindy Head follow through on her announcement to win back the title? Would Liz Hill beat Cindy this time? Would Tiffany Billirakis steal the number one ranking from 20+ month holder Liz? Would Stephanie Dean earn her first World title? Where would Tracy Hill's team end up in Open Doubles this time? Would the women begin to feel the European presence as the men have begun to? Would there be any rematches? Any dark horses? The hunger was huge and evenly spread across the female player base, from rookie to semipro to pro. By the end of the weekend all of my questions were answered and my heart filled with joy and new passion for this sport we call foosball.
Tiffany Billirakis proved to be the Belle of the Ball starting her 1996 World Championship weekend off with a marriage ceremony to wed number one ranked male player Terry Moore. Tiffany Billirakis became Tiffany Moore and went on to double that weekend, winning both the Women's Singles and Doubles titles as well as earning Highest Placing Female in Open Singles AND Female Forward of the Year. (Romantically enough, Terry Moore won Male Forward and Player of the Year this year as well.)
In Women's Singles, Tiffany Moore came straight through the winner's bracket to meet up with Stephanie Dean in the finals where Tiffany won in a single match. After shaking Stephanie's hand, Tiffany ran screaming from the table as Link Pendley poured a victory bottle of champagne over her head. Dark horse Charlene Agnew (Oklahoma) took an outstanding third place in the event defeating both Cindy Head and Liz Hiil on her way through the loser's bracket. Charlene only recently returned to tour and her animated expressions of sheer joy at her victories will inspire me for a lifetime.
In Women's Doubles, Tiffany earned her second title for the weekend with partner Angela Sine (Florida). Although the match went to matchball, Tiffany and Angela secured their second consecutive World Championship by defeating Liz Hill and Christina Fuchs in a single match. The event was a rematch from last year's finals, with Hill & Fuchs coming from the loser's bracket this year. Hill & Fuchs met up with Cindy Head & Tracy Hill in an exciting and dramatic match, with Hill & Fuchs winning in the third game. This win was an exciting and anticipated win for both.
After taking second last year, Stephanie Dean earned her first World Championship title with Terry Moore in Open Mixed. With the exception of the Hall of Fame Classic, Moore & Dean had not been in the finals of the event all year. Moore & Dean met with Todd Loffredo (Colorado) and Tracy Hill in the finals, beating them at matchball. Belgian Champ Frederico Collignon, a semipro, and his girlfriend, Ingrid Hauben (Belgium), a rookie, had played Moore & Dean for the winner's bracket only to move to the loser's bracket and be defeated by Loffredo & Hill. Taking third, Ingrid Hauben is the first European woman to place in Open Mixed at a tour stop.
In Open Doubles, Stephanie Dean and Partner, Michael Archer (Texas), earned Highest Placing Mixed Team. In addition to their performance, you cannot mention the women in foosball and this event without giving special attention to the unprecedented performance of Moya Tielens (Canada) and Laurette Gunther (Washington). This determined team took 13th in the World in Open Doubles this year, defeating the number #3 seed in an exciting five game match. When playing Don Swan and Steve Beine (#3 seed) the girls not only put the top pros in the loser's bracket, but literally skunked them during the fifth game. In addition, the girls took the #6 seed team of Steve Mohs and John Smith to matchball before losing the match. This placement is the highest a women's team has placed in Open Doubles at a tour stop in the history of foosball. Yes, it is a fact that women rarely place at all in the open singles and doubles events. However, by being able to play in the open events in addition to the women's events, the women increase their chances to earn money, as well as continue to learn from the men. Just how large and reasonable that chance is, is completely dependent upon the attitude of the woman. Many believe the chance of truly earning any of the money back in open events is too low to be worth the cash to enter. Moya & Laurette obviously didn't hold that belief, and look at what they did! Perhaps the personal highs alone were worth their entry fee. Regardless of whether you believe their accomplishment can be repeated or not, (realize that they didn't just beat the #3 seed, they had to beat many male teams on their way to the #3 seed) the point is Moya and Laurette believe it can be repeated and you can bet they'll continue to play in Open Doubles, playing the same smart, confident game that took them to their exciting finish. Can they do it again? Why not? The effect this inspiration will have among the women? We'll see if the statistics of women's placement in open begin to change with time or not. Moya & Laurette are an inspiration to us all and we thank them for representing the women with such confidence and skills as well as raising the ceiling of hope in all of the women.
As mentioned earlier, Tiffany Moore earned Female Forward of the Year. with Moya Tielens as runner up. Surpassing both Hill and Head for this achievement in addition to her performance in Open Doubles, signals the fact that Moya's time has come. Christina Fuchs earned Female Goalie of the Year for her second consecutive year. Christina was in the finals of Women's doubles three times this year and the finals of Open Mixed twice, winning at the Master's. The Female Sportsmanship award went to Caryn Varadinek, a true example of professionalism and positivity. Although Stephanie Dean remains an obvious example of good sportsmanship, this was the first time in 2 years that she didn't win the award. This is also her first year to win an Open Women's title and a World Championship. Coincidence? Perhaps Stephanie has learned to close herself off a little more during competition and keep the southern hospitality for off of the table? Only Stephanie knowsthe answer to that question.
In addition to the outstanding performances of the pro women, we must give credit to the SemiPro and Rookie girls who also earned World Championships over the Labor Day Holiday. As mentioned earlier, SemiPro Angela Sine earned her second consecutive World title with Tiffany Moore in Women's Open Doubles. (Perhaps it is time to move this TWO time World champion into professional ranking?) In SemiPro mixed, Jaymi Heaton earned her first World's title with 11 year old Billy Pappas, an impressive up and coming player. Jaymi was able to share her joy with boyfriend Louis Cartwright who won Open Singles this year. Rookie Bobbi Papageorgiou took second with partner Ray Simmons, earning her 5th tour stop trophy for the year. Kelly Claroni and John Merkel took third in the event.
The Rookie Women's events are getting larger and more competitive with every tour stop. Maggie Dix (Indiana) doubled for the weekend winning Singles and Doubles with partner Dusty Bambenek, as well as taking fifth place in the Womens Open Singles event and second in Rookie Mixed. (Quite impressive considering this was only Maggie's third major tournament to play in.) Nancy Pappas took first Rookie Mixed with partner Chris Whittaker, the current Rookie National Champion, and took second in Rookie Women's Singles. Nancy is the mother of SemiPro Mixed World Champion Billy Pappas and this may very well be the first time a mother and son have both won World titles at the same tournament! As mentioned earlier, Rookie player Bobbi Papageorgiou took home five tour stop trophies, the most for any Rookie girl this year, while Deanna Byrd (Georgia), Tracy Brubaker (Colorado), and Maggie Dix (Indiana) each took home three. Special notice for the following girls who doubled at a tour stop this year, Denice Decker at the U.S. Open (playing doubles with Kay Dee), Kym Perez at the National Championships (playing doubles with Deanna Byrd), and Maggie Dix at Worlds (playing doubles with Dusty Bambenek). These seem to be some of the names to be looking out for ladies !
I'd like to raise the issue of sportsmanship and officials. Do you realize that foosball is the only professional sport that does not REQUIRE an official present during all finals matches? As the women's player base continues to grow, please consider the importance of knowing and abiding by the rules, as it only makes us all better players. As a rookie player I ask the pro women to consider taking the official tests so we may have the choice of a judge from our own peer group, rather than having to depend upon the men to officiate all of our matches. With regard to sportsmanship, I ask the rookie women to observe our professional players. You will not see them disrespect one another only to lose by underestimating their opponents. They have conquered that weakness by now and we can only strive to grow by practicing respect toward one another as we learn against one another. I'd like to encourage all women to root for their favorites and give the top women the crowds and cheers they deserve. In many of the exciting open male events you see where the crowd is often a huge factor of competition.
A special note to Link Pendley and his Oklahoma Foosball Program for women. He issues new incentives whenever possible and as a result, the state is home for quite possibly the largest number of top female players (Liz Hill, Melanee Tosh, Stephanie Dean, Kathy Richey, Diane Park and Charlene Agnew just to name a few). While many women complain how few women play in their state, the female player base in Oklahoma is so large that they successfully have a Mixed Tournament once a week!
What will 1997 bring us? Will Cindy heal her broken wrist (not that it slowed her down much) and come out with the eye of that tiger she talks about next year? Will Moya Tielens joyful pregnancy slow her pace any? Who'll be playing forward this year for Hill & Fuchs? Will Stephanie Dean earn her first women's singles title now that she's broken the ice and taken home a trophy in three of the five tour stops this year? Will Tracy Hill be the first woman to take a first place Open Doubles trophy? Will Gena Murray return to the tour after seeing the exciting growth among the women this year at Worlds like Cindy Head did in 1996? Will Tiffany Moore be the next Cindy Head? Will we see any more European girls placing this year? The only way to find our is to show up at the tour stops. I'll be there to find out ... will you?
Facts about Foosball
- In Europe, foosball is typically played with only one goalie and a cork foosball.
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The headquarters for the International Table Soccer Federation is in Nantes, France.
- Professionals can compete for up to $100,000 in international tournaments that can last up to a week.
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The most expensive foosball table available is the “Opus” built by Eleven Forty, which costs $80,000.
- In Turkey, foosball is described according to the sound the ball makes, they call it Langirt.
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Foosball tournaments have been running as early as the 1950’s.
- Artist Maurizio Cattelan created a 7-meter (23 feet) foosball table that takes 11 players to a side.
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French-style players often call foosball “baby-foot”.
- Frédéric "Rico" Collignon has won seven world championships and is considered to be the world’s best player of the decade.
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Although the International Table Soccer Federation is located in France, only once has a player from France won a world championship in over 30 years.
Some Foosball Tips
As you play more, you get better, and will seek new ways to improve your game. The world’s best players have come up with their own improvisational solutions for some common performance issues, in the offline foosball game. Grip is key and sweaty palms defeat coordination and skill, some players have found that:
- Improve Grip: Nervousness = Sweat = Losing Scores. How do you avoid sweaty palms? Soft leather golf gloves help with grip, or some try: tennis racket rubber grips, cricket handle grips, balloons! Or even laytex condoms! Don’t want to DIY your equipment? Several companies produce products to combat slippery rods and palms. Many players wrap their hands, or the rods, with specially designed absorbent, tacky tape, available from most foosball accessory suppliers or sporting goods stores.
- Training Tricks: The world’s best foosers practice everyday, for many hours. However, even the best are sometimes unable to find an adequate opponent to keep up with their need to practice. A Rod-Lock lets you make several bars stationary, during game play. With a Rod-Lock positioned, you can practice, independently, on tricky passing shots and to improve stylistic moves. The trick to winning the game is how you control your passes and shots to greater and greater consistency, so when training , many players set themselves personal targets of so many successful passes or shots in a row. It is harder to practice defense on your own, but as a DIY trick, just cut pieces of wood to hit the ball and catch the rebound. Some players use a device called the ‘Powerball’ to increase wrist strength.
- Beware of Injury: Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) are common among regular players and strains or arthritis in shoulders and elbows. The injuries build up over time and players should observe any changes, resting from play if there are signs of these physical stresses.
- Drinking Games: Some foosers report that they have imposed the “under the table” rule in certain circumstances (e.g. whitewash) during fun games. That means, the loser fooser or rule breaker is made to crawl under the table, where he takes a sip of a pint. Some venues even keep the area under the tables particularly nasty for this treatment, according to fooser lore. Cheers!
Article Source: http://miniball.co.uk/foosball_facts.php
Different Strokes for Different Folks
To the average novice player, a foosball table is a foosball table. However, to a die-hard “fooser,” there are four distinct styles, which necessitate different styles of play.
For example, American style foosball, also known as “Texas foosball,” is generally played on a dense, solid table surface like mahogany, the ball is usually thick plastic, and the foosball men are made of harder plastic, all of which makes for a fast game where power rules. In addition, American tables have three men on the goalie bar as opposed to one goalie in other countries, enabling the player to pull the ball out of the corner without stopping gameplay.
In contrast, French foosball is played on a linoleum surface with a “tacky” feel and a cork ball, making the gameplay much more controlled, with an emphasis on passing the ball and setting up shots, just like real football.
German tables are the softest of the bunch, providing ultimate control of the ball to strategically line up shots on over-sized goals.
Finally, Italian tables are a good mix of styles, well known for using either sandblasted glass to allow for faster gameplay, or plastic laminate to slow things down for precision ball handling.
Article Source:http://mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/121823#ixzz1xyEGc500
4 Tips on Maintaining a Foosball Table
A foosball table may cost a little too much for some game enthusiasts. However, a good number of people buy these tables just so they can enjoy a good game with a friend or a family member. And primarily because of its worth, it's very important you properly maintain your table.
Here are suggestions on what you should do to keep your foosball table in tiptop condition:
1. Apply a few drops of silicone on the rods.
A few drops of silicone are all you need to ensure that your rods work well in and around its bearing. Silicone is the primary lubrication solution for foosball tables. It stops the snickering of the rods. Apply silicone at least once in a month.
2. Clean the entire foosball table with the right cleaner.
Most foosball tables don't have a cover so it is prone to dirt and dust. To be sure your table is sparking clean, use a specialized cleaner. There are commercial brands available on the market today.
3. Glue all loose parts.
Frequently check to see if any component or part has become chipped or has worn. For any chipped or broken part, glue them immediately. Failure to do so can make your foosball table become even more damaged. Many commercial superglues can do the job. However, make sure you avoid getting glue on the playing surface.
4. Don't expose the foosball to the weather.
One thing that can do extreme damage to a foosball table is extreme weather and temperatures. Rain, sun, snow, and moisture are the fiercest enemies of a foosball table. Foosball is meant to be played indoors. Don't leave them outside overnight if you have to use it in the garage or in the lawn.
Just follow these four tips and you should many long years with your foosball table. Tables can be major investments so make sure you take care of your investment, and it will take care of you.
Tyler Landow is a product director at Foosball Central. The company has a wide range of foosball tables [http://www.foosballcentral.com].
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tyler_Landow
TOP 3 FUN FOOSBALL GAMES
1) Goalie Wars - This is always a fan favorite 1 on 1 game that also allows you to brush up on your offensive shots from the defense. In order to play Goalie Wars you want to put the middle 4 bars on the table up so there are only the 2 defensive bars on each side left down. You can only use your 2 defense rods to try to score on your opponent which is a great way to learn how to defend shots from the defense. Play a simple foosball goalie wars game to 5 points and then try another game below.
2) Penalty Shots - This one is the same concept as a shoot out at the end of a soccer game. Line your offensive rod up against your opponents defense and take your favorite penalty kick! Each team will shoot against the opponent's defense for a total of 10 chances to take a shot from the 3 bar. The player with the most goals out of 10 will win the game. If the game results in a tie, continue to take another 5 shots per round until a winner is decided.
3) 1 Handed Foosball - This game may seem odd to some of the more experienced foosball players out there because passing is essential in a traditional foosball game. This game is actually helpful in developing your transition speed between offense and defense for those quick 1 on 1 foosball games. Sometimes improving your transition between offense to defense is the deciding factor on a quick catch or shot before your opponent is ready. And, best of all, the rules for 1 Handed Foosball are the same as any traditional game so you already know the rules. Below is a tip we pulled from our Foosball Defense section to give you a tip when playing defense for your 1 Handed Foosball game.
For one on one games, you can use your thumb and pinkie finger on your left hand to play both of your defensive rods at one time. You will have to hold the actual rod right in front of the handle but not the actual handle in order to get a good grip. This will come in handy when your opponent is taking shots from the defensive side of the table.
Professional Foosball Tours America
Foosball was first brought to the United States by Lawrence Patterson, an American military man who was stationed in Germany during the 1960s. While there, he fell in love with table soccer and imported coin-operated machines after he came home. As the popularity grew, Patterson helped found some of the first regional tournaments in the late-1960s. However, it was Missoula, Montana, bar-owner and foosball-enthusiast E. Lee Peppard who made foosball a national phenomenon, when he introduced his own custom brand of table, known as the Tournament Soccer table, and used high-stakes tournaments to promote his product.
His first tournament was held in 1972 with a prize purse of $1,500. By 1975, he founded the Quarter-Million Dollar Professional Foosball Tour, a traveling tournament that hit 32 cities across the country, with prizes ranging anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000. As the tournament crisscrossed the country from January until August, some of the winners traveled along, living off the purses they’d score, in the hopes they might be one of the lucky few to compete in the International Tournament Soccer Championships, a $100,000 tournament held on Labor Day Weekend in Denver.
The Championship tournament topped out at an impressive $1,000,000 in 1978, but shortly after, video games like Pac-Man took a sizable bite out of foosball revenue. Some estimates say that before video games, Tournament Soccer sold upwards of 1,000 tables every month; after video games hit, that number dropped to about 100. Unable to sustain the big money tournaments on such slim sales, Tournament Soccer filed for bankruptcy in 1981.
Smaller manufacturers were able to keep the tournament going until 2003, when the Championships moved to Europe and are now regulated by the International Table Soccer Federation. Although the game isn’t as popular as it once was, there are still plenty of high-profile tournaments across the country with thousands of dollars in prize money to be had.
Article Source: http://mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/121823#ixzz1xyEGc500
Foosball Strategy
Foosball Strategy Overview:
Just like any sport or game, there are always strategies that can help give you an edge over your opponent and help you win games. Foosball is no different than any other sport in that developing a sound strategy will help you win the game. Foosball is just as much a mental game as it is a skill game. You have to learn to beat your opponent by using more than your speed. In fact, timing your opponent is almost just as important as your overall foosball shot speed and being able to out race them. This is the key element that makes foosball such an addicting and strategic game. This section will teach you foosball strategies you can apply to your game and help you maximize every opportunity on offense and defense.
Learn to serve yourself the ball strategy - Every point during a foosball game starts with a foosball serve. Since serving yourself the ball is legally allowed within the official foosball rules and during tournament play, why not maximize your offensive opportunities by serving the ball to your 5 bar every time? Like all of the strategies listed here, this strategy will only work if you practice your passing and other ball control skills after you maintain control after the foosball serve. Simply add a little bit of spin on the ball as you are dropping it into the foosball table hole and it will roll to your 5 bar rod instead of your opponent's. With a little practice on the foosball serve, you will be able to catch the foosball straight from the serve and be able to attempt a pass. See the passing from 5 to 3 bar foosball strategy below to set yourself up for an offensive foosball shot.
Pass the ball from the 5 bar to the 3 bar foosball strategy - This is an important strategy because it provides you another offensive opportunity and increases your percentage to score a goal. If you simply use every 5 man opportunity to shoot the ball, you will never develop your foosball passing and catching skills and your shooting skills from your 3 bar. In a game where ball control and possession is everything, knowing how to pass from from the 5 bar to the 3 is absolutely critical to winning games against anyone that is above a beginner level foosball player. Plus, it is much easier to score a goal from your 3 bar because there is 1 less defensive bar blocking the goal, the distance to the goal is shorter which makes it harder to block, and you have the most variety of shot selection on your 3 bar.
Focus on one shot strategy - This foosball strategy is important because you need to remember that you can't be a jack of all trades when it comes to choosing your foosball shots on offense. You really need to focus on becoming an expert in one shot instead of just a novice shooter in all areas. Most professionals focus on the pull shot or the snake shot because these are the fastest shots that allow for the most options to score on your opponent. If you focus on one shot you can also become more skilled at setting up the shot, which will limit the amount of times you turn over the ball while trying to maintain control and set up your shot. Some foosball players may say that this strategy won't work for them in cases where they have an off day or are up against a defense that can defend well against their foosball shot. We would argue that performing a shot at the highest level you can will give you the best possible chance to win foosball games.
Always follow the foosball with your men - This foosball strategy cannot be emphasized enough. It is imperative that you realize the importance of following the ball no matter where it is on the table or who has it. Most beginner players get distracted or don't realize that a lot of balls can be blocked simply by following the ball on the table. If the ball is on the left side of the table and your partner has the ball on offense, your men should be too! Your men should be constantly moving if you are doing this properly.
Shooting with an open hand or wrist flick strategy - The faster your foosball shot is the better chance you have at beating your opponent and scoring a goal. All advanced foosball players have a technique with the way they hold the rod and take shots. Most beginners tend to grip the foosball handle with their hand too hard. Keeping a loose grip on the handle will allow for maximum movement and speed and limit your resistance. You will know that you are holding the handle right if there is some space between your palm and the handle. Another strategy when shooting is to turn your wrist quickly and the rod should spin about 180 degrees when taking the shot. Turning your wrist a quarter of a turn will not provide enough speed on your shot and will not allow you to perform this strategy correctly.
A good defense will help out your offense - Always remember that defense wins foosball games. Many critics may challenge this strategy and argue that offense wins games, but developing solid defensive skills will be the deciding factor and cannot be overlooked. Just like in playing poker, a solid defender will play the percentages and limit their opponents changes by simply changing their formation and other subtle foosball techniques they develop over time.
Make sure you maintain ball control - A lost foosball is a lost opportunity to score a goal and an additional opportunity for your opponent to score. In order to master this foosball strategy, visit the learn to pass and catch the foosball in order to give yourself the proper tools and training techniques to win foosball games. This is also one of those strategies that will be developed over time as you play various people and get yourself into different scenarios.
Do you want to play offense or defense? - An age old question that challenges most foosball teams that don't have a specific position they are better at. The truth is, there is no right or wrong when it comes to you or your partner playing offense or defense. However, there is a foosball strategy involved in selecting which player should be where. We recommend starting off the game where you think you will have your best shot at beating your opponent and analyzing the game as it progresses. Just like any other sport, if you have a large mismatch against your opponent on either side of the table, switch positions and throw off your opponents. You can typically reference the point when you are down by 2-3 goals as a good time to make the switch before the game gets out of control.
Practice makes perfect - This is a pretty obvious foosball strategy but cannot be stressed enough. Practicing your foosball techniques over and over will obviously make you a more advanced player. Some skills like passing and shooting can be learned as you play the game by yourself, but you can practice defensive techniques when playing real games or by playing foosball goalie wars with some friends. Certain foosball tables are actually designed to make it easier to practice the game by yourself. Look for a table with a side ball return instead of end ball returns that will make it easy to grab the ball after shooting practice shots.
Play against opponents who are better than you are - Everyone likes to win whether they are playing foosball soccer or any other sport. The problem with winning every game is that you are playing against opponents that could be making your game suffer because it is too easy. Try challenging yourself by playing the best foosball players you can find and this foosball strategy will eventually pay off because you will have to adapt and refine your skills in order to win games. Every loss is an opportunity to learn how to enhance your skills. If you find a foosball player that is much better than you are, ask them for foosball tips that will help improve your game.
Foosball Catching
Overview of Foosball Catching:
A foosball catch is when you successfully stop a pass or a loose ball on the table and obtain control of the ball. Foosball catching is an important part of the game to maximize your offensive opportunities and limit your opponent's time of possession. Learning to catch will help improve your overall foosball game because it will teach you ball control and help you overcome many situations where you may have previously fumbled the ball to your opponent. You will be surprised at how many loose balls you start to pick up with the right foosball catching techniques you can learn below.
Foosball Catching Techniques and Tips:
The key to foosball catching is tilting your bar at an angle so you can cushion the ball from bouncing right off your man. It is ideal to tilt your man at about an angle of 35-40 degrees. The diagram below will show you how to do this properly. You can always test your angle by making sure a ball does not fit under your man when it is tilted. If you simply leave your men straight up and down, it is much harder to catch a foosball pass. Even if your men are tilted at the right angle to receive the pass, you may need to swing your foosball man back around the other side of the ball in order to stop its momentum from rolling back to your opponent.
Other Foosball Catching Tips:
Another tip is to pin the ball against the wall of the foosball table. This is just another method of absorbing the impact of the ball in order to catch the foosball. This method is typically used when doing a wall pass from your 5 bar to your 3 bar.
Remember that you don't need a pass in order to catch. Use these techniques outlined on this page when your opponent has the ball, just in the opposite tilted angle on your foosball men. This will help you catch a lot of loose balls and even some shots. Take this foosball catching strategy a step further and learn how to foos your opponent.
Foosball Passing
Overview of Foosball Passing:
One of the most important steps in becoming an advanced foosball player is to learn to pass the foosball. It is not essential to know how to pass to your teammate if you are playing doubles, but it is crucial to know how to pass from the 5 bar to the offensive 3 bar in order to make the most of the serve and maximize your opportunities on offense.
Learning to Pass from the 5 Bar to the 3 Bar:
There are many styles and variations that foosball players use to pass from the 5 bar to the 3 bar. Below will explain the two most popular passes used in tournament play and what we feel to be the most effective foosball passes.
The Brush Pass - a brush pass is typically performed on the 5 bar by tilting your man back and so you are barely brushing the ball against the table in order to move it side to side. You brush the ball to another man on the 5 bar and then pass it up to your 3 bar.
The Tic-Tac Pass - The tic-tac pass is different from the brush pass because you are not tilting your men back. You simply pass the ball back and forth in a rapid motion so your opponent cannot follow your motion. Then, at the right moment, you kick the ball forward to the 3 bar.
Learning To Pass Laterally (Along the Same Bar):
The next step you will need to master is being able to pass it back and forth laterally (side by side) between your offensive 3 bar foosball men without losing the ball. This is extremely important so you can set up your foosball shots properly without losing the ball to your opponent. You will also use this foosball passing technique so you can properly fake a pass and shot the ball unexpectedly.
Foosball.com launched in 1996
Maryland fooser Clay Gump registered www.foosball.com in 1996.... collaborating with early internet users who also happened to be foosball enthusiasts, the age of internet foosball was born!
