Foosball, Table Football, Table Soccer - Singapore Top Distributor

Table football, kickers, or fussball are just different ways of referring to the same thing – Foosball. The game is basically played either 2v2 or 1v1, with each player taking up to two rods a side. The correct way to position yourself around the table would be to defend with the goal-keeper and defender bar, and to attack with the midfielder and striker bar. To find out more about the basic rules, you can check out the rules section.

 

In case, you do not already know, Foosball is played mainly in Europe, United States and a number of Asian countries. There are world tournaments held around the world annually where thousands of dollars are played for. Being a table sport (like pool), players do come from all walks of life, from 15-50 year olds. Foosball is particularly popular with European and American students, where it is often regarded as a pub sport. There is a “Pro” way to play foosball, and that will never include spinning of the rods, which is an ugly, noobish and boring way to play the game. Look around the skills andvideo to watch how it’s like.

Different Foosball Tables

There are a variety of foosball tables around the world which are highly recognised as the benchmark for the modern day foosball game. These tables are identified by the International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF) to be the competition tables. These tables are worlds apart from any table that you have played on before, and the difference can be mainly put down to; control, stability, ball, playing field surface, precision and others. Here’s a simple guide on the 3 most popular tables around.

 

Garlando – Italy made table; High quality table, fast; plays with side ramps; good control; ability to execute wide variety of shots which make the game very versatile

 

Bonzini – French made table; Aluminium players with cork balls and grippy lino pitch. Has good playability and wide array of playing styles. Aluminium players and cork balls give it great control.

 

Tornado – American made table; High quality tables, built for competitive play. Very stable and steady playability. Only down side is the predictability of style and speed of game.

 

The table’s style of play varies considerably and is largely influenced by the country of origin. Personally, we are huge fans of Garlando table as we enjoy the playing style more. It is generally fast-flowing, gives good control and some really fanciful shots can be executed in-game.

Local Scene

In Singapore, there are Garlando and Tornado foosball tables around. These two tables have very differing playing styles but have both amassed a large crowd of players internationally. The main sources of players locally are tertiary students and the numbers are picking up quickly in recent times. While there are some really good players in Singapore, these players are by far rare and few. Despite having players enjoying their game locally, some effort would still be needed to pool players together for competitions and exchange. Be part of the Singapore scene by adding us on Facebook !

IInternational Scene

 

In order of prestige
Level 4: World Championship Series
Level 3: International
Level 2: Master Series
Level 1: Pro Tour

 

Players who participate in these tournaments earn points, and top players from lower categories may qualify for the WC Series, where only the best players around the world compete. For more information, do check out ITSF official site.

Basic Rules

These are some basic rules that anyone who plays foosball should know about; for a more complete and tournament set of rules, refer to www.table-soccer.org

 

No Spinning – it is a spin if the rod rotates more than 360° before striking the ball OR after striking the ball.

 

Kick-Off –Subsequent kick-offs are to the team that conceded the last goal. Play starts with the ball stationary on the midfield (5-bar). Ensure your opponent is ready to play, and the ball touches two 5-bar players before it can be played forward in a pass or shot.

 

Passing – a stopped or pinned ball (‘pinned’ means trapping of the ball under the foot of a Foosman) cannot be passed directly from the midfield to the forward rod, nor from defence to midfield, the ball must touch another player figure and be in motion when a pass is attempted. The ball may only touch the side-wall twice when in midfield.

 

Fouls– no distracting an opponent, spinning (see above), jarring (moving the table such that the roll of the ball is affected), reaching into the playing area without opponents permission (e.g. for dead ball) , unsportsman-like conduct etc.