Foosball (a.k.a. Table Football)
If you're building a games room, then a foosball table would make the perfect addition. Smaller than a pool table and easy to play, foosball is a fast paced game and comes in a variety of sizes and fun designs.
This guide will help you pick the best foosball table for you, and features a selection of tables that are available to buy online.
What is Foosball?
AKA Table Football
Foosball is a table-top game that is based on soccer, and is also sometimes called Table Football. Foosball tables can vary in size, but a typical table is about 120 cm (4 ft) long and 61 cm (2 ft) wide. The table usually contains 8 rows of figures figures mounted on horizontal metal poles. Each side controls 4 rows of figures. By twisting these poles, players can swing the figures forwards and backwards, so that they 'kick' the ball. The aim of the game is to score by kicking the ball into the opposing goal.
This video shows the game being played by two of the world's greatest foosball players:
How To Get A Great Foosball Table
by John Morris
Whether you are planning to buy your foosball table from the Internet or from a local store, the following tips will help you to get the best deal when it comes to buying your foosball table.
Most importantly, don't just arrive at a store and pick out whichever table catches your eye first. There are major concerns that need considerable attention when looking for a foosball table. Following this guide can help you to ensure that you get more than just any old table, but one that is tailored for you and will give you maximum enjoyment for years to come.
Foosball Players
The people that must be first consulted when it comes to the choice foosball table are of course its players. Do they have specific preferences? If it's you who's going to be one of the most frequent players on that table, by all means, list what you want with your table. You can start with your favorite color. If it's not you who's going to play the foosball mostly, then consider the players' height, age and hand strength level.Safety Concerns
If it will be the children who will mostly use the foosball table, safety should be one of the major considerations you have. There are tables with traditional solid rods that go through the sidewalls. These can poke the children's faces if they are not that tall. In this case, telescopic rods are more advised since they are safer to use and they can also be maneuvered more easily.Feel of Play
This is commonly known as playability or how the players can maneuver the rods and play figures easily to efficiently control the movements of the ball in successfully obstructing the defence of the other player and doing various tricks. These can be manipulated through the following design details:
- gap between the playing field and the tip of the foot
- footshape and its front and back and its both sides' surface
- weight of the rods
- markers on the pitch
- ease of gripping the handles
- lubrication
- coverage overlap of the playing figures
- field and ball surface
- ball material.User-Friendliness
Hear are the other indispensable foosball table features that should provide more ease for the players:
Figures' balanced weight They should be placed easily in a horizontal position so that their feet do not block the shots from the back field
Field's side slopes on boths sides This will allow the ball to roll off towards the center to make the ball not get stuck on the side.Sturdiness of the Table and the Durability of the Parts
How will you enjoy playing with the foosball table if it is damaged easily or when the table is rocking while you are playing?Aesthetic Impact
Never buy a foosball table just to have something entertaining in your house. It should be a distinct artistic centerpiece in your game room. The style and paint color of the room you are planning to embellish with a foosball table should be given some thought.Budget
Setting a budget will further encourage you to look for the best deal when it comes to looking for that quality foosball table for you and your playmates. Shopping around will be one of the best way to get more from your money. Brands should not fool you. Research more on the table that catches your eye and that agrees with your budget.Resell Value
If you are buying a foosball table in the hope that in the near future you can resell it at a higher price, you will surely not opt for the lower end types of these game tables. Auction sites and game table sellers may be consulted to be better armed if you are planning to resell your table.
For more great foosball related articles and resources check out foosballtables.rechq.com.
Featured Foosball Table
This attractive game table offers angled, solid wood legs for stability, safe telescoping steel rods, nylon brushings for smoother rod movement, ABS high impact players and more! With superior features and superlative design, the elegant and exciting Torino Foosball Table makes a fine addition to any home game room.
Customer Review: Sweet foosball table!
This is my first foosball table and it is a winner. It is heavy, but well-crafted and should stand up to years of fun. There are some nice details here - especially the bubble levels built onto each side, the "clicking" of the score keepers. The ball return is smooth and overall quality is good.
Overall, it is a stunning table to look at and plays well; court is level and the european-style ramps in the corners make for a more interesting game. The only complaint here is the design of the "players" - boring design and colored either solid black or red. Aside from this, it is a great table!
Playcraft Torino Foosball Table
Amazon Price: $549.00 (as of 12/15/2009)
- Angled, solid wood legs for stability and leg levelers
- Unique bubble levelers allow for quick and precise leveling
- Equipped with three-player and one-player goalie rods, ABS high impact players
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Buy a Foosball Table Online
from Amazon
If you're looking to buy a foosball table for your home, then Amazon has a huge selection to choose from. Sold by a variety of merchants, with a prices going from bargin up to luxury, all these tables will be delivered direct to your door.
A few tables are shown below, or you can click here to see them all »
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byTable-Top Foosball Game
Major League Soccer to your tabletop
The L-shaped legs and non-marking pads protect your playing surface from the wear and tear of spirited competition. Boldly pass, shoot and block with the high quality painted steel rods, sturdy plastic handles painted steel rods, sturdy plastic handles and tough ABS plastic players. The Kick-Off also features a slide scoring unit to conveniently tally points.
The MLS Kick-Off Soccer Table brings the epic excitement of Major League Soccer to an awesome tabletop unit.
Customer Review Awesome Game Table!
It has been so much fun having the Harvil MLS Kick-Off Tabletop Soccer Table around. My friends just love it! My boyfriend and I love how convenient it is. It doesn't take up too much space and we can put it away when we aren't using it. The table plays flawlessly and the design is great. It's an all-around great deal and has added lots of fun to our parties and get-togethers.
Harvil MLS Kick-Off Tabletop Soccer Table
Amazon Price: (as of 12/15/2009)
- L-Shaped Legs with Non-Marking Pads to Protect Table and Floor Surfaces
- One Goalie and Molded Plastic Men
- High Quality Painted Steel Rods with Plastic Handles
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Caring For Your Foosball Table
Ever feel like you need to clean your foosball table? Well, in actuality, you are supposed to keep up with maintenance for your table so your game won't be ruined. Here are some tips to help you correctly care for your foosball table.
All game tables and game room furniture need some sort of upkeep. Even if it simply means dusting. For foosball cleaning purposes, it is recommended to use rubbing alcohol, 70% by volume. It evaporates and will not damage any components of the table. An easy way to use this is by pouring some into a spray bottle. This allows for even distribution on the area you're cleaning. Make sure you clean the table top and scrub away at any ball marks preferably once a week. A dirty table makes for poor play, so make sure you get into the corners and thoroughly wipe your table down. Also, if you clean the insides of the goals and ball return, it will in turn, help keep your balls clean.
Since we're talking about the game balls, let's discuss how to clean those! A common method is to put them in the washing machine with a small load of non colored clothing. If you plan on doing this, make sure you don't wash them with anything that could cause lint build up. The purpose is to clean the balls, not layer on more dirt. Always make sure to wash or clean your balls with a non colored cloth. If you use a colored on, it will most likely alter the color of the balls. If you don't like the idea of placing them in the washer, you can simply clean them with the same rubbing alcohol you use for the table. Make sure to never scrape the balls as this will make them too slick to play with. If you need them to dry, always air dry them. DO NOT put them in the dryer!
Last but not least, we have to talk about the rods. It is adviseable to clean your rods with a towel every week. This will help keep them slick enough to move freely. When the time comes to lube your rods, we suggest using a silicone lubrication. When using the silicone, you have to make sure you don't use too much. A little goes a long way! Make sure you don't get any on the table, handles, or the ball. This could completely ruin your game! When applying the silicone, make sure you slowly turn the rod as you apply. This will evenly spread the silicone over the rod. Most people tend to move the rods back and forth to spread the lubricant, but this actually causes the silicone to scrape off in the bearing. Basically, it would be a waste of time!
Simply follow these tips and I guarantee you will have a clean foosball table that plays like new! If you need any other information about foosball tables or other game room games tables, please visit our website!
Mark Winchester is a game table expert. For further information, please visit his website.
Best Foosball Tables at Auction
to Buy on eBay.com
Another really good place to get a foosball table is from eBay. There are many sellers who have put new and used tables up for auction, and you could pick up a real bargin this way.
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Do You Love Foosball?
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- Foosball King Foosball King Nov 3, 2008 @ 12:36 am
- Great Lens - 5 Star! I just bought a great discount foosball table and have enjoyed hours of entertainment on it. A great piece to family rec room!
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- Lien Lien Oct 31, 2008 @ 7:21 pm
- I can honestly say I have never heard of the term "Foosball", in the UK we call this Table Soccer/Football. Did play this with friends when I was much younger. 5*
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- lazertaggame lazertaggame Oct 31, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
- Excellent lens. I really like the photo's and videos, they bring the lens to life.
Kind regards, Steva
Billiard Tables
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- lakeerieartists lakeerieartists Sep 29, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
- Foosball always reminds me of Joey and Chandler on Friends.
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- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Sep 26, 2008 @ 10:50 am
- I'm terrible at playing foosball, but it's still fun!
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- adez7 adez7 Sep 26, 2008 @ 10:48 am
- I could never get the ability to slam those Foosballs around the table like the pro's do, but I gave it a try anyway! :)
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- Mazzer Mazzer Sep 26, 2008 @ 10:34 am
- Great lens. Reminds me of the boys on Friends and the fun we had on holidays as kids playing this game. 5*
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- JustBon-Crochet-Designs JustBon-Crochet-Designs Sep 25, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
- My Brit hubby knows this as table football and used to play it as a kid. He'd never heard of 'foosball" until he got over here! Great lens. 5*s.
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- vbright105 vbright105 Sep 25, 2008 @ 11:47 am
- Now that's from back in the day, isn't it? I used to play Foosball! Great idea!
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- richiereveley richiereveley Sep 25, 2008 @ 7:32 am
- Ode to a good game of foosball ... sounds great does'nt it. Foooooosssssballlll.Go on I know you want to say it too.Foosball..eh I was reminded of Foosball the other day while watching a re-run of "Friends"
Great lens.Ive given your lens a 5-Star rating!
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Foosball Tables on Twitter
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- khawe
- I just found a company kitchen that has ping pong, foosball and video games! SCORE!
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- UpscaleResale
- We just got a foosball table in
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- ToniaNoel
- Banty ofcourse (keiths fav) tryin to figure space ha ha.Think i'm gonna have to dismantel the foosball table lol Takes up most of din.rm
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- stevenpeltzman
- @senorcorazon we decided to offshore the foosball tables. Sorry.
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- elmirayue
- Hehe,I beat my brothers to a game of foosball,10-6 :D
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