When you get a new foosball table, the first question that comes to your mind is how many goalies are there in foosball? The reason is that some of the games are played with three goalies and some with just one.
Honestly, both systems are acceptable under the foosball rule. You can follow any of them.
Here we'll discuss why different goalie systems are acceptable in foosball, which goalie system is more desirable, and where the three goalie systems came from.
Table of Contents
Number of Goalies in Foosball
Foosball is a bit different than football. In football, there is only one goalie, but when it comes to foosball (also called table soccer), there is one goalie and three goalies, both of which are accurate and lawful.
People think only one goalie system is right. Nevertheless, the three-goalie system is equally correct, and even international foosball games are played using both systems.
Why Do Some Foosball Tables Have 3 Goalies?
There are many variations of foosball around the world. Although it originated in Britain, you will also get to see the Spanish style and the German style.
When the foosball game was first invented in the UK back in the 1900s, it had one goalie rod system. But this system had some drawbacks, for instance, the ball getting stuck in the corner. And it was hard to unstuck with one goalie rod.
So, later on, when Spain and Germany developed their versions of foosball, they used three goalies instead of one. Thus, the game becomes more balanced in this way.
One VS Three Goalie Foosball: Which One Is Internationally Followed?
International foosball games use both one-goalie and three-goalies systems. There is no strict regulation for this. But if you ask which one is more preferred, then the answer should be the one goalie system.
Why is that? The reason is that the three goalies system is more balanced, but in one-goalie systems, it becomes more competitive.
Because of this, most countries in the world cup use one goalie system.
Here is the official setup for the foosball game.
- One goalie or three goalies
- Two men rod for defense
- Three men for midfield
- Five men rod for an offense
(If there are three goalies, players in other positions must decrease to achieve the balance.)
Is There a Goalie Shot in Foosball?
Yes, there is a goalie shot in foosball, and each goalie goal is considered one point.
The EndNote
When people see different goalie systems, they tend to get confused. In foosball, they are just unsure which rules they should follow or how many goalies are there in foosball according to the official rules.
We have cleared up all the confusion by answering some questions here. First of all, we gave an answer to how many goalies there are in football. Later on, we explained why some foosball tables have three goalies.
Finally, we discussed the official foosball rules regarding goalies and the overall team line-up.