Anyone who loves football, table games, watched the popular sitcom ‘Friends,’ or has simply walked the earth in the last couple decades - must have come across the Foosball game, if not own one themselves. Foosball, or ‘Fuzboll,’ is a ‘table football’ game that has been popular in The United States since the 1970s.
Like any other game, Foosball can also be mastered by learning some strategies and maximizing your opportunities on offense, as well as defense. Still wondering how to be good at Foosball as a beginner? Let us help you learn a few tricks.
Table of Contents
6 Significant Ways, Tips, & Tricks To Be Good at Foosball
Read along to learn some tips, tricks, and ways to learn how to get better at Foosball and increase your chance of winning;
1. Tips for Gripping Handles
As a beginner, don’t make the mistake of holding the handle in a tight grip. This will make your hands sore quicker and may go numb after a while.
Maintain the grip as relaxed as you can, allowing a little space between your palm, fingers, and the handle.
This will help you adapt to different shots by adjusting grip quicker.
Standing with both feet parallel to the table may cause you to be stiff. Instead, stand at an angle (30-45 degrees). This allows speed and power for the serve and shots.
2. Serving Strategies
Serving as the first step where you can maximize an offensive opportunity. Practice adding a little bit of spin when you drop the ball into the table.
This way, you can catch the Foosball (hopefully with your 5 bar) right when you serve it.
You can attempt a pass or set the game to take an offensive shot.
As you get more used to serving, you can try to learn and practice the backspin serve.
3. Passing Strategies
Passing is your best chance to get an offensive opportunity. To sharpen your passing, catching, and shooting skills, you must learn to use both the 3 bar and 5 bar efficiently.
Knowing how to pass from the 5 bar to the 3 bar is also an important skill that many novice foosball players tend to not pay enough attention to.
The distance to the goal from the 3 bar is much shorter, and there is one less defensive bar blocking your way. So, scoring from the 3 bar is relatively easier and comes with more variations of shot selection.
4. Defense Strategies
One of the underemphasized strategies is always playing the defense. No matter where the ball is or if your opponent has it, you should always follow the ball and keep your bars moving.
Developing a concrete defensive skill set can surely allow you to win the game. A good defense surely makes for a good offense, so practice defense techniques to increases your chance of winning.
5. Controlling and Passing the Ball
As long as the ball is under your control, your chances of scoring are at their highest. You can pass the ball from bar to bar or catch and pin the Foosball to stay in control. Also, you can plan your next move while you have the ball pinned and under control.
When the ball approaches one of your players, angle him back sightly to catch and trap the ball beneath it. You can execute a pass or a pin shot from a pinned position- although the latter is for a shot for more advanced players.
A wall pass is one of the most effective and easiest ways to pass your ball forward to the 3 bar. Now a lane pass is also like a wall pass, but your opponent is less likely to planting his 5 bar against the wall to stop you. When you get more comfortable with these passes, learn and practice the wall bounce pass.
6. Practice and Learn
The simplest yet effective strategy- practicing your techniques. While some techniques you can practice to sharpen on your own- like serving, passing, shooting, etc.- other techniques, especially the defensive ones, are learned best through playing matches with others.
Remember that every match and every opponent can teach you something new even if you lose the game.
Challenge yourself by playing with better, more experienced foosball players when you start getting better. Learning from your opponent while playing a match is one of the most effective ways to find where you lack and learn new ways.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Own Goals Count in Foosball?
Own goals, or dropping your ball accidentally on your own post with a pass, will not earn you a point. However, if a player drops the Foosball on his own court, the opposing player will score a point. Own goals do count in Foosball- they just count as added to the opposing team’s score.
Is It Legal to Spin in Foosball?
No, as per official foosball rules, spinning is illegal in Foosball. Spinning is defined as the rotation of any figure before or after striking the ball by more than 360 degrees. Not only is spinning illegal, but it is also damaging to the table and the rods.
Spinning does not increase your chance of scoring a goal; rather, it makes you lose control. The shot/pass is less accurate and can even result in backward shots.
Here is our in depth guide, why spinning is not allowed in foosball.
What Is a Dead Ball Situation in Foosball?
During a match, if the ball stops at a position where none of the players can reach by using the foosball figures- a dead ball situation arises. Since none of the players can reach the ball, they can’t make a shot or a pass.
It is the only time the Foosball is permitted to be removed by hand- a gesture that is illegal otherwise. After being removed, either of the players can restart the game as usual.
The EndNote
Practice makes perfect- and even if not perfect, practice surely will make you better as time goes by. As you start playing more often, strategies will become instinctive, almost as second nature.
Now that we’ve helped you figure out how to be good at Foosball- don’t forget to try these strategies out. We hope these tips were easy to understand and will help you better your play. Keep practicing for better efficiency, and don’t forget to have fun!
Related Guide: