Air Hockey is a fast table sport where players strike a puck across a low-friction surface and try to score through the opponent's goal slot.
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Keep turns moving with a per-player clock for Air Hockey.
Standard 1v1 air hockey — two players use strikers (mallets) to shoot a puck across a cushion-of-air table, scoring by landing the puck in the opponent's goal. First to 7 wins.
Air hockey is a fast-paced tabletop sport where two players face off across a smooth, air-cushioned table. Each player uses a round striker (mallet) to hit a lightweight puck into the opponent's goal slot.
The goal: be the first player to score 7 goals. The air jets beneath the table surface create a frictionless cushion, allowing the puck to glide at high speed.
Games are quick — typically 5–15 minutes — and reward reflexes, angles, and defensive positioning.
Table: Rectangular surface (typically 7–8 feet for regulation) with air holes that blow upward to reduce friction
Goals: Slot openings at each end of the table
Puck: Lightweight plastic disc that floats on the air cushion
Strikers (mallets): Round discs with a raised handle, one per player
Centerline: Divides the table into two halves
The puck is placed at the center of the table or given to one player to serve
Players stand at opposite ends of the table
Play begins when one player strikes the puck toward the opponent's goal
Each player defends their goal and tries to score in the opponent's goal
Topping: You may not lift your striker and place it on top of the puck — this is a foul
Puck must be on your side: You may only strike the puck when it is on your half of the table or touching the centerline
One striker only: Players use one striker at a time
The puck must be struck, not pushed or dragged, across the table
A goal is scored when the puck fully enters the goal slot at the opponent's end
After a goal, the scored-upon player takes possession of the puck
Standard games are played to 7 goals (first to 7 wins)
Some recreational settings play to 5 or 10
Topping the puck: Placing the striker on top of the puck
Crossing the centerline: Reaching your striker past the center of the table
Palming: Touching the puck with your hand or any body part
Goal tending from the wrong side: Blocking shots from across the centerline
Fouls typically result in possession going to the opponent.
Bank shots: Use the side walls to angle the puck around the opponent's striker
Combination shots: Quick multi-wall shots make the puck harder to track
Defense position: Keep your striker slightly ahead of the goal, not inside it
Drift shots: Soft, slow shots that change direction near the goal can catch opponents off-guard
Speed variation: Alternating fast strikes with slow drifts keeps your opponent guessing
Air hockey uses higher score wins.
Record each player's final goal count. The winner is the first to 7 (or the agreed target). Players are ranked from most goals to fewest.
When recording an air hockey match in How You Rank:
Select Singles variant
Enter each player's final goal count (e.g., 7–4)
The system ranks players from highest score down