Foosball is a tabletop soccer game where players control mounted rods and try to score by passing and shooting a ball into the opponent's goal.
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Keep turns moving with a per-player clock for Foosball.
Standard 1v1 foosball — each player controls four rows of miniature players on rods, shooting a small ball into the opponent's goal. First to 5 (or 10) goals wins.
Foosball (table football/table soccer) is a tabletop game where two players control miniature soccer figures mounted on rotating rods to kick a small ball into the opponent's goal.
The goal: score more goals than your opponent by maneuvering the ball through your opponent's figures and into their goal. Standard games are first to 5 goals, though recreational play often goes to 10.
Games last about 5–15 minutes and reward hand-eye coordination, shot technique, and defensive positioning.
Table: Rectangular enclosed playing surface with goals at each end
Rods: 8 rods (4 per player) that slide and rotate horizontally across the table
Figures: Miniature players attached to the rods
Ball: Small, dense ball (cork, plastic, or composite)
Rod layout per player (from defense to attack):
The ball is served through a hole in the side of the table or placed at the center midfield rod
After a goal, the scored-upon team serves the next ball
Before serving, the server must ask "Ready?" and wait for acknowledgment
Players grip the rod handles and rotate, push, and pull the rods to control their figures
No spinning: Rods may not be rotated more than 360 degrees before or after striking the ball — spinning is a foul
Possession time limits (tournament): Each rod has limited possession time (e.g., 15 seconds on the 5-bar, 10 seconds on the 3-bar)
Dead ball: If the ball stops where no figure can reach it, it is re-served
Ball off the table: If the ball leaves the table, the last team to serve re-serves
A goal is scored when the ball fully enters the goal opening
Goals count from any rod — including the goalie rod
Standard match: first to 5 goals wins
Recreational play often goes to 10 goals
Some tournaments play best-of-3 or best-of-5 games to 5
Spinning: Rotating any rod more than 360 degrees — opponent gets possession or a penalty
Jarring: Slamming the table or rods to displace the ball — opponent gets possession
Distraction: Shouting or waving to distract the opponent
Reaching into the play area: Touching the ball with your hands during play
Pull shot and snake shot: The two dominant competition shots from the 3-bar — both involve quick lateral movement before striking
5-bar passing: Moving the ball from your midfield to your attack rod is the critical skill gap between casual and competitive play
Goalie defense: Stagger your goalie and defense rods so they cover different lanes
Wall passes: Bank the ball off the table walls to pass between rods
Controlled possession: Trap the ball under a figure before making your move
Foosball uses higher score wins.
Record each player's final goal count. The winner is the first to reach the target (typically 5 or 10). Players are ranked from most goals to fewest.
When recording a foosball match in How You Rank:
Select Singles variant
Enter each player's final goal count (e.g., 5–3)
The system ranks players from highest score down