*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Have you been playing Foosball, and always end up playing against people who just spin the ball? Maybe you think that it is the only way to win and you are trying to prove that what you are doing is perfectly fine to do. Well, in this article we will go over all the rules of Foosball and what you need to know.
So can you spin the ball in Foosball?
Although many people like to spin the ball to gain an advantage in the game, it is not allowed when playing in a tournament, and you will be penalized if you do it. If you are just playing a friendly game then if you and your friends allow it then it is fine.
If you want to know more about Foosball and what you can and cannot do, you will want to keep reading this article as we will go into all the rules when playing Foosball. You can also watch this video if you don’t want to read the rest of the article as it will tell you the real rules of Foosball and what you can and cannot do in a professional game.
Do you love playing foosball but your table has seen better days? Check out this competition-sized table by clicking here.
If you have a game room (or want one) you have to check out this classic arcade game console that attaches directly to your TV.
This machine has classic arcade controls but hooks directly up to your big-screen TV so you can easily move it (even if you don’t have a dedicated game room).
Oh, and did I mention that it has 5,000 games built in that you can play anytime you like?!?!
Is spinning the ball allowed in casual foosball matches?
Although you are allowed to spin the ball in casual matches, it is not considered good sportsmanship. However, for professional events, it is considered illegal. It is not allowed to spin the ball in professional games. It is a violation of international foosball rules, and it can result in disqualification and severe penalties.
Spinning in the foosball table refers to the complete rotation of the stick figure (generally the plastic soccer player). Turning a stick figure means rotating incomplete 360 degrees.
This is possible by completely rotating the rod using its handle. When a person completely stretches its arms using his/her full force, the rod completely rotates. This causes the complete rotation of the figures. If you spin it hard enough, it rotates in a 360 degrees direction multiple times.
Spinning in Foosball means rotating the rod entirely in a 360 degrees direction. This ultimately turns the stick figure in a complete circle. It is not allowed in professional Foosball in all of the cases, which are:
- Spinning it completely before striking the ball
- Spinning it entirely after hitting the ball
- Spinning the ball when inserting it.
Complete circular rotation or spinning of the soccer or stick figure is entirely illegal according to the foosball rules. There are no proper reasons or justifications for this process by itself, but it is not allowed.
Does Foosball take skill?
Foosball is a game of complete skill. It requires a lot of skill, talent, and careful consideration to play Foosball. Therefore, people often play it all the time to enhance their skills. Spinning the rod to rotate completely, the soccer player takes advantage of the talent.
If you play it by just hardly spinning it all the time, you will need to learn no skill or excellence in it. Therefore it creates a lot of inequality in the game. For a skilled professional person, it will be considered wrong to do such a thing.
Spinning the ball hard enough decreases the chances of the opponent to catch the ball. The other player will have no time to see and judge the position of the ball because of the illegal enhancement of the ball.
Merely spinning the rod all the time also decreases the interest of the game. If you know that the other person will do the same thing all the time, you will have no chances of winning the game. You will lose interest in the game and, eventually, will miss the hope of winning against him/her. Therefore it is not preferred and is declared illegal for international, professional, and other nationwide tournaments.
Is Foosball complicated?
Since Foosball is not so complicated, it does not have any hard and fast rules to follow. It involves two players, a table, and a ball. For international and professional matches, a player who scores the first 5 points wins.
This 5 points rule is not fixed and can be adjusted according to casual games, but it is set for professional matches. If you start by disobeying the only fundamental law not to spin the stick figure, you will win the 5 points within minutes.
This causes the opponent to give up his/her interest in the game. The other person at the receiving end of the spinning shot will lose all his/her interest in the game. This certainly will create a negative impact on the game and its followers.
What are the rules of Foosball?
When you play Foosball at a local bar or gaming arena, you do not consider any hard rules. You normally just do whatever will get you the most points. However, this should not be the case. When we play with our friends and family, we try to score points by hitting and spinning the rod. We do this all the time without getting the knowledge of the actual rules.
This kind of play is bearable for casual games where you and the other players are just having fun without getting competitive with each other. But for professional matches, if you try to score by spinning, you will be expelled from playing the game further as you are violating the official and only fundamental rule of not spinning the soccer player.
Just like other rules such as no jarring, dead balls, out of play, and 5-bar passing, no spinning is also a strict rule to be followed in the game.
It is more than a sportsman spirit to not spin the ball rather than scoring points. Spinning is not allowed to respect the actual skill of the other person playing the game. A competitive match should challenge the power and hardness level of the other person rather than his ability to judge the speed of the ball.
Therefore doing these useless spins rather than showing actual skill shows that you do not have the practical knowledge and expertise of the game, and you are just there to ruin it for the other person as well.
Why is spinning a foosball so bad?
Spinning reduces the control of the ball. It also increases the chance of the ball reaching an out of bound exception, which means that it is impossible to hit the ball.
There are strict penalties for such violations as given by the ITSF. A fine is charged for a player who does it repeatedly. In most cases, the person is banned from the game and is given a legal warning. Although that is not the case for general and casual matches, it is not allowed for international, national, and other major games.
For big competitive tournaments, it can also result in disqualification. Because of these reasons, it is always recommended to play it without spinning according to the rules.
Conclusion
Now that you know the official rules of Foosball and you know what you can and cannot do in a professional match, you can play Foosball the correct way. This is why it is best to follow them when you are playing a casual match to help learn the rules and obey them.
Although many people do not obey the rules, they will also never be allowed to play at any championship matches or international games like you will be able to.