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Have you ever been playing foosball and wondered if people considered it a sport? Maybe you heard someone say that foosball isn’t a sport and you think it is. Well, in this article we will go over everything you need to know about foosball and if it is a sport or not.
So is foosball a sport?
Although most people do not see foosball as a sport, it actually is considered one. This is because it takes the same discipline and efforts that are required in other sports to play foosball.
If you want to know more about foosball being a sport, and what makes it one, you will want to keep reading. You can also check out this video to learn the official sport rules of foosball when you play
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What is considered a sport?
To make it clear, we must know the clear definition of a sport. A sport includes all competitive physical activities and games which aim to use, maintain or improve the abilities and skills of the player while providing enjoyment to the player and some time to spectators. According to the definition, Foosball is a sport. Even though it is not similar to other sports like tennis, basketball or others, it is still a sport.
A sport requires its players to do regular practice to move their muscles and train themselves for various motions and moves and win the game. In foosball also, it requires effort and practice to master its moves and increase the focus.
Being a sport, it is widely played. There are many other games with similarities of a sport but are not considered in this list. To know the required criteria of classifying a game as a sport, there are some requirements to follow which are given below.
- Physical activity
A sport should be a physical activity. It must involve the movement of the body of the player to perform any task. Without physical activity, they do not consider the game a sport. This is why video games or games on smartphones, which don’t involve any physical activity, are not termed as a sport. Foosball, is one game that actually does follow this criteria. In foosball, players are physically active to play their game and make the perfect short with practice and hard work.
- Competition with a definite winner
A major requisite of a sport, is a competition between players with definite winning by one side. It cannot be artistic like in with dance; where judges judge the individual performance of every contestant rather than head-to-head competition. It is important to have a winner.
These two major conditions are the requirements to become a sport. Both are mandatory, and foosball follows both of these requirements.
How is foosball played?
Foosball is played on a table that is 4 ft (120 cm) long and 2 ft (61cm) wide. The table usually includes eight rows of foosmen made up of wood, plastic or metal. Foosmen are the figures mounted on the rotating bars to hit or kick the ball into the opposite goal. Each team controls four bars divided as one for each goalkeeper, defender, midfield, and strikers. As seen in football, similarly players use these rods to pass, kick and short the ball.
The football sport inspired foosball and has many similarities. This is why it also has a name similar to football. It is because of the German name of this game and the way they pronounce it, it gives it a name Foosball. Besides this, there are many nicknames for this depending what region you are in. If you are in the UK, they commonly know foosball as “Table Football”, while in Europe it is called “Kicker”. In France, they refer to it as “Baby Foot”, and in America, we call it “Foosball”.
Players of Foosball are called “Foosers” in America. A fooser can be anyone who plays in his or her privacy and comfort within their own house or someone who plays competitions and tournaments across the region.
Once you are into this game, you realize that it demands dedication to play and win in this sport. It is easy to see athletes training, practicing and relying on their skills to win, but this game is highly competitive and played all around the world. Fans also wanted to include it in the Olympics as it is a sport.
Is Foosball an Olympic Sport?
For a long time, foosball fans wanted foosball to be included in the Olympics. Getting their favorite sport in the Olympics is a feeling of pride for them, but getting any game in the Olympics includes a multi-step process that can include many hoops. Not only do you have to go through all the regulations, but it is extremely time consuming.
Olympics require a certain observer status to include any sport, which foosball backed in October 2017. After this status, they will include Foosball, after reaching a certain level of participation and practice all over the world.
Unfortunately, Foosball was not accepted for the 2020 Olympics to be held in Japan. This sport has achieved observers’ status, which means it is one step close to being included in the Olympics. It might get included in the Olympics in the following years by fulfilling its ability to gain more players, supporters, and participants, but no decision has been made yet.
History of foosball
Foosball has become popular these days because of its ease of playing, and it also doesn’t require pro players. Foosball or better known as table football or table soccer is a game similar to football played on a table by manipulating rods which comprise figures attached with them to aim the ball into the opponent’s goal. It is a table game played between single opponents, doubles or teams of up to 4 members.
Unfortunately, no one knows where this game originated. It had traveled from one country to another country with various variations. It is like soccer and is a table version of it. So we can think of its origin after soccer in 1860. Officially, its first patent was registered in the 1900’s for the United States, but since it has been around since the 1800’s no one wants to say that it started in the 1900’s.
Conclusion
Foosball is a table-based game played with the help of figures attached to the rods, and players control them. It is one of the popular games in the United States today. Since no one is sure about its origin, no one wants to make a claim about who invented it.
As you have learned in this article, foosball is considered a sport, and even fulfills all the requirements needed to be a sport. This is because of the physical activity of the players and the competition is based on winning rather than judging. This sport is widespread among the people and they also want to include it in the Olympics. Even though as of now it is not included in the Olympics, it is on its way to being in the Olympics soon.
There is no denying that even though it is not in the Olympics, that it is still a sport. So the next time someone tries to tell you that foosball isn’t a sport, you can show them this article and correct their ignorance.