Foosball

Foosball, also known as table football, has been around for a very long time, and with good reason.  It is a fast paced, challenging and extremely enjoyable game.  The basic concept is simple - it's like playing a mini game of football (soccer for you Americans!)... on a table.  Your players are attached to metal rods that you can rotate by twisting the connected grips on your side of the table. The rules are much like soccer - you try to get the ball into your opponents goal, earning yourself one point.  That's where the similarities end, and the exciting differences begin!
Ahh... the ever difficult question.  That's like calling the Doctor and saying, "I'm sick, what type of medicine should I take?"  In other words, there is no one foosball table that is right for everyone.  But, don't be discouraged, there are so many options available, you can certainly find one that is just right for you. Whatever you decide, be sure to buy it from a reputable dealer, like www.ThompsonSportingGoods.com or Amazon.com.

Are you an avid player looking to play at a competition level, or are you a hobbyist or someone looking to add on to their family game room?  If you are a skilled player looking to get even better, you should be looking for professional foosball tables with features standard of competitve play, like counterbalanced men, a high quality table leveling system, and a sturdy base.  The counterbalanced ( or counterweighted ) men allow the "players" to remain in a horizontal position without you holding them in place. That way, they do not get in the way of your own shots.  Almost all competitions use coutnerbalanced men, and since it has such an effect on gameplay, it's important to practice with a similar setup.  A high quality table leveling system will help you ensure your table football table is perfectly level on all 4 corners and sides.  This is absolutely critical, because a table that is even slightly uneven will completely skew the game play.  A sturdy base should be obvious, but many people just assume a foosball table will have a base that can hold it well.  The fact is, many foosball tables out there wiggle and wobble when you play hard on them, making the gameplay unfair and causing the table to wear out faster.  It's important to get a nice sturdy and durable foosball table so it will play fair and last a long time.

Hobby grade tables can be a load of fun for the family or average enthusiast, offering a lower cost entry into the wonderful world of table football.  There are certain features that add a lot of expense to a foosball table, so if you're looking for a solid quality table without spending a ton of money, skip the following features:

Furniture Style Foosball Tables
These tables look amazing, and blend right into a home environment.  However, the added expense of using hardwood construction with furniture like finishes adds hundreds, even thousands to the cost of a foosball table.

Weather Proof Foosball Tables
These have become more popular in the past decade.  For some reason, some people buy them and never use them outdoors.  There is simply no point to that.  If anything, they do not play as well as their indoor counterparts, because they are adapting the design to use different weather proof materials.  In addition, they are much more expensive than normal foosball tables.

Electronic Scoring Foosball Tables
Do you really need a little led screen telling you what your score is?  Unless you are playing the longest game in the history of manking, you can probably keep score in your head.  If you cannot, grab a little pad of paper and a pencil and go to town.

Unfortunately, there's no one brand that is superior to the rest, but there are a few brands known to build high quality foosball tables, such as Dynamo, Garlando, Goodtime Novelty & Tornado. The important thing, is making sure you get the features you want and need.  You can try searching online for reviews of specific tables once you've narrowed down your search.  This will help you make sure you get a high quality foosball table that you will be happy with.