Foosball (from the German Fußball = soccer) is also known as table soccer, table football, babyfoot, or gettone. It is a table-top game based on soccer invented by Alejandro Finisterre, an editor and poet from Galiza.

Origins

Alejandro Finisterre was injured during one of the fascist bombings of Madrid during the Spanish civil war. Seeing many children injured like himself in the hospital (i.e. unable to play football), he thought of the idea, which was borne from the concept of table tennis. Finistere credits his friend Francisco Javier Altuna, a Basque carpenter, for making the first foosball following the directions he gave him. Although the invention was patented in 1937, Alejandro Finisterre had to escape from the fascist coup d'etat to France, and he lost the papers of the patent in a storm.

The Game

Players attempt to use figures mounted on rotating bars to kick the foosball into the opponent's goal. A foosball may travel at speeds up to 35 mph in competition. The sport requires quick reflexes and fine motor control.

A winner is determined in foosball when one team scores a predetermined number of goals, say 5 or 10. A two goal victory is often required.

A foosball table can vary in size, but is typically about 4 feet long and 2 feet wide. The table usually contains 8 rows of players, which are plastic or wooden figures mounted on horizontal metal bars. Each team of 1 or 2 human players controls 4 rows of figures.

The arrangement of foos-men is standard. Looking from left to right on one side of the table, you see:

Foosball is often played for fun in pubs, bars, workplaces, schools, and clubs with few rules. "House rules" often include a ban on spinning your foosmen, so one's hand must maintain continuous contact with the handle.