British Foosball Association
How to Play - The Tables
Table Maintenance
Compiled by Boris Atha, edited by Daniel Gallon and Richard Thomson
Playability is clearly a subjective concept, but from an objective perspective may be considered as the ease with which a player can control and play with the ball.
The following sections provide guidelines for getting the best out of your table:
Table Characteristics
Durability
The very cheap tables tend to have extremely poor build quality - players break, rods bend, cabinets warp etc. They can also be lightweight and will move about during vigorous play much more than the coin-op versions. Although they can be good starter tables for young children they are simply not designed to stand up to more rigorous use.
Control
Different tables have different surface characteristics, ranging from extremely slippery to extremely grippy – all offer different things to different players, and there is no ‘right’ table.
Many homeplay tables (and some commercial tables) have slippery laminate or smooth glass surfaces combined with hard plastic balls. This greatly increases the difficulty of control and skill that the table allows, and most top players frown upon this. Whilst you could consider using cork balls, which are lighter, quieter, and offer far greater grip, it is generally best to play on tables as they are meant to be played, and if you keep them clean, lubricated and well levelled they still serve you well. If offered the choice of a smooth or sandblasted glass surface, the latter offers easier ball control.
Care & Maintenance
Cleaning
Cleaning the balls can restore much lost quality, and can dramatically reduce those “random walks”. There are several ways:
- washing up liquid and a scouring pad by hand
- washing machine (tie them inside a sock)
- through the glass washer in a pub
- self made 'tumblers' – by lining a tin with fine sandpaper or emery cloth
The table surface can be cleaned using normal water and washing up liquid and a non-abrasive cloth. Avoid using excess water as it can cause damage if it gets inside the cabinet or on the underside of the playing surface.
NOTE: Do not use bleach or any solvent-based cleaners, as they can cause corrosion, and do not use windolene or glass polish, as these will make the surface more slippery.
Lubrication
Lubrication not only improves the quality of the game play, but also reduces wear on the table, as it allows the rods to move more smoothly. You should apply sufficient lubricant to loosen the rods, ensuring that you do not accidentally spray the table of apply so much that it drips on to the table surface. Best application practice is to apply lubricant to a cloth and then wipe the rods with it – this both cleans and leaves the appropriate amount of lubricant on the rods.
Mountain bike spray (ideal) or Furniture polish can be used on Italian style tables (no bumpers). Silicone oil, used sparingly, is certainly the best lubricant safe for use on all tables, and is the constituent of 'foos lube' and most commercial foosball lubricants and sprays.
NOTE: Never use WD40 on any table as it can corrode rubber bumpers and plastic joints. Glass polish is also to be avoided, as it will cause any table surface to become slippery.
Maintenance
Bent rods, “egg” balls, broken men…. Can all be replaced for small cost from the table distributors. Check the links page at www.britfoos.com for contact details of table importers/distributors.
Rods become bent more frequently on tables with a glass cover, which means the table has to be moved (lifted) when the ball goes deal on the playfield. Prevention is better than cure – always push the rods fully-in before trying to lift the table, or better still, take off the glass top if the table is in a supervised area, which allows players to move a dead ball by hand, avoiding the problem in the first place.
Positioning
Lighting & Visibility
Ideally the table will be positioned with plenty or room all round for the players and good lighting - similar to the setup used for pool or snooker. Remember that the rods (particularly the 2-bar) stick out much further when fully-extended.
In a well-lit room, no additional lighting may be necessary, but if ambient lighting is low overhead lighting may be required. Tables with internal lighting options are an excellent option. If you need to use a directed spot light, try to ensure that, for glass-topped tables, you don’t create glare for either team. One true innovator used a fluorescent ball, and lit the table with an ultraviolet strip light.
Levelling the table
Many top of the range tables have adjustable legs on the table, to allow the playing surface to be perfectly levelled. Where no adjustment is possible, the most common solutions to an uneven table include multiple beer mats under the feet, or even rubber bar/drip mats (car foot mats are ideal), which tend to be more stable. Sticking the mats to the table feet with gaffer tape can provide medium-term stability.
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