Transferring 5 On-Field Soccer Techniques to a Foosball Table

Many table games designed to recreate a sport fail to do so in a realistic way, and foosball is no exception. Soccer is a game of flexibility and beauty, which simply can’t be translated to a small box with rigid players on straight rods.

That doesn’t mean, however, some aspects of soccer can’t be translated onto a foosball table. The players may not manoeuvre as they do on a field, but some technical components of soccer can be recreated on a table once you get the feel for it.

1. Catching the ball

A lot of casual players play foosball with no technique at all. They simply turn the rods whenever the ball comes close to one of their players and hope for the best. Catching (or pinning) the ball is the first step in learning how to actually play foosball, instead of just playing around on a foosball table. Catching allows you to take possession, as opposed to constantly defending your own goal.

Here’s how it’s done:

When the ball comes near your player, tilt the rod forward (or backward, depending on which way the ball is moving) so the player’s head dips, allowing the ball to roll under the player’s foot, and then drop the foot down on top of it. This stops the ball in its place. There is obviously little room for error here, so it takes some practice.

This video shows the technique for catching, with additional tips on slowing the ball down:

2. Passing within a line

Once you can catch a foosball, you need to know how to pass it.

Passing between two players on the same rod is the easiest form of passing in foosball, because it does not require moving past any of your opponent’s men. It also proves highly useful in setting up plays, which we’ll get to in a minute.

Here’s how it’s done:

While the ball is still or moving slowly, hold the player vertically on the rod and push or pull the rod to tap the ball with the side of the foot.

The video above also demonstrates this type of side-to-side passing.

3. Passing the ball forward

So, you know how to catch the foosball and how to pass between players in a line. Now, it’s time to pass the ball from one rod to the next by either a lane or wall pass. Passing the ball forward on a foosball table can be a difficult skill to master, because it requires both speed and accuracy. The trick is to develop an understanding of how the rods move, and shoot into the spots that are the most difficult for your opponent to reach.

Here’s how it’s done:

With the ball in the possession of one of your players, tilt the player’s foot back and quickly flick the wrist to put power behind the kick.

This video shows both wall and lane passes with the ball already in motion from a side-to-side pass, which provides more momentum. (It has a somewhat long intro. Start at 1:45 to see the passes).

4. Catching and releasing with your goalie

One of the main downsides of foosball is the inability of the goalie to catch and throw the ball, moving it down the field and away from your goal. It might be tempting to kick the ball as far down the table as possible, but that is a dangerous technique in foosball. It requires a clear path, and leaves you unprepared if your opponent happens to snag and shoot the ball.

When it comes to defending your goal in foosball, the best method is to pin the ball just as you do with a player on the open table. Then, pass the ball back out of the goal box using lane and wall passes until you get back in scoring position.

5. Set up plays

After you’ve learned the basics of foosball, you can start playing the game like a real challenger. That includes coming up with plays to practice and use against your opponents. You may even want to get a foosball table for your home to serve as a practice field for those big away games at the local bar.

The thing that foosball does share with soccer is that, at its core, it is a game of strategy and finesse. When you can catch the ball and pass between players, you can also fake out your opponents. The better you are at handling the ball, and thinking outside the box, the better a player you’ll be.