LogFAQs > #898707314

Weve been playing foosball for a long time and its probably right that we reform or declare some agreed rules for the game. Like anything, the game can be played however you want. This game is collaborative so feel free to voice if any of these rules dont work for you. We do not have game officials or a rules committee. There is no replay. At the end of the day, all these rules are somewhat subjective but the following guidelines should help consistently rule in any game.

Contact with a ball
-There is a difference between you striking the ball and the ball striking you. Common sense has to prevail here. A shot is established when the ball is intentionally and/or forcefully struck from any position. The ricochets and deflections after a shot become incidental contact and are seen as the ball striking you rather than you striking the ball, UNLESS any of the following occur: (1) the shooting team re-strikes the ball towards the defenders goal, (2) the ball is moving at a speed in which its reasonable that another line on the shooting team intentionally contacts the ball towards the defended goal, (3) the defending team takes a new and separate shot towards the other teams goal, (4) the ball becomes controlled by any other players in the game. After any goal, it should be determined where the shot originated and what additional contact took place. The shot can only be reassigned to other lines of the shooting team. The shot cannot be reassigned to the defending team unless the defending team somehow established control and/or possession. All inadvertent contact by the defending team should be considered defensive actions and not a shot.

Penalty Kicks
-There are two types of penalty kicks
oThe first is when the ball stalls out between the goalie line and the two-bar defensive line. If the ball stops between these two lines and cannot be contacted by the defending team, the defending team gets 1 opportunity to strike the line rod to move the ball into play. If the ball is not playable or if the striking action moves the ball by shifting the table, a Penalty Kick is assessed.
oThe second is when the ball is launched off the table and out of play. Guilt is assigned to the original striking party. Immediate put backs from the front lines, deflections, incidental contact, and the wall do not change the Penalty Kick assignment.
oAny game can be played with either, both, or none of the two penalty kicks. All games are assumed to include both penalties unless declared at the start of the game and agreed to by both sides.
-If a successful penalty kick would result in a team winning the game, the penalty kick is moved back to the two-bar defenders and treated like an overtime kick. The kick is also defended from the two-bar like in overtime.

Stalled balls
-If a ball stops on the table and cannot be contacted and does not result in a penalty kick, the re-drop is awarded to whichever teams offense is closer to the ball.
-If the ball stops off of the drop in play, the re-drop is awarded to the other team.
-If the ball stops in the middle of the table during play and not off of a drop, it is awarded to the team whose whole drop is closer to the ball.

Intentional stoppage of play
-If a ball is intentionally frozen in play by the deliberate actions of the two-bar defensive line, possession is awarded to the opposing teams front-line offense.

Settling disputes
-These guidelines will likely not resolve all disputes. Reasonable disagreements will occur. The general rule to follow is that if both parties have reasonably different opinions, they should attempt to agree upon the resolution that has the smallest impact on the game. If its reasonable to assess a goal to two different lines, parties are encouraged to pick the line which impacts the game the least (situationally).