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AI-generatedFoosball rules: pub games and the official ITSF rules
Contents
Foosball, or table football as most people in the UK and Ireland call it, has two sets of rules. The ones you agree on at the pub, at home or in the office. And the official rules for tournaments, written by the International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF). This guide covers both and shows where they differ.
Casual rules: pub, home and office
Casual rules change from table to table. The most important one: have fun. The second most important: agree on the rest before the first kick-off. These are the points that cause the most arguments.
- Who serves first: Flip a coin. After that, the team that conceded the last goal serves.
- How long you play: First to 5 or 10 goals. On a coin-operated table you often play until the balls run out.
- Spinning: Spinning the rods is frowned upon almost everywhere. Agree that it is not allowed.
- Goals from the midfield: Some groups ban goals straight from the 5-bar. Officially they count.
- Goalkeeper goals: In some groups a goal from the goalkeeper counts double. Officially it is one goal like any other.
- Banging the table: Hitting the walls or lifting the table is out. It changes the path of the ball and it damages the table.
Casual rules and official rules compared
The main differences at a glance. The official answers come from the ITSF Standard Matchplay Rules (sources below).
| Question | Casual play, often | Official (ITSF) |
|---|---|---|
| How long do you play? | First to 5 or 10. On a coin-operated table often until the balls run out | Set by the organiser. Usually games to 5, best of 3 or 5 |
| Spinning | Frowned upon, rarely written down | Foul if the rod turns more than 360 degrees before or after hitting the ball |
| Goal from the 5-bar (midfield) | Sometimes banned | Counts like any other goal |
| Goal from the goalkeeper | Counts double in some groups | One point, like any other goal |
| Ball bounces back out of the goal | Often argued about | Goal, once it has fully crossed the line |
| Kick-off | Served through the hole in the side of the table | From the middle figure of the 5-bar, after asking “Ready?” |
| Ball off the table | Served again by whoever agreed to serve | The team that did not play it off restarts from its goalie rod |
| Time limit | None | 10 seconds on the 5-bar, 15 seconds on the other rods |
House rules for the office
At work you play without a referee. To keep the peace, agree a few house rules before your league starts. Write them down and put them up next to the table.
- Match length: One game to 5 fits into a lunch break. If you have more time, play best of three.
- Spinning: Not allowed. If you spin, the other team gets the ball.
- Goalkeeper and midfield goals: One point each, as in the official rules. If you want to count them differently, write it down.
- Kick-off: Ask “Ready?” first, then serve. No surprise goals.
- Ball off the table or dead: The team that did not play it off restarts from its goalie rod. Prefer to serve again, as many pubs do? Then write that down as a house rule.
- Who plays next: Loser makes way. Or let packeroo pair up everyone who has time right now.
- Logging the result: Straight after the match. With packeroo you do it on your phone and the table updates itself.
The official ITSF rules in short
The ITSF is the world governing body for table football. Since 2024 its rulebook has been called the Standard Matchplay Rules. These are the points that matter most at an office table. The full rulebook covers every detail.
Match format
The ITSF leaves the number of games and points to the organiser. National federations set their own format. In Germany, for example, the federation DTFB plays best of three games to 5 points. In the deciding game you need a 2-goal lead, up to a maximum of 8. The top division plays best of five (DTFB tournament regulations, in German).
Start of the match
One player from each team flips a coin. The winner chooses either the first kick-off or the side of the table. The other team gets the remaining option.
Kick-off and “Ready?”
The kick-off is taken from the middle figure of the 5-bar. Before you move the ball, ask “Ready?” and wait for “Ready!”. The ball then has to be played on between figures before you may pass or shoot. No serving straight into a shot. After a goal, the team that conceded kicks off.
Goals
A goal counts once the ball has fully crossed the goal line, even if it bounces back out. Every goal is worth one point, whichever rod scored it.
Time limits
You may keep the ball for at most 10 seconds on the 5-bar and 15 seconds on the 3-bar. The goalkeeper and the 2-bar count as one rod, also with 15 seconds. Between points you have 5 seconds to get going again.
Spinning
If the rod turns more than 360 degrees before or after it hits the ball, that is a foul. The other team gets the ball on its 5-bar. Spinning without touching the ball is not a foul.
Passing
A ball that is stopped or pinned on the 5-bar may not be passed straight to the 3-bar. Move it to another figure first, then pass while it is rolling. From the goalie rods to the 5-bar, a stopped ball may not be passed directly either.
Dead ball and ball off the table
A dead ball lies still where no figure can reach it. Between the two 5-bars it is restarted with a kick-off. Behind a 5-bar it goes to the nearest goalie rod. If the ball leaves the table, the team that did not play it off restarts from its goalie rod.
Time-outs
Each team has two time-outs per game, each up to 30 seconds. While the ball is in play, only the team with the ball may call one.
Switching positions in doubles
In doubles you may swap between defence and attack during a time-out, between points and between games. Not while the ball is in play.
Jarring and distraction
Shaking, banging or lifting the table is a foul. So is distracting the other team, for example with loud noise or sudden moves away from your rods.
Classic rules
Since December 2025 the ITSF also has Classic Matchplay Rules. Snake shots are not allowed there, every kick-off is taken from the goalie rod and every rod has a 10-second limit.
Sources
- ITSF Standard Matchplay Rules, version 2.0, December 2023
- ITSF Classic Matchplay Rules, version 1.0, December 2025
- DTFB tournament regulations (German), section 6, as of 21 July 2022
Frequently asked questions
Does a goal from the goalkeeper count double?
Not officially. Under the ITSF rules every goal is worth one point, whichever rod scored it. In some pubs a goalkeeper goal counts double or not at all. That is a house rule. Agree on it before you play.
Do goals from the midfield count?
Yes. Officially a goal from the 5-bar counts like any other. After the kick-off, though, the ball has to be played on between figures before you shoot. Banning midfield goals is a pub rule.
Is spinning allowed in foosball?
No. If the rod turns more than 360 degrees before or after hitting the ball, it is a foul. Spinning is frowned upon at the pub too.
Does a goal count if the ball bounces back out?
Yes. A goal counts once the ball has fully crossed the goal line, even if it then bounces back onto the table.
How many goals do you play to in table football?
At tournaments, games usually go to 5. The organiser sets how many games you need to win, often best of three or best of five. Casual games often go to 5 or 10, or until the balls run out.
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