Learn foosball: the packeroo foosball school

How to learn foosball

You learn foosball at the table, not by watching. Short sessions work best, one technique at a time. That is why the foosball school follows a fixed path: control the ball first, then pass, then shoot, then defend.

Every lesson has the same structure. Three steps with drawings, the most common mistakes, a tip for advanced players and a drill that takes five minutes. Where a rule matters, there is a note with its source in the rulebook of the world federation ITSF.

Start with ball control, even if you have been playing for a while. Many missed shots begin with a ball that was not sitting right.

The learning path

Foosball techniques in brief

Ball control

You pin the ball between the figure and the playing surface and move it forwards and back with small taps and wipes. That control is part of every pass and every shot.

Wall pass

The 5-bar draws the ball to the side wall and plays it along the wall to the 3-bar. The safest way to reach your strikers.

Lane pass (diagonal pass)

It starts like the wall pass. Just before the wall you clip the ball with the edge of the figure and it runs diagonally into the field. Mixed with the wall pass, it is hard to read.

Pull shot

The ball sits beside the figure. You pull it sideways, get ahead of it and snap your wrist down. It works on almost any table.

Pin shot

The ball is pinned. The figure slides sideways over it and your open hand lets the handle roll. A short movement with many variations.

Snake shot (jet)

The ball is pinned and the handle rests against your open hand. A quick snap upwards rolls the handle across your hand, the figure turns almost all the way round the rod and hits the ball from behind. In Germany the shot is called the jet. It is banned in the ITSF Classic format.

V position

Goalkeeper and 2-bar stand offset to the side and slightly angled: the 2-bar's feet point towards the goalkeeper, the goalkeeper's feet towards the 2-bar. Rebounds stay with you and angled shots have less room.

Bank shot (angle shot)

From the 2-bar off the side wall at the other goal. The ball runs past the opposing figures instead of through them.

Lunch-break practice plan

Five minutes a day is enough if you stick with it. This plan takes you through the learning path once in a week. Repeat the week until you hit the goals. Then add the pin shot, the snake shot and the bank shot.

If you practise in pairs, play a game to 5 goals on Friday and log it in your league. After a few weeks you will see what the practice has done.

Rules you should know

What goes at the pub and what goes at a tournament is compared in our foosball rules.

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to learn foosball?

Short, regular sessions and one technique at a time. Start with ball control, then passing, one shot and defence. Five minutes on several days does more than one long session a week.

Which foosball shot should a beginner learn first?

The pull shot. It works on almost any table and is easy to practise. After that comes the pin shot. The snake shot is the hardest and comes last.

Are the jet shot and the snake shot the same?

Yes. Jet is the German name for the snake shot, the shot where the ball is pinned and the figure turns almost all the way round the rod. In the US and in the ITSF rules it is called the snake.

Is the snake shot legal?

Under the ITSF standard rules, yes, as long as the rod does not turn more than 360 degrees before or after touching the ball. In the ITSF Classic format snake shots and flip-over shots are banned. At the office you decide for yourselves what counts.

What is spinning in foosball?

Spinning means turning the rod all the way round more than once to hit the ball. Under the official rules it is a foul, and at the pub it is frowned upon too.

Can I practise foosball on my own?

Partly. Ball control, passes with nobody opposite and shots at an empty goal all work alone. For defence and for passing under pressure you need someone on the other side.