AI-generated
AI-generated
AI-generatedHow to do the foosball snake shot, step by step
Contents
The snake shot is one of the best-known shots in table football. In Germany the same shot is called the jet. You shoot it with your 3-bar up front. The ball is pinned under the figure and the handle rests against your open hand. With one quick upward snap the handle rolls across your hand, the figure spins almost all the way round the rod and hits the ball from behind.
Why the snake shot works
- It is fast. Against a hard snake the goalkeeper has very little time to react.
- It starts from a ball at rest. You can set the ball up calmly and then fire.
- You can move the ball sideways before the shot and so aim at several corners.
The snake is not for your first day. Learn the pull shot and the pin shot first. The pin shot already teaches you to let the handle roll through your open hand.
3 steps to the snake shot
Step 1: Pin the ball and place your hand
Pin the ball between the figure and the playing surface. The toe of the figure sits on top of the ball, as close to its highest point as you can get. That holds it securely.
Now place your open hand against the side of the handle. The handle rests against the base of your palm and your fingers point loosely down. You do not grip.
Step 2: Snap your hand up
Snap your hand upwards with one quick jerk from your wrist and forearm. The handle rolls across your open palm, and your hand stays in contact with it the whole time. That makes the rod turn.
Step 3: Hit the ball and catch the handle
The figure turns almost all the way round and hits the ball from behind. Close your fingers around the handle straight away. That stops the rod before it keeps turning.
Common snake shot mistakes
- You grip the handle. The handle does not roll and the shot is slow. Keep your hand open.
- Your hand loses the handle. If your hand slips off before the figure hits the ball, the shot has no power.
- The toe of the figure is not on top of the ball. The ball slips away before you shoot.
- You do not catch the handle. The rod keeps spinning. In a tournament that is a foul (see below).
Tip for advanced players
Just before the shot, use a little pressure from your wrist to push the rod away from you or draw it towards you. The ball then rolls sideways with it and you shoot into a different corner. If you have three targets from a ball at rest (far corner, near corner, middle), you are very hard to read.
Lunch-break drill (5 minutes)
- 1 minute: No ball. Open hand on the handle, snap up, catch the handle. Make sure the rod stands still afterwards.
- 2 minutes: Ten snakes at an empty goal. Only count the ones where you caught the handle.
- 2 minutes: A colleague goes in goal. Five shots each, taking turns. Whoever scores more logs the result.
What the rules say
You cannot play the snake everywhere.
- ITSF standard rules: Allowed. The only thing banned is playing the ball with a rod that turns more than 360 degrees before or after contact. This is called spinning. The other side then gets the ball at their 5-bar (ITSF Standard Matchplay Rules, version 2.0, December 2023, section 10 "Spinning"). That is why step 3 matters so much: catch the handle.
- ITSF Classic: Banned. Snake shots and flip-over shots, where the figure turns over the ball, are explicitly not allowed in the Classic format (ITSF Classic Matchplay Rules, version 1.0, December 2025, introduction).
- At the office: Agree before your first game whether the snake counts. It saves arguments.
Sources: ITSF Standard Matchplay Rules (PDF), ITSF Classic Matchplay Rules (PDF), Wikipedia: Tischfußball, shooting techniques (in German: jet, called snake in the US)
Challenge your colleagues
A snake only counts once it goes in under pressure. Set up a free league for your office in packeroo, agree beforehand whether the snake counts for you, share the invite link in your team chat and log your games. Then everyone can see on the leaderboard whether the practice paid off.