There are many things that can go wrong in a game of foosball. One of the most common mistakes is spinning the rods. This is illegal in competitive play, and for good reason. In this article, we will discuss why spinning the rods is bad for your game, and how to avoid making this mistake.
In foosball, the issue of spinning foosball roads is a major one. The reason here is that it (spinning) is completely against foosball’s rules, and not just that, it also implies a bad ideology towards the game.
Spinning rods in foosball games might be entertaining for a while as you might be able to win a few games by luck, but it completely destroys your chances of becoming a better foosball player.
Who Spins in Foosball?
Amateurs or children play foosball casually and they are often the ones to just go on spinning the foosball rods carelessly in hopes of hitting the balls and scoring points.
Foosball is a game that can certainly be mastered with some practice and guidance, but to become good or a pro at the game, what you must do before all else is end your habit of spinning foosball rods. Unless you do that, you will never master foosball at all.
What Is Spinning In Foosball? (Technically)
Technically, spinning is the approach of the player spinning the foosball rods on their axis more then 360 degrees also often letting go of rod before taking the shot your shot.
This technique is usually performed by inexperienced amateur players who normally don’t understand the rules of the game. It more or less like the reflex action of oneself towards the game itself.
Is Spinning The Ball/Shot Also Spinning?
No, spinning the ball or shot is not the same. And is legal and shows great foosball skills.
Spinning the shot requires you to angle in your shot in such a position that it would help you score a goal. Spinning your ball means you curve your shots.
Spinning your shot would require a great talent over the game and people might appreciate you for such excellence in the game, but you might not receive similar applause while spinning your rods.
Foosball Rules on Spinning (Official)
Spinning is intolerant when it comes to formal plays in which the rules are set and followed as per the rule book.
Spinning the rods at any stance is considered to be a part of the foul game. Spinning is identified when the foosball men rotate a complete 360 degree on the axis.
You could be either penalized for this or not depending on the type of game you are playing.
It might be either a formal game when the penalty is the punishment for spinning where at times in a tournament the player might be rejected out for repeated fouling or it might be a normal game with friends where they might even not penalize you for this offense.
For a beginner’s match, the charges could be a little liberal in case of these four plays. But repetitive fouling might cause disqualification. This is not the case with the competitive matches as the environment there itself looks intense where even one shot of spinning could finish your game.
Apart from the universal set of rules, there are few foosball rules set which give an exception for a certain number of spins. Again, this is not applicable for tournament purposes where only the official set of rules are followed.
When Can You Spin?
Sometimes, spinning could be allowed, so let’s see when it is possible. You can never spin in an official tournament. But yes, you can do it in friendly tournaments among a group of friends who are just playing the game on a friendly basis and not officially. But the best thing is to agree on this before the game start to avoid bad feelings. Foosball should be a fun game for all players.
Children tend to spin often, for it’s quite normal to them. But it is advisable to induce the good practices of fair play in them right from the beginning.
Does Spinning in Foosball Matches have any Advantages for Players?
No, there’s nothing as such. Everybody believes that spinning can help you win the game easily, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Spinning only delays the pace at which you learn and master the game. Once you discontinue the practice of spinning, you can learn foosball quickly.
Why YOU Shouldn’t Spin.
Players who depend on spinning to win foosball matches attempt to randomly spin the foosball rods in different directions hoping to block their opponents’ goals, but this way they might never learn to play the game strategically and make a goal to score points for themselves.
Compared to the defensive ones, offensive rods offer better chances for you to win the foosball matches. In fact, there’s even a chance that you might win the match just by spinning your foosball rods, but that does not mean you have learned the game, let alone achieve mastery over it.
Furthermore, a single win that you achieve from spinning the foosball rods may lead you to believe that such tricks could be used again and again to win, but that’s not true.
Additionally, it is legally offensive to use such tricks to win the game; those methods are only based on luck and if you stick to this, you will never improve your skills. People using tricks like spinning look and hope for lucky hits or positions to take them towards victory while their opponents look for their weaknesses to exploit and defeat them at the game.
Why does Spinning Give Satisfaction Over Winning the Game?
People always think in such a way that spinning could be advantageous in winning foosball games, but that’s not the case. The momentum of the spin will cause a hard-hit shot, and it would not be very different from a very well executed wrist shot.
One of the most common delusions is that rotating these rods will give you a benefit in foosball game, but it’s more likely to result in the opposite.
As in, this action of spinning is based on luck and chance only. This is the main reason that the official rule book is against spinning. Spinning causes unconsented goals without the knowledge of the player more or less similar to fluke shots.
Foosball is an ultimate bar or garage game, and it is more interesting and interactive than snooker or table tennis. Spinning your way to victory ruins all of that and is hence looked down upon.
The equipment occupies lesser space when compared to the other 2 indoor games (namely table tennis and pool). Foosball also becomes fiercely intensive as it becomes a man vs. man fight when compared to the calmer and more relaxed games such as a pool.
However, foosball may also be played casually between friends in game rooms and common rooms; it all depends on the choices and preferences of the players.
The game is self-explanatory. The ball is dropped, both opponents try to hit the ball hard towards the other’s goal, the other team plays defense and controls the movement of their rods to prevent the opponent from scoring a goal. The team which scores the maximum number of goals wins the game. To score the maximum number of goals, many mistakenly believe that spinning is the only way.
Foosball is Not Just a Fun Game to be Played with Friends
International tournaments are conducted worldwide on this game. On the upper scale, this game is called table soccer. This game is run with the help of the International Table Soccer Federation, and they have a set of official guidelines which must be mandatorily followed.
The guidelines followed by international gaming is mostly taken from the United States Table Soccer Association’s rules; in both of these rules sets, it is explicitly indicated that spinning your rods is illegal.
How is Spinning Identified?
Spinning could be easily identified by the degree of the turn by which the player rotates the rod. A reckless spin by an amateur player will be considered to be a violation of the game rules.
When a pro Foosball player joins the game amongst the group of casual gamers, we might hear them complain about spinning. In such cases, it is ideal to set rules before the start of the game about the type of gaming and decide whether it’s going to be a casual game or a perfect rule book-based game to avoid arguments on when a team scores a goal.
There are multiple game rooms these days which promote these kinds of indoor games that make sure that the rules are followed while at the same time every person who plays the game has fun doing so. This is why they provide us with necessary accessories, lubricants and any other materials required for a better game.
The Conclusion on Spinning:
Spinning rods in foosball games might be entertaining for a while as you might be able to win a few games by luck, but it completely destroys your chances of becoming a better foosball player.
The justifications provided herein hence support the notion of you attempting to master your skills at foosball instead of relying on tactics like spinning and hoping to win the game.
As per the official rules laid out by the USTSA, spinning in foosball is illegal, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. After all, spinning foosball rods is all about attempting to win matches by luck, and nobody can win by flukes all the time.
Therefore, it is ideal to instead take time and effort to learn the correct techniques and master foosball slowly and steadily. Ensuring fair practices in foosball gaming would promote a better culture both among adults as well as children.
