

Info for New Players


Monday Night Foosball at Mortimers
7:30 pm Amateur Tourney

New to the game?
Played it for years, but have never seen competetive foos?
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Welcome to MN Foosball!
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Get Connected:
Minnesota Foosball Players on Facebook
Minnesotafoosball on Instagram
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Learning to Play:
Going from spinning the rods to foosball wizard takes effort and time, but you can learn the basics of the game (and the skills to impress your friends) pretty quickly. It just takes a combination of playing with experienced foosers (those that know the game and are happy to teach) and what we call 'table time.' That is, spending time on your own at a table, getting practice in at the pass or shot you'd like to learn (like going to the driving range or putting green).
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Where to Start:
For those in the Twin Cities, there are distinct events meant to help introduce new players to competitive foos.
Our Seasonal Leagues are the best structured format for getting into competitive foos. The matches are handicapped and involve multiple fun formats to learn the game. No multi-week commitment is required to participate in the league although it is fun to build some team-spirit for a whole season.
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Pick up games are the most casual way to meet new players and get introduced to high level play. If you stop by ANY foosball event, whether large or small, there will be opportunities to ask random strangers to play a pick up game for fun. Don't hesitate to ask. If they're at a foosball event, odds are they love playing new people.
Mortimer's Pub and Restaurant is a great place for pick up games. Any weekday happy hour and especially Friday nights 3 pm - 8 pm. A new group of casual foosers has been playing at Shoreside Bar and Grill in Forest Lake. Email us to get in touch with that group (mnfoosball@gmail.com).
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Players of all skill levels are welcome to the Wednesday and Saturday tournaments at Jimmy's. There are modest handicaps implemented at most of these tournaments, but the competition is tougher than an average league night. Occasional beginner/amateur events are held on these nights as well.
During the spring, as we rev up for our big State Tournament in May, Jimmy's Pro Billiards also hosts Foos Academy training sessions. These are casual pick up game nights with an emphasis on helping players work on their game. Usually an experienced player or two is there to give tips or more advanced lessons.
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For those outside the Twin Cities (or can't make the events above), we encourage you to find local events near you and introduce yourself to your fellow foosers. Challenge them to a friendly game and hit them up afterward for tips (how'd you do that shot?). The Minnesota foosball scene has plenty of players who are happy to show the basics to newcomers and help those who are interested in improving their game.
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Foosball Tips Online
There are a number of online resources to help improve your foosball game.
Listed below are three Youtube channels developed by pro players to help you with your game:
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Unreal Foos by Zeke Cervantes
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Next Level Foosball by Ryan Knapton
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Road to Pro by Chase Pennell
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FAQ for New Players
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Q1: What about the rules?
i. Does slop count? ii. Isn't a snake shot a spin? iii. Goalie shots worth two?*
Every home might have their own basement rules, and certain specialty formats might have unique rules, but like any competitive game, foosball has made efforts over the years to provide a set of rules that are familiar to players across the world.
The Basic Rules of Foosball - a streamlined version
The Official Rules - this is the official rule book for international play International Table Soccer Federation
Two Specialty Formats: the rules for Classic and Speedball play are also used in international tournaments.
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*As for the questions above...
i. Yes, slop counts.
ii. No, or at least not an illegal spin. You're allowed one revolution (359 degrees) before, and one revolution after contact of the ball.
iii. No, all goals are worth one point in standard play.
- Table Buying Guide -
(More Content Coming Soon)
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I'm Interested in Buying a Table, What Should I Buy?
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We will add more advice and info here in the future, but here is the most in-depth comparison on two high quality competition tables: Leonhart and Tornado.
Tornado - Leonhart Customer Comparison
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Links for Parts & Tables
Tornado Foosball - Tornado tables & parts direct from the manufacture
Craigslist - resource for used tables
Facebook Market - resource for used tables
Kozoom - International Parts