When it comes to indoor games, foosball is among the top choices for many people. It is a fun and exciting game that you can play with your family and friends any time you want. And if you have a Monica Geller in your team, then you are in luck because she would be scoring all the goals for you.
But if you do want to become a pro like Monica from F.R.I.E.N.D.S., you should definitely look up the most common jargon and terms used in foosball. Not only would it make you feel confident, but it would also show your opponents that you know what you are doing.
In this article, we will explain all the important foosball terminology that you should be familiar with. So read on to get a great start at the game.
Learn All the Foosball Terminology to Become a Pro at the Game!
Aerial Shot: A defensive shot in the game where the ball is stopped by a horizontally oriented man and then flipped into the air over the roads into the opposite goal.
Alien Shot: A novelty shot in the game where the ball is moved on a rod that is used with a right hand but is shot by cranking the rod using the left hand.
Angle: Releasing the ball in an unparalleled direction to the long axis of the table.
Auto-Catch Angle: When a 3-bar is angled in a forward direction to easily catch the passes coming from the rear or when it is angled in a backward direction to catch the blocked shots coming from the front.
Babyfoot: The term used in Quebec, Canada, and France for table soccer.
Back-pin: A ball-pin that is to the rear of the man (in the opposite direction).
Bad-boys Doubles: A doubles-style gameplay where the defensive and offensive partners switch positions if they score.
Bait Defense: A defense attempt that opens an enticing hole to the offense. It can be moving or set.
Ball: Another term for a foosball.
Ball Magnet: A goal will have a ball magnet when a player is really good at catching loose balls.
Bank: Bouncing the ball off of the table’s wall.
Bank Shot: A shot that is made with a bounce off of the wall.
Bar: A rod in the foosball table.
Bar Player: A player who has a great 3-bar shot but sucks at passing with the 5-bar.
Bearing: A part of the table that is attached to the holes in the side of the cabinet where the roads lie.
Box: The goal in the foosball table.
Bumper: The rubber parts of the road outside the distal men that protect the men and cabinet from any impacts from the rod.
Calcutta: Organized betting on the seeded teams that is held in Open events. The right to bet on a certain team is held by the highest bidder, and the payouts are done in percentages of the amounts collected by all the parties. You can even bet on yourself.
Camping Out: Camping out is when a defense predicts and reaches the hole way before the offense shoots.
Cashing In: To hit the bank.
Catch: To get control of a loose foosball or a pass from another rod.
Chip: Hitting the ball either on the front or on the back corner area on the opposite side. The ball can either be behind or ahead of the road and is pinned outright.
Coin-Op: A foosball table that is operated by a coin.
Crank Shot: A shot made from the left-hand rod like a spin that is done by rolling the handle along the arm and wrist. It is usually carried out using the goalie rod.
Curve: A shot that causes the ball’s path to curve due to extreme spinning of the ball.
Defensive Area: The playfield between the back wall and the two-rod. There are even corner ramps in some tables.
Defensive Bars: The goalie two-rod and the rod.
Dead Man: A term that describes a shot of an ultimate length.
Designated Event: A doubles tournament format in foosball where players of a certain ranking and above should play in defense as handicap. Here, the less professional players get to play as the stars, and the more professional players develop a strong defense.
Dink: A slow shot that is aimed towards or around the near post in a timely manner so that the post is vacated by the defense when a power long-shot is expected.
Double Elimination: A tournament format where a team should lose two matches to be eliminated from the tournament.
Double Post: A shot that first strikes a post of a goal and then deflects to strike another post of the goal and then deflects away.
Doubles: A two-on-two play.
Drop: Serving the ball in a foosball game.
Fan: An open-hand shot in a foosball game.
Far Bank: A bank that originates from a player near or on the outer edge of the rod and bounces off of the opposite side wall.
Finger Grip: A grip style where the handle is not touched by the palm but instead by the four curled fingers and the thumb.
Five-bar Pass: A pass that is made from the 5-bar to the 3-bar.
Foosball Widow: A spouse or a partner who is alone while their partner is playing foosball.
Goal Liner: An element in some tables shaped in an inverted “U” shape and lines the top and side edges of the goal.
Goalie: The only man or the center man on the goalie rod.
Gray Zone: The sections of the table where the ball is unreachable or is dead.
Hack: When someone shoots the ball as soon as it comes within the rod’s reach, it is called a hack.
Hawaiian: A format of the match where if a team wins a game by 5-0, they will win the entire match.
Hockey Shot: A shot that goes into the goal by deflecting from a man on the opponent’s team.
Jar: To shake the foosball table illegally by hitting the rods against the table’s walls.
Joe: A shot that goes into the goal by deflecting from a man on the opponent’s team.
Lane Pass: A pass from 5-bar to 3-bar that takes place just near the wall and is angled.
Lemming: A situation where the ball goes slowly but directly into the goal despite everyone trying to defend it.
Wall Pass: A pass made along the wall from one bar to the other.
Z-Shot: Double-bank shot that is made from 2-bar
The Bottom Line
We hope this article helps you become a pro in foosball. However, you don’t necessarily have to memorize all the terms altogether. Keep practicing and keep a guide with you while playing so you can learn which words to use in certain situations. Happy foosballing!
Foosball Terminology – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are foosball figures called?
Foosball figures are called foosball men.
What does ‘Foos’ mean foosball?
The name foosball is derived from German Fußball, which was basically a football game that people could play indoors.
What is foosball called in Germany?
Foosball is called Kicker in Germany.
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I’m Lia and I love playing games. I started this site to share things with friends and they encouraged me to post more and now I’m trying to share things with the world – indoor and outdoor sports, and board and bar games. I write about things like Bocce, Croquet, Billiards, Darts and other fun ways to enjoy time with your friends and family!
