Jonas Lindberg

Few could have missed the foosball battles between Joey and Chandler in the nineties´ sitcom Friends. The game was a perfect way of stating the easy lifestyle of two more or less immature men. It was juvenile but yet not too childish. A game for grownups with young minds.

In the last couple of years we have seen foosball tables in shiny monthly magazines and lifestyle blogs, and it seems to have climbed some steps towards becoming less of a toy and more of a sports tool. Maybe it´s not yet adult in a chess kind of way, but perhaps similar to table tennis. In fact, the comparison with table tennis works well since they both suit for playful and relaxed time–killing at the same time as they are professional sports at international tournaments.

The dedicated foosball players worldwide show that there are more levels in the game than simply being a casual spare time activity. There is definitely a serious side to foosball, with much more to it than the glossy surfaces and customized gimmicks of "designer foosball tables". Although foosball is an underdog sport mostly associated with bars or youth recreation centers, it is still a quite advanced one. It is simple and advanced at the same time, and if you ask me, it´s the possibility of playing by the book or anarchistic that makes it charming. So what is the professional side of foosball like, beyond the trendy façade?

Foosball involves player rankings, national teams and pretty much all the ingredients that we have come to expect from other sports. The official rules come in an 18–page rule book available for downloads in

16 languages, with some additional dress codes specified in another text. No denim, leather pants, non–athletic shoes, waist coats, cargo shorts, straw hats, flip–flops or form–fitting spandex in this sport (…sorry!). Sneakers, caps, tracksuit pants, sports jackets and other typical sporty clothing is what to wear. Think "athletic", just don´t think spandex.

Foosball first appeared in France and Germany in about 1880, and the game gets more popular for each year. In 2011, for the first time, the most important matches of the Foosball World Cup will be broadcasted live on Eurosport 2. Until then you can watch some nice selected games at the website of ITSF (the International Table Soccer Federation). Seeing the skills of the best players, like Frédéric Collignon and Billy Pappas, will make even the most stuck–up "king of foosball"–amateurs quite humble towards their own foosball capacities. But don´t we all like to be kings or queens at something? So don´t let those show–offs bring you down!

Although the official rules may be of interest, most of us will never