Bubble Hockey Strategies

Bubble hockey tables are a staple of bars in Canada. These giant domed apparatuses replace the old-style hockey table of years past, which were fun but wouldn't allow on-board players to reach behind the net, making for plenty of unnecessary stoppages. Bubble hockey allows access to the entire playing field, and a built-in scoreboard at the top of the dome allows for instant scoring updates. But becoming a bubble hockey champion takes practice, h good hand-eye coordination and strategy.

Faceoffs

Old table hockey rules dictated that the puck had to be dropped at center ice manually. This meant that either one of the players had to do it--leaving open the possibility of an unfair drop--or that a third party had to be present to do the honors. Bubble hockey takes the controversy out of the faceoff. With the tap of a button, the puck pops out of a slot in the middle of the board, giving players an equal chance to win possession. This makes good faceoff skills critical, since puck possession often decides the outcome of the game. Do your best to time the faceoff so that you can make contact with the puck as soon as it lands. Try to direct it to one of your fellow stick players so you can set up a scoring chance.

Puck Possession

Gaining possession of the puck is critical, but what you do with it will ultimately decide whether you win or lose. Using the knobs on your end of the table, turn the puck carrier so that he can maintain control of the puck until something opens up. Study and know the angles so that you can make passes that won't be intercepted en route. Always keep your center stick man in position to receive a pass, since he will likely have the best chance to score. Once you have fed him the puck, be sure to make your move quickly, since your opponent will almost certainly be trying to steal the puck from you.

Shoot, Shoot and Shoot Some More

Hockey coaches always preach shooting to their teams, and with good reason: you can't score if you don't shoot. The same applies to bubble hockey. If you have a winger with a good angle to the net and nothing in his way, shoot. If your centre has the puck and has just a split-second to do something, shoot. Don't be afraid to shoot with your defensive players, either. Bubble hockey features plenty of fluke goals, big rebounds and crazy puck bounces, all of which reward active players over passive ones. Waiting for the best possible shot will often result in a lack of chances, while a deluge of shots on goal will often times lead to a mistake by your opponent.