How to Organize a Foosball Tournament

Otherwise known as "table soccer," foosball is a popular national and international pastime played in pubs, clubs and tournaments worldwide. Organize a competition of your own whether you're an avid player of the sport or a devoted fan who appreciates its fast-paced action.

Instructions

1

Find a venue. If you're simply hosting a casual tournament for friends, a single table in your game room is sufficient. But if you're organizing a larger competition, consider a pub or arcade with plenty of foosball tables and seats for spectators.

2

Gather the equipment. Unless the venue has enough available, you'll need to rent or borrow regulation-sized foosball tables to accommodate most of the players, spare balls and replacement parts to repair tables that break during play.

3

Produce the prize money. Organize contributions from local sponsors, pubs or foosball equipment manufacturers if you want a large prize pool. For less formal tournaments, players can contribute "entry fees" that will be divided among the winners.

4

Offer trophies or other prizes like gift cards to local restaurants for categories like "coolest trick shot," "best stop" or "least wins." Award participation gifts such as commemorative t-shirts, hats or mugs.

5

Advertise for participants. Tell friends, post on foosball-related message boards or hand out flyers at local pubs, arcades, pool halls and recreation centers.

6

Establish rules. If you're planning a tournament with a considerable amount of prize money, stick to official regulations like those established by the United States Table Soccer Association. Read the basics to the players before the competition starts and have printed copies of the full rules available onsite in the event of a dispute. (See Resources)

7

Organize brackets if you've got a lot of participants. Set up pairings in different categories if the pool's talent level is diverse. Keep a white board or chalk board updated to let players know who they're up against next.

8

Provide snacks for spectators or for players to enjoy between matches. Consider an assortment of easy-to-eat finger foods to let players get back to the game quickly and offer plenty of napkins if you're serving fried treats.