# Bar Football (Foozball), are mutiple somersaults acceptable? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 22, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709 "2015-03-22T20:29:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/1 "2015-03-22T20:29:51Z")
The way I see bar football (US English:foozball), you play it with your wrist, trying surgical strikes. It is physically possible to make the players do multiple somersaults at once by applying force and then letting go of the handle, however that is _not the way it is supposed to be played_ and the possibilty of doing so is a side-effect of the way the bars are installed. Doing so deliberately is an illegal move. What do you say? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_of\_Words](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@Jack\_of\_Words](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_of_Words)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/2 "2015-03-22T20:42:09Z")
There are no ‘side effects’. This is the game, this is what is possible with the game. End. ETA: and thus far, all 3 of us agree. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/3 "2015-03-22T20:43:49Z")
> [@Jack\_of\_Words](#): > > There are no ‘side effects’. This is the game, this is what is possible with the game. End. > > ETA: and thus far, all 3 of us agree. You may want to reread the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/4 "2015-03-22T20:54:15Z")
> [@Jack\_of\_Words](#): > > There are no ‘side effects’. This is the game, this is what is possible with the game. End. > > ETA: and thus far, all 3 of us agree. The thing is there’s no convienient way to build a bar football table that stops that behaviour whils still allowing full range of wrist based attacks. If they could they would. Much other equipment comes with a built in limitation of the manufacturing process. ---
**Author:** ![SacFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@SacFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SacFly)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/5 "2015-03-22T21:55:03Z")
If you play with people who are actually skilled at the game, you will never see someone intentionally spin. It’s just not an effective way to play the game. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/6 "2015-03-22T21:56:42Z")
It depends. For money or any other serious pursuit, no, spinning the hell out of the bar isn’t legit. But if I’m playing my son I’m going to launch it at the goal as hard as I can, so in that case it’s fine. The seriousness of the game determines all. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/7 "2015-03-22T22:18:46Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > It depends. For money or any other serious pursuit, no, spinning the hell out of the bar isn’t legit. But if I’m playing my son I’m going to launch it at the goal as hard as I can, so in that case it’s fine. > > The seriousness of the game determines all. Exactly, if you are playing your son then surely it is required of the father to do whatever is necessary to annihilate the child 9-0 then run around the table pointing at him shouting “Harrrgghhhh!” “Harrrgghhhh!” “looooooser” “looooooser!” isn’t it? anyone?..who’s with me here? ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/8 "2015-03-22T23:59:51Z")
Here is what the rules of the United States Table Soccer Association say: "Spinning of the rods is illegal. Spinning is defined as the rotation of any soccer figure more than 360 degrees before or after striking the ball. In calculating the 360 degrees, you do not add the degrees spun prior to striking the ball to the degrees spun after striking the ball. A ball which is advanced by an illegal spin is replayed as follows: If the ball goes in the goal, then it will not be counted as a point and will be put back into play by the goalie as if the ball had been declared a dead ball between the goal and the nearest two-man rod. If the ball does not go in the goal, the opposing team will have the option of continuing play from the current position or re-serving the ball. Spinning of a rod which does not advance and/or strike the ball does not constitute an illegal spin. If a player’s spinning rod hits the ball backwards into his own goal, it will count as a goal for the opposing team. Spinning of a rod away from the ball (when there is no possession) is not considered an illegal spin, but may be ruled as a distraction. A ball is considered to have advanced once it is out of reach of the playing figures on that rod whether it went forward or backwards. In the case of the goalie area, a ball is considered advanced once out of reach of the two bar and beyond the goalie area. If an ungrasped rod is spun by the force of a ball hitting a player figure on the rod, the spin will be considered legal (example: a two-man shot in singles hitting the three-man)." In other words, no, you can’t, if any of the spun players moves the ball forward. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/9 "2015-03-23T00:08:00Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Exactly, if you are playing your son then surely it is required of the father to do whatever is necessary to annihilate the child 9-0 then run around the table pointing at him shouting “Harrrgghhhh!” “Harrrgghhhh!” “looooooser” “looooooser!” I wouldn’t taunt him, but I’m certainly not going to let him win nor am I obligated to. He’s not some special snowflake that needs to be made to feel special at all times. If he beats me, so be it. That said, spinning the rods imparts no advantage, and in fact probably creates a disadvantage. The rebound comes back just as quickly and now your guys are out of position. The point of me saying that earlier should have been taken as “nobody cares enough to take it seriously, least of all me”. Alas, you took it seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/10 "2015-03-23T00:41:11Z")
Spinning carries little advantage. It’s usually a disadvantage because aiming is better. The real problem with spinning the rods is it seems to increase the chance that you’ll slam a man down on the ball and instead of it kicking the ball forward it traps it under the man. This not infrequently results in a loosening of the screw attaching the man to the rod, and occasionally actually breaking the man. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/11 "2015-03-23T00:53:24Z")
Unless you call no spinzies before it starts, no bitching. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_of\_Words](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@Jack\_of\_Words](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_of_Words)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/12 "2015-03-23T09:07:46Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > You may want to reread the poll. You may want to reread the words “thus far”. I see it’s now 13:5. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_of\_Words](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@Jack\_of\_Words](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_of_Words)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/13 "2015-03-23T09:27:36Z")
Oh! I think I voted ‘No’, and saw three ‘No’ votes - what a sneaky poll! You set out a proposition which I disagreed with, so I voted ‘No’. You’re right, this one needs careful reading - I’ll graciously assume you didn’t do that deliberately 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bar-football-foozball-are-mutiple-somersaults-acceptable/715709/14 "2015-03-23T16:44:12Z")
Spinning is only allowed by children. End of. This is the accepted rule and as such if an adult does spin they should be mocked for playing like a child, reminded of the rule and made to feel very foolish. It is the only acceptable course of action.