What is Spinning in Foosball? (And Why You Shouldn’t Do It)

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What is Spinning in Foosball?

If someone were to ask you to describe what you think spinning is in foosball, you’d probably surmise it has something to do with rotating the rods. You’d be right, but there’s a little bit more to it than that.

There are many strategies in the game, and spinning is one you should avoid. In this short post, we’ll explain to you what spinning is in foosball, how it works, and why you shouldn’t do it.

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What is Spinning in Foosball?

The International Table Soccer Federation states that spinning is rotating the foos men a full 360 degrees without making contact with the ball during that spin. Partially rotating the rod, therefore, is not defined as spinning.

If you click on the video below, you can see a demonstration of a spin, as well as a discussion on spinning rules.

Should You Spin?

Spinning seems like an easy strategy. It helps you gain momentum for smacking the ball, and aside from that, it’s kind of fun.

Believe it or not, though, spinning is illegal in the game. There are a few reasons behind it, but the biggest one is that it doesn’t take any technical skill to do it.

Foosball is supposed to be a game of strategy. You have to anticipate your opponent’s movements, scope out the field for openings, and attempt to score goals. Just rapidly spinning the rods over and over takes the fun out of the strategy.

However, some players also feel that it’s distracting. If you keep spinning a rod, it’s going to catch your eye, and probably the other player’s, too.

For those reasons, no, you shouldn’t really spin in a formal game. However, if you’re just playing casually with some friends and they’re okay with it, you could probably get away with using this strategy.

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Wrap Up

At a glance, foosball seems pretty simple. A beginner might assume that all you need to do is twist the rods and smack the ball back and forth.

However, this game has much more strategy to it than meets the eye. It has a comprehensive set of rules that make it a spectacle when played formally.

Spinning is forbidden by these same rules. It looks like it might be a lot of fun, but truthfully, it disrupts the nature of the game and makes it too easy. To enjoy the game at its best, we suggest following the rules to ensure it’s properly challenging.