Space Needed For A Foosball Table – How Much Is Enough?
Before you go out and buy it, you should know how much space is needed for a foosball table. Otherwise, you might be very embarrassed at yourself for not being able to fit the table where you wanted. Or even worse, ending up not playing foosball at all because hitting your elbows at furniture or walls hurts very much. Many people make the error of looking at a foosball table as a piece of entertainment equipment, and end up underestimating its size by concentrating too much on the “foosball” part. Instead, you may want to think about it more as a piece of furniture and pay attention to the “table” part.
Guide
Foosball tables types
Before you can figure out how much space do you need for a foosball table, you need to know some things about them. Not all foosball tables are made equal. Neither are they all made in the same size nor are they intended for the same users. Both of these factors influence how much space you need for some particular foosball table. So, let’s check what are the common types of foosball tables, and for who are they intended.
- Freestanding
The freestanding type of foosball table is what many people have as a mental image when they think about this sport. They are the usual boxy affair you have seen in many arcades and game saloons. They are the type used for competitions and recreational play, and because of their shape “foosball tables” are called “tables”.
Standing on four legs, they are an item in their own right, and most comfortably used by adult players, as they are the largest kind.
- Tabletop
Just as their name suggests, this type is intended to sit on top of a table. Usually on top of a dining or a coffee table. The smallest foosball tables are of this type. They are intended for the youngest foosball players and very often have only three rods per side.
- Multigame
These can be called something in between the previous two. They are both somewhere in between when it comes to the size, but also the age of intended users. Besides being foosball tables, these have various mechanisms that transform them into tables for other games, such as pool, air hockey, and so on.
Foosball table sizes
Football tables come in many different sizes depending on the age and size of the intended players. Tabletop type can be as little as 40 inches lengthwise. Multigame tables are generally 48 by 24 inches but can be as little as 40 and as much as 54 inches lengthwise. Regulation, full-size foosball tables measure 54 to 56 inches by 30 or 31 inches, depending on the thickness of material used in their construction and ornaments on the cabinet.
How much space do you need?
When judging how much space you need for a foosball table, you have to factor in three things. First is the dimensions of the table itself. The largest type of table is most often 55 by 30 inches. Next, you have to take into account how much the rods can extend beyond the edges of the table. This can be as much as 18 inches for the 2-men rod on the largest tables. And after all, players need to stand somewhere and occupy some space on two wider sides of the table.
When you take into account all these three measurements, for a full-size table, you need roughly 3-4 feet of space on both sides for players to comfortably stand and play. And 2-3 feet extra space lengthwise, so everyone can comfortably pass by the table. In other words, an empty space at least roughly 9 and a half by 9 feet. When it comes to smaller tables, this space needed for foosball table can be scaled down.
Conclusion
Many people make the mistake of rushing into buying one without first figuring out how much space is needed for a foosball table. Which is a mistake that can completely ruin the experience of owning one. For a comfortable gameplay, without bumping in things, you need 3-4 feet of space on two wider sides and 2-3 feet on narrower sides. Which, for a standalone, regulation size, 56’’x30’’ pans out as roughly 9 and a half by 9 feet.
