Welcome to our Table Football Table Buying Advice Page

Never bought a table football table before? Then read through this guide to all of the different parts of a table, what your choices will be, which will be more expensive and which will be better. Then maybe have a look at some of our recommendations depending on your situation and budget

For table football table recommendations based on your requirements please click here

So, what are the different parts of a table football table?

• The rods
• Cabinet
• Playing field
• Legs
• Handles
• Players
• Ball

Rods – these are the bars that sit horizontally across the football table hold your players and your goalie. There are two main types of rods that you will see available.

1. Solid: These rods were the simplest design available and were originally how all table football tables were made. They simply slide through holes in the side of the table to allow the players on the rods to move from side to side. This design obviously works well but there are a couple of downsides. Firstly that during play poles will be shooting out of the sides of the table. Players can receive the occasional jab if standing to close on their side. More important though is that there may be young children at that height who could get hit in the face. Secondly it my make movement of the table football table from place to place bit more difficult as the rods will tend to move about if not fixed down. However solid rods are used in most competition football tables as they generally offer the smoothest (because it is the simplest) side to side movement for the rods.
2. Telescopic: This is the newer design of rods that consists of one outer rod and one inner rod. The outer rod stays fixed and the inner rod moves inside it to create the sideways motion of the players. This means that the extruding part of the rod is always fixed in place – so no chance of anyone getting jabbed. As long as this is done well then telescopic rods can provide an excellent smooth rod motion. It does mean that you may need to oil your rods a bit more often however.Telescopic rods will be found on almost every low to mid range table football table. They are the standard for home and leisure use table football tables.

What are the rods made of?
The most important things about your rods is that they are durable and that they are fairly light. If they are too heavy then the players speed and response is blunted – and their shot power and pass accuracy will be reduced. As long as they are an alloy such as steel you will not go far wrong. Extras such as chrome effect finish or anti rust coating will also increase the price but will also add to both the attractiveness and the durability of your table.

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Cabinet - This is the main body of the football table and can be made of various different materials. Here are some points to consider:

• Really cheap (or children’s tables) may be made of plastic – these tables will not last very long.
• The majority of table football tables are made of MDF with a veneer or coating to give a nice finish. These football tables can look great and MDF is very durable. It is also cheap so you will be able to get a nice looking, solid table for a reasonable price.
• Look for the thickness of the cabinet. Generally speaking the thicker the cabinet is the longer it will last. If you are going to play often or seriously (i.e. fast and aggressively) then look for a football table with a cabinet which is around 25mm thick. It will not only take a battering from general movement and use but also from the constant hitting that it will receive from your rods.

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Playing Field

• This will normally be plastic laminate unless you are buying a competition table football table. Just make sure that the corners are sloped so that the ball does not get stuck in a “dead area” - apart from this most surfaces are fairly standard on the low and mid range football tables.
• The best quality table football tables use a sanded glass playing surface. This increases the speed of the game and also the accuracy of the movement of the ball – allowing for highly skilled players to reach unbelievable levels of pace and control. See the £450 - £599, £600 - £749 and Over £750 sections for these high end football tables.
• Bonzini table football tables use their own specially designed surface which is is hard wearing linoleum. Bonzini have used this material for the last 50 years and have become famous for the precision and control that results.

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Legs – The following factors will have an effect on the quality and price of the table football table.

• Weight – heavy normally equals more expensive. This is because heavy legs mean that the general build quality of the football table will normally be higher (hence the requirement for heavy legs).
• Thickness – thicker legs are more stable and durable and therefore generally cost more.
• Folding Design – there are quite a few folding and portable table football tables available. These either have specially designed legs that fold into the body of the table, or they have “easily detachable” legs that bolt off quickly if the table needs to be transported.

Handles – these are available available in plastic, wood, metal or any combination. As long as they are well made and comfortable then this is really down to personal preference in terms of looks and feel.

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Players – Basic players will be plastic and generally a single colour. More expensive table football tables sometimes have “real” looking players or different colour strips. We can also offer Bonzini table football tables with players painted in the strip of your choice. It is really your choice what you prefer here however you should be aware that the better football tables will have the following features:

• Correct player height from the playing surface – to allow effective trapping of the ball with both the front and back of the player’s “boots”. This will also  eliminate any possibility of “dead spaces” where the ball cannot be reached.
• Correct weight - to allow for the correct power to be generated by the shots and to minimize the strain on players wrists and arms.
• Will be well balanced - To allow players to be left horizontally (so as not to stop one of your own shots) and also to ensure correct power and accuracy response when playing.
• The goalie will have full 360% movement

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Ball – The ball will use will depend on the type of game that you are playing. Here are some of the different types:

• Standard leisure balls – these are absolutely fine for your home or family table football table. They are not too fast moving and will usually be supplied free when you buy a football table.
• Speed Balls – These balls have a smoother surface than the leisure balls and would be used once players have acquired the ability to really control the ball during play. They will move faster along the playing surface so reactions will need to be quicker and timing more accurate.
• Skill Balls – these are designed with a rougher surface. This increases the friction between ball and player and allows for tricks and skills to be performed to a higher level.

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