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Table hockey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Table hockey is a table game derived from ice hockey. The game consists of a representation of a hockey rink on which two players compete by trying to score goals by manipulating, through rods underneath the playing surface, representations of hockey players which can move up and down the "ice" through slots, stickhandle, and shoot. A representation goaltender can also be manipulated by the player.

There are many types of the game. Tables of the best quality are made in Sweden by Stiga company. Table hockey is a real sport. Also world championship is organizes by International Table Hockey Federation every two years. Stiga Play Off game is an official game of the table hockey world championship.

The most recent Stiga World Championship was held in Riga, Latvia. The winner was Sweden's Hans Österman. Although a record 22 countries were represented at the Riga World Championships, Sweden, along with Norway, Russia, Finland and the Czech Republic dominate the international Stiga table hockey scene.

Are you interested in playing in a table hockey league? This is a chance to enjoy some great competition, make new friends and there is virtually no risk of injury.

Please contact me right away if you are thinking about joining our table hockey league. My email address is:

Here's quick overview of some of the rules of table hockey.

  • Game duration is 5 minutes (300 sec). Time will be running even if the puck is out of play
  • Three seconds must elapse, after each face off (or after the beginning of a match), before scoring a goal
  • It's forbidden to retain the puck for more than 5 seconds without passing or shooting
  • For a goal to be awarded, the puck has to go and stay into the goal cage

The International Table Hockey Federation oversees the rules of the game. Click here to see more game rules.

Some say table hockey is like chess at 700 miles per hour.

"Table hockey is a great game at a philosophical level." notes Lou Marinoff, a professor of philosophy at City College of New York. "It's simple enough for children to play, but complex enough to fascinate adults.

"If you look across the spectrum of sport, which game succeeds best on a miniature level when it's brought to the table top, which captures the sport's essence and integrity? Ping-pong looks nothing like tennis. Foosball's nothing like soccer. Football had a couple of versions, but none worked. Table hockey goes way beyond all these games and really does capture the game's essence, the passing and shooting, the checking, the great saves, the fast-break pass. That's why people really love it so much. It's just like hockey."