The game of foosball is not quite a modern game. While we have incredibly slick looking foosball tables and vast foosball leagues today, this game originated as a humble tribute to football (or soccer, in the United States). While football’s origins can be traced back to medieval England, foosball appeared in Europe in the 1800s. It is not entirely clear where it first began, although the two top contenders are Germany and France. The name “foosball” is actually an Americanized version of the German word for the sport, “fussball”. It’s possible that the game was developed independently in several places, much like how darts emerged traditionally from several sources.
The true inventor of the foosball table is also not officially known. The first patent for the table was filed in 1923 in the United Kingdom by Harold Thorton. However, Lucien Rosengart, a French inventor, has also been named as the first inventor of the foosball table. It’s likely that these are the first official designs for the modern foosball table because the game existed prior to both men’s designs. The first foosball tables were simply constructed mostly out of wood. The metal rods we know today were wooden dowels. Even the players were not carved and detailed as they are today. Modern foosball tables have a wide range of materials, from plastic players to glass fields. The metallic sides and built in lights are a far cry from the humble plywood boxes that sprung up throughout Germany and France.
Foosball was immensely popular throughout Western Europe. Belgium leagues were organized around 1950. Though, it wasn’t until after World War 2 that America was properly introduced to the game. While its reception wasn’t great at first, in 1969 it was reintroduced with more success. The competitive nature of American players was healthily maintained as they became more aware of just how much skill the European players had. After all, this was a game that had been in their culture for about 90 years before the foosball table hit American shores. In 1979, the World Championship was held with a multinational delegation to determine the rules. Later, the International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF) was established in France in 2002. The ITSF not only worked to establish the rules for the game, but to promote the game with regulated tournaments. Today the foosball table is a staple in pubs and arcades alike, not to mention its popularity in the home.
Tom Stevens is an active foosball player and writer. For more information about foosball, check out this resource on game tables.