Sports table football

Sports table football is the competitive game based on the board game of Subbuteo. It is administered globally by the Federation of International Sports Table Football, or FISTF. While the inspiration for STF comes from Subbuteo, the rules and playing equipment employed mark it out as a separate game in its own right - although Subbuteo itself is, in its way, a form of STF.

Rules

Sports table football rules are laid down by FISTF, and based on the original Subbuteo rules with a number of changes to allow the competitive version of the game to be played without too much contention and unsportsmanlike conduct.

Referees

Referees for a tournament are currently drawn from the pool of players. In the group stage of an event, inactive players are used to referee games. In the knockout stage, players eliminated from the group stage are used as referees. Referees are placed usually outside of their own qualifying group and away from team mates or compatriots where possible. In familiar surroundings such as a club, or in regions where sportsmanship is highly regarded, a referee is considered unnecessary and can be done without if both players agree.

Playing Equipment

FISTF "homologates" certain playing equipment - i.e., agrees on its use in competition play. Playing figures, pitches, goals and balls must all comply with standards and be officially homologated. Subbuteo equipment can be used, but many higher-level players prefer to use sturdier and more expensive equipment manufactured by a number of different specialist companies.

Competitions

FISTF-sanctioned competitions are held in many of its member nations, featuring individual competitors divided into a variety of categories by age group and gender, as well as competitions for teams of 4. The FISTF World Cup is held annually and took place in 2006 between June 16 and 18 in Dortmund.

ee also

* Subbuteo

External links

* [http://www.fistf.com International Federation] (includes links to all national associations)
* [http://www.tablefootballworldcup.de/ 2006 World Cup]
* [http://www.eflicker.net eFlicker] International table football news site
* [http://hugues.subbuteoclub.com The SUBBUTEO technical page] , illustrated rules, tactics, practice drills, etc for the beginner Subbuteo/table soccer player.
* [http://www.tablesoccer.net Sports Table Football manufacturer in Wales]
* [http://www.flickmaster.com Sports Table Football manufacturer in Argentina]
* [http://www.stefancorda.co.uk Sports Table Football manufacturer in England]
* [http://www.americansubbuteo.com American Subbuteo Association's official website]
* [http://socalsubbuteo.com Southern California Subbuteo Club official website]
* [http://www.texassubbuteo.com Bedford Premier League official website]