BallA goal is scored when it completely crosses the goal line.
GoalThe opening in each end wall; the goalkeeper figure covers it.
HandleOne per rod, eight on a table; plastic, rubber or wood.
Figure (man)A standard team has eleven: one, two, five and three.
RodEight cross the table, four per team; steel, hollow or solid.
PlayfieldThe inside surface of the table, where the ball is played.
LegFour hold up the cabinet; each ends in a leveler.
Side wallThe long wall; all eight rods pass through holes in it.
End wallThe short wall at each end; the goal is cut into it.
CabinetEvery part of the table frame outside the playing area.
The four rod rows of one team 4
Goalkeeper rod (goalie rod)The rod nearest the goal, with one figure here.
5-rod (5-man rod)In tournament rules the kick-off starts at its middle figure.
3-rod (3-man rod)Three attacking figures, the row nearest the other team's goal.
2-rod (2-man rod)Two defenders, just in front of the goalkeeper rod.
Cabinet, walls and field 3
Serving holeMany games start with the ball served through this hole.
Leg levelerScrews in or out so the table sits level.
Corner rampRolls a cornered ball back into play on one-goalkeeper tables.
One rod taken out 3
BumperRubber ring, two per rod, that cushions a hit on the wall.
BearingSixteen line the wall holes so each rod slides and spins.
PinDriven through a figure and the rod to lock them together.
How this list was compiled: Part names and facts were checked on 2026-09-20, and the part names again on 2026-09-30, against six references, and a part is ringed only if at least two of them name it. (1) The International Table Soccer Federation, Rules of Table Soccer, Standard Matchplay Rules 2024, read for its definitions and for section 7.3 on table components: https://s3.tablesoccer.org/organization/ITSF/rules/Standard_Matchplay_Rules_2024_en.pdf , found from http://www.tablesoccer.org/rules/ . (2) Wikipedia, Table football: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_football . (3) A home-table maker's assembly manual with its parts list, and the specification list of the same table: https://www.kickfoosballtables.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/KICK-Titan-55-inch-Foosball-Table-Instruction-Manual.pdf , https://www.kickfoosballtables.com/product/kick-titan-55-tournament-foosball-table-black/ . (4) A second maker's parts breakdown of its coin table, with that maker's assembly instructions for a home table and its frequently asked questions, all linked from https://www.valley-dynamoparts.com/tornado_schemas.php : https://www.valley-dynamoparts.com/docs/2020TornadoBD-WEB.pdf . (5) A third maker's spare parts lists: https://www.bonziniusa.com/collections/table-parts , https://www.bonziniusa.com/collections/table-parts-rod-assembly . (6) A fourth maker's feature list for one table: https://shelti.com/product/shelti-pro-foos-ii-foosball-table/ . Makers are cited for their names of parts only. This site is not connected with any of them, and no maker, model or federation badge is drawn. The wording of every label, hint and fact is our own. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Own original schematic drawing of a composite teaching table; nothing traced or copied, and no maker's table or drawing is shown. Licence: own work
How it works
The parts of a foosball table, drawn as a one-goalkeeper table seen from above and one side, then from straight above. A third drawing takes one rod out and lays it flat to show the handle, bumper, bearing, figure and pin.
Read the full guide
Four rod rows a side
The quiz asks 10 main parts first, then the other 10. Each team turns four rods. From its own goal outward they are the goalkeeper rod with one figure, the 2-rod, the 5-rod and the 3-rod: eleven figures in all. The two teams' rods alternate across the playfield, so your 3-rod faces the other team's 2-rod.
What holds a foosball rod in place
Each rod passes through a bearing in both side walls, which lets it slide and spin. A rubber bumper sits on the rod just inside each wall and cushions the hit when the rod is pushed or pulled as far as it goes. A pin through each figure locks it to the rod.
Ordering spares? Makers disagree on bushing: one uses it for the rubber bumper, another for the bearing. Check the picture before you buy.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a foosball table called?
A cabinet on four legs holds the playfield between two side walls and two end walls, with a goal cut into each end wall. Eight rods cross it, each with a handle, figures, two bumpers and two bearings. Counters on each end keep the score.
What are the rods on a foosball table called?
They are named by the figures they carry: the goalkeeper rod, the 2-rod, the 5-rod and the 3-rod. Players also say defense, midfield and attack. In the federation's rules, goalie rod means the goalkeeper rod and the 2-rod taken together.
How many men are on a foosball table?
Twenty-two on the table drawn here: eleven a side, as one goalkeeper, two defenders, five midfielders and three strikers. A table with three figures on the goalkeeper rod carries thirteen a side.
Why do some foosball tables have three goalies?
It is a second layout, which some American makers use. The two outer figures can reach a ball in the corner. A one-goalkeeper table has sloped or ramped corners that roll a cornered ball back into play.
What are foosball men attached with?
By a pin driven through the figure and the rod. One maker sells roll pins, another grooved pins, and a third fixes its figures with a bolt and nut instead. The rules call it only a pin.