Foosball tables have something of a mysterious
history. Some people say the first one was invented in
Germany and others say France. Not surprisingly, many
of those people are from Germany or France, respectively.
What we do know is that foosball tables
have evolved a lot over the years, from simple home made
boxes to the polished, professionally manufactured foosball
tables we know today. The game itself has gained popularity,
inspiring films and 
local
leagues all across the country. It was called a fad, and
lots of people said it wouldn't last, but there are still
millions of people all across the world, gathering around
their foosball
tables to do battle.
Origins
The word "foosball," the American term for the
game, is derived from a German word, "fussball,"
which means football. Foosball tables are known by a number
of other names as well including "footy", "baby
foot" and of course "table soccer."
Foosball tables first began to appear
in the late 1890's, but didn't become popular until the
1920's or 30's. They caught on first in Europe, where
they became a popular pub game and even inspired some
organized tournaments. In the 1960's, some American manufacturers
began making foosball tables in the US, and the popularity
of the sport exploded. Foosball tables were turning up
in every bar and teen center in the country, and a professional
tour was launched.
Styles of Foosball Table
Many early foosball tables were actually not foosball
tables at all. They lacked legs, and were meant to be
placed on top of another table. This style of foosball
table is still sold today, and they can be a good option
when you don't have room for a full foosball table.
These
early foosball tables were usually homemade and featured
wooden rods, as opposed to the steel
rods used on foosball tables today. Men were often
hand carved, and varied greatly in size. At this time,
foosball tables were not made to any kind of a standard,
so a table might have six men, or
ten men or anything in between.
Tornado Foosball Tables
The most widely used style of foosball table in the US
is the Tornado foosball table. Tornado has historically
organized many of the biggest tournaments, and their popularity
has made them the standard. Most organized foosball in
the US is played on Tornado foosball tables.
*Many thanks to Foosball.com and Wikipedia.com
for providing information for this article.
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