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eFlicker.net
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It’s the first entry in the rulebook. It’s the basic skill to the game. In fact it’s the whole principle upon which the game is based. It even forms part of its original advertising slogan.
Yet the correct flicking procedure is something often overlooked in Table Football. Not so much “flick to kick”, but rather “shove to kick”.
The concept of flicking sets Table Football apart from many other soccer-type games. With the extra dimension of skill required to play, it becomes more than just a mere sports-simulation, and can be considered a game in its own right. Some people are adamant that it is a sport.
However the flicking element probably puts a lot of people off playing. It’s so much easier to control an on-field footballer by pressing a few buttons on a computer joypad or by turning the handle of a foosball table, than trying to master flicking a Table Football figure, and attempting to make it go where you want it to.
But for those willing to embrace the ideals of Table Football as a game, the flicking style employed must be as prescribed by the rules.
What exactly do the rules state? Well first and foremost, only the fingernail of the index or middle finger can be used to propel the figures. That’s easy to understand (there is though a provision for people without an index or middle finger).
Secondly, only the base may be struck by the fingernail - again a simple concept. Making contact with the footballer figurine is obviously illegal.
Rule 1.1.2 is the important one:
“Playing figures must not be knocked, pushed, nudged or scraped along nor may any leverage be gained other than from the playing surface. The flicked playing figure shall instantaneously leave the nail of the used finger. The player's hand and lower forearm may not move during the flick. Propelling the figure without touching the playing figure's base is not allowed.”
So basically the only legal way to manoeuvre a playing figure is by a clean flick against the base, with no leverage from the thumb (though the flicking finger may simply touch the thumb during the motion) and certainly no shoving.
And what is the punishment for illegal manipulation? Whether the attacker or the defender commits the offence, it’s an indirect free flick from where the offending player has flicked incorrectly, except if it occurs within the penalty area, in which case it is an indirect free flick from the penalty spot (not a penalty flick).
Incidentally, the correct notification of the offence from the referee is “Incorrect flicking - free-flick”.
A matter ignored by some is rule 1.1.4:
“A flick is considered taken if a player touches any part of any playing figure.”
That means any contact, be it the figure that a player intends to flick, or a figure that he may touch – no matter how slight – when lining up a flick. A player in possession will therefore be deemed to have taken their flick – and hence to have missed the ball – whilst a defending player will have been considered to have used their blocking flick.
Read in association with rule 1.2: “Illegal flicking. Neither player can flick a playing figure if they are not allowed to take a flick or if the playing figure is lying down or is entangled”, things can get a little harsh. If the defending player just nips the head of a figure as he withdraws his hand from the pitch after successfully taking a block flick, he should strictly concede a free flick, as described above, based on where the illegal “flick” (touch) was made.
It is somewhat of a severe chastisement, when instead maybe losing the right to the following block flick would be a more suitable punishment, especially as the referee is unlikely to see such offences and the players themselves would have to own up to their indiscretions.
“Double flicks” fall into the same category. If the first contact fails to propel the figure onto the ball, then the second touch, in theory, is an illegally taken flick, and should lead to a free flick in all cases, rather than there merely being a change of possession and the option of a back. At the moment it seems that only if the figure touches the ball on the latter of a double flick that a free flick is awarded.
But in the regular course of play, experienced Table Footballers should have established how to flick properly, and should be setting an example to newer players. However over the years some have continuously escaped punishment for their mis-flicking.
In fact it is those who usually flick cleanly who are most likely to be picked up on – or to own up to – the occasional mis-flick, than those who flick illegally whenever they attempt to move a figure. It can be embarrassing pointing out to someone who has played the game for years that they have not actually mastered the basic skill.
Employing the correct flicking method actually gives better control over longer distances. For shorter ranges – whether a short block or keeping possession in a confined space – a nudge is more advantageous, and that’s where the problem lies. In a small area over a table, with hands naturally restricting views, and so much going on at the same time, it is difficult for the referee to keep track of everything.
The match official needs to keep an eye on the zone immediately around the ball, as well as ensuring that both players are flicking correctly and – in the case of the defender’s blocks – in time. And when the game is performed at great speeds, the task becomes all the more difficult. Referees require help from the players, to adopt a legal flicking motion, and to admit to any mis-flicks that may break the rules.
Admittedly a lot of rules need to be learnt in order to play Table Football, but flicking is the primary one. For those unable to get to grips with the concept of “flick to kick”, there is always the Subbuteo finger football version of 2002, which did away with the footballer figures so players could just use their fingernails to propel the ball directly.
Failing that, plug in the games console and get ready for several hours of monotonous, yet addictive, repetitive actions. All easy to play, but with the number of brain cells at risk, it needs to be.
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