Club team hopes membership rises for popular table sport

For some, foosball is nothing more than a casual activity played in a bar with few or no rules. Others, however, take the table sport very seriously.\n“It’s not as easy as it looks and there’s definitely skill behind it,” said sophomore Sean Clark, captain of the IU foosball club team. “I do it for fun, but I also treat it like you would any other sport. I’ve been playing since I was a little kid and I’m still learning new techniques.”\nFoosball, or “table football” has its roots in Europe. The general look and feel of the game is comparable to American soccer, confined to a 4-by-2 waist-high table. \nThe IU team has roughly 10 members who show up regularly for practice, but the club is open to anyone on campus. They don’t require interested students to pay any club fees, but do ask potential members to bring patience the first few times they show up.\n“It seems like it’d be simple but then you play someone with a lot more experience and get destroyed,” said junior Reid Rigsbee. “You just have to keep practicing and practicing, but there’s always going to be someone better than you.”\nThough most people play foosball casually, there is actually a complicated set of rules that Clark said take a while to grasp. For example, one player can’t hold the ball for more than 15 seconds and spinning the rods is illegal. Even those well-versed in the rules must stay constantly focused if they want to win. \n“Foosball requires so much concentration and there’s always a new skill to be learned,” said senior Imran Mahmood. “If you lose concentration for one second, the ball can easily slip by you and the other team can score.” \nMahmood compares foosball to sports like pool and poker.\n“I like it because it’s a good way to get away from your studies and relax with friends but still have your mind working,” he said. “There is strategy there like a real sport but it’s more low-key.” \nWhile most would consider foosball a mental activity rather than a physical one, team members contend that there are physical strains that can come along with intense play.\n“Sometimes your back hurts from leaning over the table so much and your wrists will get sore,” Rigsbee said. “For the most part it’s not that \nbad though.”\nThe team practices at the Back Alley in the Memorial Union, but members also meet up outside of practice to have a go, usually at someone’s house or a bar. Team members generally just play each other. Occasionally the club sets up campus-wide tournaments or individual members travel to large-scale tournaments throughout the area \nto compete.\n“There are people who take this very seriously and participate in state-wide and national tournaments,” Clark said. “Obviously we wouldn’t win these, but there are some people who dedicate their lives to \nthe sport.”\nWhile the fairly new IU team is small, it is representative of a greater trend throughout the country. Foosball is growing in popularity in America, but has been a European favorite since the time of its beginnings in the late 19th century. The sport is commonly played in other countries as well. \n“Back home in Dubai we play this a lot because the weather outside can be really bad,” Mahmood said. “It’s a good way to get together with people without leaving the house.”\nThe club is working to get more members for next fall so it can begin playing in tournaments at colleges around the country. Practice is held once a week but it isn’t mandatory to show up every time, although most club members do. Even though they’re dedicated, Clark insists they don’t take themselves too seriously.\n“We love it and we do get into it when we’re practicing and playing,” Clark said. “But really, it’s all just for fun.”