The Rules of the Game
Air Hockey is a great game which can be played by people of all ages (provided they can reach the table).
The besic rules as defined by the USAA (United States Air Hockey Association) are as follows:
Number of Players
The game should be played with two players. You could involve more and take turns as part of a team game, but only tweo people can play at the same time.
Equipment
Naturally you will need an Air Hockey table click here to view our rang of Air Hockey Tables.
You need a 'puck' (plastic disc) and two 'Mallets' (the piece you hold in your hand to hit the puck with). You can buy spare pucks and mallets here.
Aim of the game
To score the most points - points are scored by getting the 'puck' (plastic disc) into the oppositions 'goal' (slot at the opposite end of the table to where you are standing).
Game Play
Placing the flat round part of the mallet on the air hockey table, hold the Mallet behind the knob using your fingertips - not on top of the mallet. This will give your wrist the control and will enable you to move it around quicker.
For defending straight shots, if you keep the mallet directly in front of the goal you should be able to block most straight shots with small movements left and right.
To start the game, toss a coin to see who will get possession of the puck first.
Scoring
the first person to score 7 points wins the game. If the puck passes across the horizontal plane inside the goal this will count, even if the table does not electrnically pick up the point.
Fouls
If a foul is commiteed, the person who committed the foul must surrender the puck to the opposition.
If the puck is in you half of the table, you have 7 seconds to return the puck to the otherside, or you will have committed a foul.
Other fouls are:
- Placing your mallet on top of the puck
- Touching or hitting the puck with any part of your body
- Stopping the puck with anything other than your mallet - if it is on a clear path to goal at this point, the opposition gets a free shot
- Crossing the centre line with your mallet
- Some air hockey tables have a red line around the goal - you have to keep your mallet outside of these lines
- It is a foul if the puck leaves the table
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