These rules, modifications and interpretations are applicable to JTSPA events only. Other areas may not follow these rules and interpretations. The complete International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF) rule book is available at  www.table-soccer.org/rules/.

sign-up deadline

In order to participate in JTSPA weekly foosball tournaments,players must arrive, and announce their intent to play to the tournament director, no later than 9:00pm on Saturdays or 8:00pm on Wednesdays.*

Repeat participants may call in their registration by calling the tournament director no later than 8:30pm on Saturdays or 7:30pm on Wednesdays. Calling in late will allow a player to register only if it will provide an even number of entries for an event.*

Those calling in their registration must arrive no later than 9:30pm on Saturdays or 8:30pm on Wednesdays to avoid forfeiture.*

If a player calls in their registration and fails to show up, they are still responsible for paying all fees for the missed event. Failure to pay fees for such missed events will prevent a player from participating in future events unless there is a valid, extreme situation to justify the failure to arrive.

Late arrivals are not entitled to warm-up time.

These deadlines will be strictly enforced beginning February 1st, 2010.
These deadlines will be modified as appropriate for events that begin before 9pm.

*=ALL Wednesday tournaments begin at 8:00 PM! The deadlines for all Wednesday tournaments will be one hour earlier than Saturdays!

Time Out Tracking

There has been some confusion regarding the extra "tracking markers" on the new tables. In order to keep everyone on the same page, EVERYONE will use the set of markers closest to the forward position to keep track or their own timeouts!

Final Table Rule

The team that wins the winner's bracket gets to choose which table the final will be played upon. This decision MUST be made immediately after winning the winner's bracket so the remaining teams have an opportunity to play on the chosen table. This rule may be voided at multi-event tourneys for video-recording purposes. In such cases, the commonly accepted "best table" will be used for the finals.

Split Payout Rule

The teams in the final may NOT agree to split the payout without playing their match UNLESS the final match is called after 1:00 am. The teams in the finals owe the rest of the players a show!

Quick Shot Rule

If a player CLEARLY AND COMPLETELY removes their hand from the handle, they MUST wait for a full second after replacing their hand before shooting any shot.This rule particularly applies to the quick "snake shot" or "rollover".

Beginner's Rule

Any new player (under 1000 local points AND fewer than 12 tournaments played) will be forgiven most rules violations. Only those infractions that cause a loss of possession OR a point being scored or not scored, will be enforced. All we ask is that a beginner makes an obvious effort to follow any rule once it has been explained.

Partner Abuse & Unsportsmanlike Conduct

In beginner/novice oriented events (Split-Draw, Seeded-Draw, etc) abusive comments towards inexperienced players WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. This includes comments from team-mates, opponents and observers. Violators are subject to suspension, expulsion, and fines. In DYPs, non-abusive smack-talk is acceptable. Abusive comments, however, may be subject to the same penalties as beginner/novice events. In BYPs, partners are responsible for determining what they will tolerate. If you don't like the way a partner talks to you, you don't have to play with that person in the future. Abusive comments towards opponents or from the sidelines may be subject to the same penalties listed above.

Table Abuse Rules

Food, Drinks and Cigarettes: Food, drinks, cigarettes, and any item(s) potentially harmful to foosball tasbles are NOT allowed on or over any foosball table. Any person(s) violating this rule may receive one warning, after which the item(s) in question are eligible to be confiscated.  If such items are spilled onto a table, the person(s) responsible may face fines, suspension, exclusion from the current event, delay-of-game penalties, etc.

General Table Abuse: Any abuse of foosball tables that includes, but is not limited to: lifting tables by the handles and/or slamming the tables down, excessive jarring, excessive or extreme jarring AFTER or between shots*, etc., is NOT allowed and may lead to fines, suspensions, exclusion from the current and/or subsequent events, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, etc.
*= Extreme  and excessive jarring will be a judgment call. Excessive jarring as part of "follow-through recoil" is defined by us as any hard wall contacts beyond the initial contact and two "follow-through" contacts to the wall with the rod-bumpers.