How To Play Air Hockey: A Beginner's Guide

Are you interested in playing air hockey? But need to learn how to play? By the end of this article, you will become an air hockey pro. The following guide will teach you how to play air hockey in a matter of minutes with the rules, and tips, so don't hesitate to read it.

INTRODUCTION

Air hockey is a low-friction tabletop sport in which two opposing players use hand-held discs ("mallets") and lightweight plastic pucks to score goals against each other. A typical air hockey table for casual play is approximately waist-high from the floor, with a 6' by 4' (1.8288 x 1.2192 meter) playing surface. Perforations in the smooth top allow generated air to flow through. A raised edge makes it easier to reflect the puck horizontally, and a smooth, slippery surface reduces friction further by ejecting air through tiny holes. With little loss of velocity, the puck hovers and moves quickly.

HOW TO PLAY AN AIR HOCKEY GAME

Air hockey is a simple game: whoever scores seven points first wins, and the player who wins the most rounds wins. All players can stand around the table if they do not cross the centre line.

●Toss a coin to see who gets the puck first.

●When the puck crosses the centre line, the player has seven seconds to return it, a sneaky rule to prevent faffing around and lining up trick shots.

●Any player can hit the puck when it touches the centre line.

●Puck interaction is one of the game's main mechanics, so some rules must be followed regarding hitting the puck; most notably, you cannot drag or stop the puck with your mallet. "Topping" is an immediate foul.

●You can use the mallet to bat back the puck if it moves off the playing field.

●Points are scored when the puck stays in the opposing player's goal, not when it bounces in and out.

●Own goals are possible regardless of whose mallet touched the puck last.

●For each game, possession of the puck is passed to the player who scored.

●Players who accumulate seven points first win each game. If you're playing tournament-style, you'll also be playing best-of-seven, so the first person to win 4 games wins the tournament.

BASIC RULES OF AIR HOCKEY

Mallet

On the playing field, each player has a mallet.

Puck

On the playing field, only one puck can be struck with the mallet.

Serves

Players who score and puck holders receive serves.

Centre Line

Keep your respective side of the table behind the centre line at all times.

Alternate Sides

A switch of sides is made after every game to keep things interesting.

Time Outs

Timeouts are allowed once per game for no longer than 10 seconds and only when the puck is in their possession or (obviously) not in play. Injuries may trigger a second timeout.

Tips

●If you would like to play air hockey regularly, we recommend buying a table that is durable enough to play for long periods of time.

●If you wish to become a professional player, you must realize that you must often practice. Practising at least 2-3 times a day is recommended to achieve proper results. You will notice a change in your gameplay when you get the hang of air hockey.

●If you do not have control of the puck, use an "out defense" method.

●The triangle method can block shots from any angle: to catch pucks coming from either end of your goal, draw your hand back towards either end. You can regain possession of the puck more easily with this method because it gives you more flexibility.

Wrap up!

After reading this article, we hope you can play air hockey; if you have any questions or queries, please leave a comment below.