Foosball Tables and the American Military

Foosball tables are a familiar sight today. The game is often the center of attention at summer camps, school game rooms, and other places where people gather to have fun. What many people don’t know is that foosball tables have also had a much more serious duty, helping our wounded soldiers. It sounds strange, but the familiar barroom game got its start shortly after World War II, helping wounded soldiers recover from injuries.

Foosball was invented in Europe in the late 1800’s as a way to bring the excitement of soccer to an indoor environment. First popularized in Germany and France , early foosball tables began to make their way onto military bases as a pastime for immobilized soldiers. Innovative nurses soon discovered that playing around on a foosball table helped to improve eye hand coordination and even balance. Which gave a variety to the largely sit down card games like blackjack which where popular amongst soldiers who gambled with their cigarettes rations.  Early foosball tables especially took considerable dexterity to operate, since they were often home-made and not as accurate for shooting as modern versions. The game caught on quickly, and foosball tables soon turned up in military hospitals across the European theatre.

After the war, foosball tables came home with the returning soldiers. Th ey’ve been a fixture in military hospitals ever since. Even today, in this era of high-tech medical devices, foosball tables are still a common sight in many military hospitals in America . At the Walter Reed Army Hospital , recovering soldiers use foosball tables to gain proficiency with new prosthetics, and to sharpen their fine motor skills. Of course, the game has gained popularity outside of the military too, with some brands like Tornado foosball tables even sponsoring high-stakes tournaments with big prize money.

Foosball tables may never be as important to the military as body armor or ammunition. And most people will continue to think of foosball as a bar-room game. But next time you see a dusty foosball table in the corner of your local bar, take a moment to salute the humble foosball table and its honored history in our armed forces.