NEW YEAR, NEW LEAGUE, NEW PLAYERS…

Happy New Year and welcome to 2019! 2018 was a great year for foosball and we’re looking forward to an even better year for all Valley of Sun and statewide foosers. There are a few new events being planned for the year and many of the same great activities we’ve enjoyed for many years.

Foosball Table Giveaway

Once again, our own Steve Taylor will be giving away a foosball table to some lucky fooser on Sunday, January 27th, at The Loft Again. The table is a Tornado Whirlwind (home model) table and is due to Steve wanting to give a little something back to our foosball community as result of getting so much…friendships, camaraderie, good times, etc. from us, and as it’s also Steve’s birthday weekend, it’ll be time to celebrate. Eligible candidates will receive a ticket for playing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which means the more you play the better chance of winning. Make sure you get these dates marked on your calendar so you can be in attendance.

2019 Spring Arizona Foosball League

Signup has begun for the 2019 Spring Arizona Foosball League and is scheduled to start January 15th. Just in case you missed the email that was sent out to active players, “it's time to dig out the wraps and line up with your favorite teammates for another great league season!  League coordinators and sponsors have been working hard in the off season and are excited to open the doors to the latest version of the Arizona Foosball League!  Here are just some of the things to look forward to in the new season:

• 16 game season featuring East and West conferences to minimize travel

• Cash prizes & medals awarded for winners of all team & individual categories

• Conference Championships AND League Championships for individual titles this season

• Unparalleled online statistics, scheduling and match support

• New venues & sponsors

• Lots of new players

Although challenging to convey exactly what league play entails, here’s a summary that has appeared in past editions of the Foos Pulse.

For those of you not familiar with the league, that’s a darn shame since each season brings 16 weeks of competitive play for 3-person teams, followed by a couple weeks of wildcard/conference playoffs, and culminating with individual title matches and this season’s Foos Bowl XVIII Championship . First and foremost, this is a handicap league which ensures each and every player, whether beginning or veteran, has an even shot at winning.

You might be asking yourself how well can a beginner fare against the more experienced player.  Well, that has been remedied by the handicap system used to level the playing field for all players.  Each new competitor gets evaluated to establish a baseline by other veteran players or the league director.  True beginners may start at a rating of 1.0 or below and work their way up as their skills and winning improve.  For example, if a player with a 0.5 handicap is playing against a 3.5 caliber player (a ratings difference of 3) the lower handicapper will be spotted 3 points in their individual games with the winner being the first to reach 7.  Combined team events are calculated by averaging the player’s handicaps and then doing the math.  Handicaps are recalculated after each week’s matches and this continues through week 14, whereby they are locked for the remainder of the 16 week season and playoffs.

Each week’s matches are comprised of the following rounds:

• Doubles : 3 games of doubles alternating with teammates

• 1 on 1 Battle : 2 games of Singles; 2 games of Goalie War; 1 game of 5 Bar War; & 1 game of Forward Shoot-out

• Rollerball : Rollerball indicates that the ball(s) must be kept moving at all times. One game of 3 on 3 two-ball rollerball and one game of 2 on 2 one-ball rollerball

• Team ROTO : ROTO indicates that as one team scores they rotate a player into the game and one out of the game. There is one game of singles and one game of doubles.

• Point Champion : Summation of the total points per game scored. The team with the most points wins this round.

The winner of the weekly match is determined by the total rounds won. If teams are tied, which can happen, there is a one game playoff whereby the home team get the choice of selecting either the game or players while the visitors end up choosing alternative, if applicable.

Since we’re in the gestational period of assembling teams there’s definitely a lot of strategy going into the formation of them. While on the surface it might seem better to have more well rounded and experienced players…let’s say higher handicaps… you shouldn’t overlook the possible importance of having one/some lower ranked players that could be a handicap competitive advantage in these league matches. The expectation here is that the lower handicapper(s) will be able to beat the higher rated opponent(s) since they’re spotted points. All I can say is that sometimes this philosophy works and sometimes it doesn’t. However, looking at the past few season’s results there have been quite a few upsets by the lower handicapped player(s). So, those of you still putting your teams together might want to quickly take advantage of some of the lower ranked players that are still available.

Upcoming Majors…

Following is a summary of upcoming major national/state tourneys that are sure to attract all levels of players.

Kentucky State $25,000: January 24^th – 27^th in Lexington, KY

19^th Bart O’Hearn $10,000 Celebration: February 7^th – 10^th in Austin, TX

$7,500 Florida State Championships: February 22^nd – 24^th in Clearwater, FL

Las Vegas Hall of Fame Classic: April 3^rd – 7^th at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas

Based on conversations with active players, it’s sounding like Arizona will have a large contingent of players attending the Hall of Fame Classic. This event is always well attended and definitely raises the level of everyone’s game. I believe last year’s tourney had 562 players representing 42 countries. Also, this tourney also features this year’s inductees to the Foosball Hall of Fame.

And finally…

Once again, if anyone is interested in getting involved in local foosball in any capacity, visit www.ArizonaFoosball.com and register using the current signup sheet, post in our forums, or contact Bill Nolan at 602-751-8818. In addition, you can get the latest and greatest details on any foos related activities at this same awesome site.

Remember… Keep Foosin’ Fun!