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EQUIPMENT Air hockey requires an air hockey table, two mallets, and a puck. A typical air hockey table consists of a large smooth playing surface, a surrounding rail to prevent the puck and mallets from leaving the table, and slots in the rail at either end of the table that serve as goals. On the ends of the table behind and below the goals, there is usually a puck return. Additionally, tables will typically have some sort of machinery that produces a cushion of air on the play surface, with the purpose of reducing Friction and increasing play speed. In some tables, the machinery is eschewed in favor of a slick table surface, usually plastic, in the interest of saving money in both manufacturing and maintenance costs. Note that these tables are technically not air hockey tables since no air is involved, however, they are still generally understood to be as such due to the basic similarity of gameplay. Currently, the only tables that are approved for play and sanctioned by the USAA for tournament play are 8-foot tables manufactured by Dynamo. Approved tables include the Photon, Pro-Style, older Blue Top, Brown Top, Purple Top or Black Top with unpainted rails. The HotFlash 2 and other full-size commercial tables with neon lights and/or painted rails are not approved for USAA play but are still great tables on which to learn the game. A mallet (sometimes called a goalie, striker or paddle) consists of a simple handle attached to a flat surface that will usually lie flush with the surface of the table. The most common mallets, called "high-tops", resemble small plastic Sombrero s, but other mallets, "flat-tops", are used with a shorter nub. Air Hockey pucks are slim discs made of a plastic material known as Lexan . Standard USAA-approved pucks are the yellow lexan, red lexan and the Dynamo green. In competitive play, a layer of thin white tape is placed on the face-up side. GAMEPLAY Here are some basic rules as defined by the USAA:
Tips from the pros
For more on competitive air hockey, check out {Link without Title} History and competitive play Air hockey was invented by Bob Lemieux, an avid ice hockey fan and engineer at Brunswick Billiards, in 1972. It was an immediate financial success, and by the mid-1970's there arose substantial interest in tournament play. To ensure uniform play standards of the highest competitive quality, the United States Air-Table-Hockey Association (USAA) was formed in 1978 by J. Phillip "Phil" Arnold, largely as an official sanctioning body. Since its inception, the USAA has sanctioned at least one national-level or World championship each year, crowning 11 different champions over 28 years. The USAA remains at present the only recognized player organization for air hockey, and has maintained a close relationship with table manufacturers and event promoters over the years. In 2006, competitive air hockey is played by a close-knit community of serious players around the world, with extensive player bases near Houston, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, New York in the United States, Barcelona in Spain and Saint Petersburg in Russia. From the late 1980's, Caracas, Venezuela served as a hotbed of activity; two-time World Champion Jose Mora and other finalists originated from there. By 1999, however, most of the Venezuelan activity had disappeared. Major tournament history World Championships US Championship Texas State Open Catalan Championship EXTERNAL LINKS
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