Air Hockey is a game between two players trying to outdo each other by sinking the puck into the opponents’ goal. Air hockey is played on a special table: the Air Hockey Table.
Typically, an air hockey table is a platform with a very large, smooth surface. Rails surround it on all sides to keep the puck and strikers from rolling off the table. It has a slot at both ends that serves as a goal where players try to sink the puck. Slot machines usually have a puck return behind and below the goals.
Air hockey tables usually have a machine that will provide the air on the surface of the table that produces the air cushion. So the puck is not actually lying on the air hockey table, but is actually floating. This reduces friction on the playing surface, facilitating a very fast exchange of pucks and shots, which is one of the main emotions of the game. Playing on air hockey tables greatly develops hand-eye coordination and the ability to think quickly “on one’s feet.”
Often, in the interest of saving money, the air-producing machinery option is replaced with very soft, slippery plastic playing surfaces. These can approximate the thrill of playing air hockey, but keep in mind that it is not the same as air hockey tables as no air is used. Due to the similarity of the game, they are also generally accepted as air hockey tables.
To play air hockey you need forwards for each player and a puck. Knockers are flat surfaces that rest on the table connected to a handle. The disk is a thin plastic disk about a half inch thick and a couple of inches in diameter.
To play the game, two players stand at opposite ends of the table with one serving player hitting the puck at the opposite end until the puck enters a player’s goal and a touchdown is made. The player who lost the point has the right to serve. The goal for both players is to score 7 points, although a time limit is often placed on how long the game will be played. The player who has the most points when time runs out wins the game. If both players have the same score when time runs out, the game is a draw.
During play, players may not place their strikers on top of the puck. They are also not allowed to leave the playing area. No contact should be made with the puck under any circumstances other than the striker. Only under certain conditions may a player be allowed to come into physical contact with the puck as if it were a hand when the puck enters his net. The player has only seven seconds to hit the puck after it passes his end after the center line. When the puck is on the center line, either player can hit the puck.
An automatic mechanism on Air Hockey tables registers a valid goal.
Air hockey is a game that is played competitively around the world. There is at least one world championship event that takes place each year.
In 1978, the United States Air Hockey Association was formed to oversee the conduct and rules of the game.
