1.1 Once a team has chosen either the table side or the first serve, they may not change their decision.
1.2 In the event of the loser's bracket winner beating the winner's bracket team in the first match, the second match will be started in the same manner as a regular match with the coin flip, etc.
1.3 The match officially starts once the ball has been put into play. (BUT violations such as cursing, etc. may be called by the official assigned to judge the match as soon as he and both teams are present at the table.)
2.1 The Ready Protocol: The player controlling the ball shall ask: “Ready?” and the direct opponent has five seconds to respond that they are ready. Waiting beyond this time to answer will be considered a delay of game (See Rule). The player in possession must touch two player figures and stop the ball for one full second before advancing the ball. Time limits begin one second after the opponent is declared ready.
2.2 The penalty for an illegal serve or illegally putting the ball back into play following a time out, dead ball or other stoppage of play is the opponent's choice to either continue play from the current position or to serve the ball. This includes cases where a player either loses the ball or scores on him/herself before the ball has been put back in play.
3.1 If the ball is served by the wrong team, and the violation is discovered before the ball is scored, play shall be stopped and the ball shall be re-served by the proper team. Once the ball is scored, no protests shall be allowed, and play shall continue as if no infraction had been committed.
3.2 If a team is awarded possession because the opposing team is penalized for a rules infraction and the ball subsequently goes dead between the five man rods it shall be served by the team who originally served that ball.
5.1 The play area shall be defined as the area above the playing surface to the height of the sideboards of the cabinet including top of the side rails and cabinet ends.
5.2 A ball entering the serving hole (if present) and then returning to the playfield is still considered "in play."
5.3 If the ball shall leave the table it will be put back into play at the two-man rod of the team who did not have the last possession during play. Play shall resume using the “Ready” Protocol (Rule 2.1).
5.4 A player may not perform any shot that causes the ball to lob or volley over the opponent’s rods (Example: Aerial Shot). It is not considered a penalty if a shot, which leaves the current rod of possession, deflects off another rod and then goes airborne.
5.5 Penalty for violating rule 5.4 is loss of possession to opponents five man rod for serve.
6.1 If the ball is declared dead anywhere between the five-man rods, it shall be put back into play at the five man rod by the team who originally served the ball.
6.2 If the ball is declared dead between the goal and five-man rods, it shall be put back into play at the two-man rod nearest the spot of the dead ball. Play shall resume using the “Ready” Protocol.
6.3 If the ball is spinning in place but out of reach of any player figure it is not considered a dead ball and time limits shall be suspended until the ball either moves within reach or goes dead.
6.4 A ball that is intentionally made dead shall be awarded to the opposing team for a serve. (Example: pushing the ball from the bottom until out of reach)
7.1 Either team may take the full 30 seconds, even if the team that called the time out does not wish to take the full allotment.
7.2 During doubles play, either team may switch positions during a time out (see 12).
7.3 A time out called between games shall apply to the following game to be played in counting time outs per game.
7.4 A player who removes both hands from the handles and turns completely away from the table while the ball is in play shall be considered to have requested a time out.
7.4a A player can take his hands from the handles to wipe them off before a shot, as long as it doesn't take more than two or three seconds. However, all time limits continue to run while the player wipes his hands. The team on defense should not relax if the opponent takes his hand(s) off the rod.
7.4b Once the hand/wrist is replaced on the rod, a shot or pass may not be attempted until one full second has elapsed.
7.5 Only the player/team in direct possession of the ball may call time out. The time out starts the instant the time out is called.
7.5a If the team with the ball attempts a shot or pass immediately after requesting a time out, the play shall not count, and the team shall be charged with a distraction (see 18) rather than a time out.
7.6 If the team in possession of the ball calls a time out while the ball is in play and moving, that team shall lose possession, and the ball shall be served by the opposing goalie. If the team not in possession of the ball calls a time out when the ball is in play, that team shall be charged with a distraction.
7.7 If a team is not ready to play at the end of the 30 second period, that team shall be charged with delay of game.
7.8 A team requesting or charged with more than two time outs per game shall be issued a warning. If the team is in control of the ball they shall lose possession to the opposing five rod for serve. The time out will not be granted and play shall continue. Subsequent violations will result in a technical foul.
7.9 Once a player begins to put the ball back into play following a time out (by moving the ball), a time out may not be called again until the ball has left the current rod of possession. Both goalie rods of the same team are considered one rod of possession.
7.9a Penalty for violation of this rule (7.9) is loss of possession, and the ball shall be served by the opposing goalie. The team shall not be charged with a time out.
7.10 During a time out a player may reach into the play area to lubricate the rods, wipe the playfield, etc. The ball may only be picked up by hand or moved as long as it can be returned to its original position before play is continued. A request to move or pick the ball up can be declined by the opponent and/or the official. If the opponent or official present feels that it would be impossible to be sure of accurately replacing the ball to the exact position it occupied at the time of a time out, they may deny a request to pick up or move the ball (example: a ball precariously perched very close to the edge of the goal-line or at the extreme reach of a player-figure).
8.1 If the ball was in play when the time out was called, the player must have the assurance that the opposing team is ready before moving the ball. The player must then move the ball from one player figure to another one and then stop the ball for a full second before the motion of a shot or pass may begin.
8.1a The time limit begins one second after the ball touches the second man.
8.2 If the ball was not in play when the time out was called, the ball shall be put back into play by the team legally entitled to do so according to the rules.
8.3 The penalty for illegally putting the ball back into play is the opponent's choice of either continuing play from the current position or re-serving the ball. This includes the case of a player losing the ball before touching two men.
9.1 If an official is not present at the start of the match, and a dispute arises during play, either team may request an official. Such a request can be made at any point during the match that the ball is stopped or dead.
9.1a The first request for an official is considered an official time out. The cost for the official will be split between the two teams.
9.1b If the defensive team makes a request for an official while the ball is in play and stopped, and the offensive team simultaneously attempts a pass or shot, the request for a time out will be treated as a distraction by the defensive team. Likewise, a request for an official while the ball is in motion will also be considered a distraction.
9.2 Any team subsequently requesting an official will automatically be charged with a time out. Such a request may only be made during a dead ball. The penalty for requesting another official while the ball is in play is a technical foul.
9.2a The Head Official will decide whether the request for a new official will be granted. If the request is granted, the team requesting the official must pay the full cost of the new official. The two officials will then judge the match. An official may be replaced only at the discretion of the Head Official.
9.2b If there are already two officials present, any request for a new official will be denied, and the team will be charged with a technical foul.
9.3 A team may not switch positions during an official time out, unless they are otherwise entitled to do so (see 12).
9.4 Table Maintenance - Any necessary table maintenance, such as changing balls, tightening the men, etc., must be requested before the start of the match. The only time that a player may call a table maintenance time out during a match would be in the case of a sudden alteration to the table, such as a broken man, broken screw, crumbling bumper, bent rod, etc.
9.4a If a player figure is broken while in contact with the ball, an official time out will be declared while the rod is fixed. Play will resume on the rod where the player figure broke.
9.4b If the table lighting fails, play shall immediately stop at that point (as though an official time out were called).
9.4c Routine maintenance, such as spraying the rods, etc., should only be done during time outs and between games.
9.5 Foreign objects on field of play - if an object should fall on the playfield, play shall immediately stop at that point. There should be nothing on the ends of the table that could fall onto the playfield.
9.6 Medical time out - a player or team may request a medical time out. This request must be approved by the Tournament Director, the Head Official, and a member of the officiating staff. They will determine the length of the medical time out, up to a maximum or 60 minutes. A player who is physically unable to continue playing after that time must forfeit the match.
9.6a If the request for a medical time out is denied, the player will be charged with a time out. The player may also be penalized for delay of game (see 24), at the discretion of the official.
9.6b Medical time outs will typically be granted only for accidental or unexpected injuries incurred during the course of play.
10.1 If a point is not counted on the scoring markers and both teams agree that it was previously scored and inadvertently not marked up, the point shall count. If both teams do not agree that a point was scored and not marked up, after another ball is scored, that point shall not be counted.
10.2 If there is a controversy over whether or not the ball entered the goal, an official should be called. The official may make a ruling based on information received by the players and/or spectators. If the information gathered is inconclusive the point shall not count.
10.3 Any team intentionally marking up a point not scored shall not get credit for the point illegally marked up and shall be charged with a technical foul. Further violations of this rule will be grounds for forfeiture of game or match (to be determined by the Head Official).
11.1 Either team can request the full 90 seconds. If both teams acknowledge that they are ready to resume play before the full time is used, play shall continue and the remainder of that 90 seconds is then forfeited.
11.2 If a team, is not ready to play at the end of the 90 second period, that team shall be charged with delay of game.
12.1 Either team may switch positions during a time out, between points, between games, or before and/or after a technical foul shot.
12.2 Once a team has switched positions, they may not switch back until after the ball has been put back into play or another time out has been called.
12.2a A team is considered to have switched positions once both players are in their respective places facing the table. If both teams wish to switch positions at the same time, the team in possession of the ball must dictate their possition first allowing the defense to decide afterwards.
12.3 Illegally switching positions while the ball is in play will be judged a distraction.
12.3a In any doubles event any player placing their hand on any rod normally designated as one played by their partner while the ball is in play shall be judged as a distraction violations.
13.1 A ball which is advanced by an illegal spin is replayed as follows:
If the ball goes in the goal, then it will not be counted as a point and will be put back into play by the goalie as if the ball had been declared a dead ball between the goal and the nearest two-man rod.
If the ball does not go in the goal, the opposing team will have the option of continuing play from the current position or re-serving the ball.
13.2 Spinning of a rod which does not advance and/or strike the ball does not constitute an illegal spin. If a player's spinning rod hits the ball backwards into his own goal, it will count as a goal for the opposing team. Spinning of a rod away from the ball (when there is no possession) is not considered an illegal spin, but may be ruled as a distraction.
13.3 If an ungrasped rod is spun by the force of a ball hitting a player figure on the rod, the spin will be considered legal (example: a two-man shot in singles hitting the three-man).
14.1 The penalty for violation of this rule: First and second offense - the opposing team has the option of continuing play from the current position, continuing play from the point of infraction, or serving the ball. If an illegal jar causes the player to lose possession of the ball from a rod, play may be continued from that rod. Subsequent violations - Technical foul. After the technical shot the non-offending team continues to have the options listed above.
14.2 Touching or coming into contact with your opponent's rods in any way shall be penalized exactly like jarring, sliding, or lifting.
14.3 Jarring of the table after a point has been scored or when the ball is not in play may be judged unsportsmanlike behaviour. Slamming the rod after a shot while the ball is still in play may be considered a jar.
15.1 Any movement of the ball, no matter how slight, may be considered grounds for a reset (example: a ball rocking in place). A reset can be called even if the ball is pinned or moving.
15.2 A reset is not considered a distraction, and the player with the ball may shoot immediately. The defensive team should not, therefore, relax or look at the official upon hearing the word "reset," but rather should stay on defense.
15.3 A reset call does not count as jarring infraction, however, repeated offenses may be grounds for the official present to call a technical foul on the defensive player causing the reset.
15.4 A reset violation behind the ball shall not be considered a reset violation. It shall be considered a jarring violation. (Example: if the opposing forward is judged to have reset his opponent when the opponent has the ball on the 3 rod.)
15.5 An intentional reset by the team in possession of the ball for the purposes of attempting to get a reset call from the official shall not be allowed. The team judged to be in violation of this rule shall lose possession of the ball, the ball to be reserved by the other team. (This is not counted as a reset.)
15.6 After a team is called for a first reset in a game, any two subsequent resets during the same point will be charged with a technical foul. Once the first reset call is made, upon the next violation the official present will call “reset warning” or just “warning”. If there is another reset violation on the same ball following a reset warning a technical foul shall be called.
15.6a If a technical foul is called for excessive resets, the next reset call shall not result in a technical foul but will be the warning again where a subsequent reset violation on the same ball will result in another technicall foul.
15.6b Resets are charged per-team and not per-player and are also charged per game not per match.
15.7 If the defender intentionally jars the table, this will not be considered a reset, and jarring will be called immediately.
15.8 A reset call made while the ball is on the five-man rod will reset the amount of times the ball has struck the wall as well as the time limit.
16.1 A spinning ball is considered "in-play," even if it is not in reach of a player figure. It is illegal to reach into playing area to stop a spinning ball, even if done for an opponent.
16.2 A ball which becomes airborne over the table is still in play until it has hit something not a part of the playing area. Do not catch a flying ball over the table.
16.3 A ball which has gone dead is considered out of play. The ball may be freely touched once permission has been granted by the official, or if no official is present, by the opposing team.
16.4 A player may wipe shot marks off any part of the table while the ball is not in play. He does not need to ask permission of the opposing team.
16.5 The penalty for violation of this rule is as follows:
If the player has possession of the ball, and the ball is stopped - loss of possession to the opposing teams five-man rod for serve.
If the ball is moving in the player's goal area behind the two-man rod - a point is scored for the opposing team, and the ball is re-served as if it had gone in the goal.
Any other case - technical foul.
16.6 If a technical foul is called for touching a flying ball over the table it will be served by the non-offending team following the technical shot.
17.1 A player cannot wipe sweat or spit or any foreign substance on his hand before wiping ball marks off the table.
17.1a Wiping rosin or any other substance on the playfield is illegal.
17.1b Any player using a substance on their hands to improve their grip must make sure that this substance does not get on the ball. If this does occur, and the substance is judged to affect the play of the ball (Example: a ball coated with rosin) that ball and any others in the table similarly affected shall be cleaned immediately and the team judged to have caussed this to occur shall be penalied for delay of game and warned that if this occurs again during the match they will be prohibited from using the substance.
17.2 Residue on the Handles - in regard to the use of substances to improve grip, if a player uses a substance that, upon switching tables sides, has left a deposit on the handles, he must immediately clean the handles.
17.2a If the time necessary to remove the substance exceeds 90 seconds, the player will be penalized for delay of game, and the player will be prohibited from using the substance again.
17.3 A player may not place a tube or handle on the table exterior that inhibits the motion of the rods (example: for limiting the motion of the goalie rod).
17.4 A player may switch the handles on the exterior of the tables if it can be done within the time limits and without impeding the opponent’s ability to change sides between games.
17.5 A request to change balls before the start of the match must be approved by the official present or the Tournament Director. The request will be granted only if the playing characteristics of the existing balls are significantly different from the standard.
17.5 A request to change balls before the start of the match must be approved by the official present or the Tournament Director. The request will be granted only if the playing characteristics of the existing balls are significantly different from the standard.
17.5a New ball - a player may not ask for a new ball while the ball is in play. During a dead ball, however, a player may request a new ball from the rack inside the table. Such a request will generally be granted, unless the official present judges that such a request is made simply for the purpose of stalling play.
17.5b A player requesting a new ball while the ball is in play shall be charged with a time out, unless the official present judges the ball to be unplayable, in which case no time out will be charged.
17.6 Unless otherwise specified, penalty for violation of any part of this rule may be grounds for a technical foul.
18.1 Banging the five-man rod or any rod prior to, during, or after a shot is considered a distraction. Moving the five man slightly after the shot has started is not considered a distraction, however.
18.2 Talking between teammates while the ball is in play may be judged a distraction.
18.3 It is not considered a distraction, when passing, to move the catching rod as part of a fake. Excessive motion, however, is grounds for a distraction.
18.4 It is considered a distraction, after setting up a shot, to remove a hand from the handle and then shoot the ball. The ball may only be shot after the hand/wrist has been on the handle for a full second.
18.4a In singles, rule 18.4 only applies to a set shet on the three-rod.
18.5 Penalty for distraction. For the first distraction violation, the guilty team may be charged with a warning if the official present judges the distraction to be harmless. If a shot is scored as a result of a distraction by the offensive team, the point will not count and the opposing team will serve the ball. In all other cases, the opposing team has the option of continuing play from the current position; continue play from the point of infraction, or serve the ball. Subsequent violations may be grounds for a technical foul.
19.1 Practice is defined as moving the ball from one player figure to another.
19.1a Illegal Practice is a judgement call by the official present at the table. Inadvertent movement of the ball does not constitute Practice.
19.2 The penalty for illegal practice is a loss of possession to the opposing teams 5 rod or a warning if the player does not have possession. Subsequent violations will be a technical foul.
20.1 Calling the attention of the opposing team away from the game is not allowed (see 18). Any shouts or sounds made during a match, even if of an enthusiastic nature, may be grounds for a technical foul.
20.2 Cursing by a player shall not be allowed. Continued cursing by a player may be cause for forfeiture of games and/or expulsion from the tournament site.
20.3 The use of a spotter in the audience shall not be allowed. Furthermore, a member of the audience is not allowed to influence a match by distracting a player or official. Violation of this rule may be grounds for expulsion of the person from the tournament site.
20.4 Coaching will be allowed, but only during time outs and between games.
21.1 A pinned ball on the 5 man cannot be directly advanced to the 3 man rod of the same team. It must touch at least two player figures as it is put into the motion of a pass (Except an accidental stub or squib pass). A pinned ball is one that is pinned to the wall or playfield.
21.1a A ball whose motion has clearly stopped may be legally passed if this pass is immediate. Any hesitation before the pass, and the pass shall be declared illegal. Once a ball has clearly stopped and is not immediately passed it must then touch at least two player figures before it can be legally passed.
21.1b Changing the lateral speed or direction of the ball from the front or back of the man prior to passing the ball is considered to be an adjustment and is illegal. Changing the speed or direction of the ball from the side of the man is legal.
21.1c An accidental stub or squib pass is legal. However, if a ball is stubbed or squibbed by a player figure, released, and then passed by that player figure before striking another player figure on that same rod, it is illegal.
21.2 A pinned or stopped ball may be shot on goal, to be considered a shot, the ball must either go into the goal, be blocked by the opposing goalie's men, or hit the back wall. If the attempted shot is blocked by the opposing five-man rod and then caught by the shooter's three-man, it shall be declared an illegal pass.
21.2a If a pinned or stopped ball from the five-man is shot on goal, and the ball hits the shooter's three-man row, then the shot would be legal, provided the ball was not caught by the three-man.
21.2b A caught ball is defined as a ball that is in the possession of a rod long enough for a controlled pass or shot to be attempted (examples: pick-up and quick shots).
21.3 Before attempting a pass from the five-man rod, the player cannot make the ball strike the side wall of the table more than twice. It makes no difference which wall the ball touches - a total of two times is all that is allowed. If the ball goes to the wall a third time, it must be advanced in the motion of a pass or shot.
21.3a Defensive trap - if an opponent's pass or shot is stopped by trapping it against the side wall, that does not count as one of the two times allowed to touch the wall by the player who made the trap and is now in possession of the ball on his five-man rod.
21.3b Once the ball has touched the wall, it will not be counted as hitting the wall again until the ball has rolled off the side strip (if present on the table).
21.3c Following a time-out, any strike the ball makes against the wall prior to touching a second man will not be counted against the allowed two strikes.
21.4 The same rules apply to passing from the two-man and goalie rods to the five-man rod of the same team, the only exception is in the case of the pass being deflected by the oponents 3-man rod. Once a ball is forwarded from either the two-man or the goalie rods and if it should strike an opposing team's player figures, that ball is no longer considered a pass but then a live ball that may be legally caught by any player.
21.4a Rule 21.2a also applies here for a stopped shot from the two- man and touched by the five-man of the same team. Illegal play.
21.5 It is legal to have just one hand on the rods when playing defensive (example: right hand on defensive five-man). It is also legal to use two hands to move a rod (example: defensive five-man).
21.6Penalty for an illegal pass - if a team violates the above rule of passing, the opposing team has the option of continuing play from the current position or re-serving the ball.
22.1 Advancement defined: A ball is considered to have advanced once it is out of reach of the player figures on that rod whether it went forward or backwards. In the case of the goalie area, a ball is considered advanced once out of reach of the player figures on the two-rod and beyond the goal area.
22.2 Enforcement of the time of possession rule shall be made only by a certified tournament offical.
22.3 A spinning ball that is within reach of a player figure shall be considered to be in that rod's possession and all time limits shall continue. Players must make an honest effort to gain possession of a spinning ball that is within reach, however, if the spinning ball is not within reach, the time limits are not in effect.
22.4 Penalty - penalty for three-man delay is loss of possession to the opposing goalie. The goalie shall put the ball back into play as if it had been declared a dead ball. Penalty for delay at any other rod is loss of possession to the opposing forward for serve.
23.1 If the specified time limit expires before the match has been completed, an official will announce to the players that a ten minute overtime period will begin at that time. If the overtime period ends before the match has been completed, the winner of the match shall be the player or team which has won the most games, or if the teams have an equal number of games, it shall be the team that has scored the most points in the game in progress, after the ball in play at this time that the overtime period expires has been scored. If the teams have won an equal number of games and scored an equal number of points after this ball has been scored, one more ball shall be played to determine the winner of the match.
23.2 Time outs called within the regular time limit of a match shall be counted against the total amount of time left to play. However, time outs do not count against the ten minutes in the overtime period (a time out would then stop the clock).
23.3 Official time outs do not count against the total amount of time left to play.
23.4 Enforcement of this rule is the responsibility or the Tour nt Director.
24.1 After a delay of game infraction play shall resume in at most 10 seconds. At the end of 10 seconds another delay of game call should be made.
24.2 Taking too much time to serve the ball or to put the ball back into play may be grounds for delay of game.
24.3 The first infraction of this rule is a warning. Subsequent infractions will result in the player being charged with a time out. Example: Player charged with delay of game. If still not ready to resume play after 10 seconds - time out charged. If after the time out still not ready, another 10 seconds - second time out charged.
25.1 A recall is made every three minutes. Penalty for second and subsequent recalls is forfeiture of a game.
25.2 If a team has forfeited any games due to recalls, they get the choice of side or serve once play begins.
25.3 Enforcement of this rule is the responsibility of the Tournament Director.
26.1 When a technical foul is called, play shall stop and the ball awarded to the opponents of the offending team at its three-man rod. One shot will be taken after which play shall stop. If it scores or not, the ball shall be put back into play at the spot it was when the technical was called. If the ball was in motion, it will be put back into play as if it had been declared dead at that spot. (Except as provided in 14.1).
26.1a A player is considered to have taken a technical foul shot once ball has left the three-man rod. A player is considered to have been blocked the shot once the ball has either stopped in or left the defender's area.
26.2 On a technical foul shot, the ball must be put into play before shooting (see 8.1). Furthermore, all rules, including time limits and resets, still apply.
26.3 A team may switch positions before and/or after the technical foul shot without being charged with a time out (see 12).
26.4 Time outs may be called during a technical shot, as long as they would otherwise be legal (see 7).
26.5 A point scored on an illegal technical shot shall not be allowed, and play shall resume at the spot the technical was called.
26.6 If a technical foul shot ends the game, the opposing team gets the first serve of the next game.
26.7 Further violations of a flagrant or intentional nature shall carry additional technical fouls. A third technical foul in any one game shall result in an automatic forfeiture of the game. Also, the official may announce at any time after the first technical foul is called on a team that further violation by that team shall be cause for forfeiture of the game or match.
27.1 In order to appeal a rule interpretation, a player must file that appeal with the official before the ball being played at the time of the controversy is put back into play. An appeal concerning the loss of a match must be filed before the team that won has begun its next match.
27.2 All rule appeals shall be considered by the Head Official and (if present) at least two members of the officiating staff. All decisions on appeals are final.
27.3 A team making an unsuccessful rules appeal of an obvious nature, or a team that questions a judgment call, will be charged with a time out. In addition, the team may also be penalized for delay of game, at the discretion of the official.
27.4 Arguing with a Certified official during a match will not be allowed. Violation of this rule will be grounds for a delay of game penalty and/or a violation of the code of ethics.
28.1 Penalty - the penalty for breaking the Code or Ethics may be forfeiture of a game or match, expulsion from the tournament, and/or a fine. Whether or not the Code of Ethics has been broken, and what is the appropriate penalty for the infraction will be determined by the Disciplinary Committee of the USTSA.
29.1 All matters pertaining to rules of play (appointing officials, handling appeals, etc.) shall be the responsibility of the Head Official. The Tournament Director is responsible for appointing the Head Official.
1.1 Time limits start one second after the ball has touched the second man.
2.1 A player's defensive area is defined to extend from the back wall to the end of where the two-man rod reaches. The center of the table is the remaining area of play.
2.2 A ball that strikes any rod, player figure, or bumper in the center of the table is still considered a live ball. These rods play no part in determining possession of the ball.
2.3 If a ball leaves the playing area and strikes a foreign object, the ball is re-served by the player who originally served the ball. If a ball goes dead on the table, the ball is re-served by the player who has possession of the ball.
2.4 If player A shoots a ball that never reaches player B's defensive area, player A must first stop or control the ball, and then give the ball back to player B to re-serve. In particular, a shot that bounces back and goes in the shooter's goal counts, since that player must first stop and control the ball.
1.2 The first serve of the match is determined in the usual fashion, by a flip of the coin.
1.3 The serve alternates between players for the remainder of the match.
1.1 If a team scores a point, they must rotate positions before the next point: the player on the three-man rod moves to the goalie-rod, while the players on the goalie, two-man, and five-man rods move to the two- man, five-man, and three-man rods respectively.
1.2 A team may also change positions before the start of the match or between games. However, no other changes of positions will be allowed.
2.1 The game is played rollerball style, i.e., a ball may not be pinned for more than three seconds or stopped for more than one second, and there is a ten second time limit per rod.
2.2 Once a ball is stopped or pinned, the player must make sure the ball touches another man of the same team (on any rod) in order to score a point.
2.3 If a point is scored illegally, the ball shall be re-served by the opposing team.
2.1 At the start of a point, each forward should serve their ball on the count of three. Both balls should hit the playfield with one second of the three count.
2.2 If a ball goes off the table, and no balls have been scored yet, both balls shall be re-served. Otherwise, the team scored upon serves the remaining ball.
3.1 If each team scores a goal, then neither team receives a point. Two balls are re-served.
3.2 If a team has scored the first ball, they may stop play any time they have control of the second ball and take one point. If a team elects to take the point, two balls are re-served.
3.3 A team that scores both goals gets two points. Two balls are re-served.
3.4 A shot that goes "in and out" does not count as a goal scored in Two-Ball Rollerball (rather, play continues).
Direct your questions or comments to the Southern Foosball Program/Rodney Jenkins at (256) 734-6349, or by email: jenkins@hiwaay.net.