Alternative table soccer: there's more to table soccer than football?

Table soccer has its origins in soccer. The sport we all love was brought into our daily lives through table soccer. But as the years went by, different sports became more and more popular, and a demand was created around them. Table soccer representing sports other than soccer were produced. Stella Baby-foot is one of the companies involved in the manufacture of these alternative table soccer products. Discover four of them and more in our museum, by paying us a visit.

The Basket-foot

Basketball began to make a name for itself in France in the 1950s. Stella Baby-foot then decided to innovate by creating “Basket-foot”. Released in the 60s, it featured two teams of five players each. But it's its distinctive design that really catches the eye: with its orange color and two upper hoops, it stands out from other types of table soccer. It's the players' arms that exchange balls, as these are raised and magnetized, enabling them to make throws to reach the opposing basket. What's more, the handles can move from left to right in addition to the usual movements. Despite these differences, basketball has similar legs and bodywork to table soccer of the same era.

Coffee field hockey has been around almost as long as table soccer. It is of course inspired by the sport of the same name, but also by the game of shuffleboard. It is the evolution of the shuffleboard game, taking the form of the famous North American sport. It first appeared in the 1950s and can be played in a variety of ways. It can be played with two players or a complete team. A cork ball is sent out onto the pitch, the aim being, with the help of the players, to hit the ball into the opponent's goal. The players were posed differently, as if crouching with their hands split at the stick that struck the ball. The players were controlled by handles that had to be turned to activate them.

The Hockey coffee shop

The Baby-Tennis

It may come as a surprise that tennis has been adapted into table soccer. Indeed, table tennis already has a table version. But for cafés and bars, which are big fans of table soccer and want something new for their clientele, they needed something more practical and compact. So, in the 60s, the “Baby-Tennis” was created. Unlike other table soccer games representing sportsmen and women practicing their sport, this table soccer version of tennis doesn't follow this rule. Instead, the ball is sent from one side of the court to the other by means of paddles controlled by handles. For this Baby-Tennis, cork balls are used, as they are lighter. The balls pass over the net and end up in the goals.

Boxing rings have invaded cafés and bars! With the growing popularity of boxing in the 60s, and that of the sport's legendary champion, Mohamed Ali, derivative products were created. This led to the development of table soccer. Although the principle remains unchanged, it's the aesthetics of the table soccer that have been inspired by this combat sport. The field is no longer embedded in the case, but surrounded by ropes to represent a boxing ring. The game bars give the impression of levitating, as they are mounted on posts rather than embedded in the box. And the final detail that gives this table soccer box its charm is the shape of the ashtrays. The ashtrays were triangular rather than round, as in the case of more conventional table soccer, because there was no box to support them.