The ball must be completely inside the shooting area for a score to be classed as a valid goal.

The goalkeeper may deflect the ball to a corner kick, throw-in or back into the playing area.

The pitch is divided into four equal quarters, normally 300 millimetres (12 in) each, but dimensions may vary (FISTF playing rules).

When the entire ball crosses the shooting zone line, the attacking player may take a shot at the goal.

This style of passing rule promotes the tactical aspects of the game much like in real football.

FISTF homologates (i.e.: authorizes the use of) certain playing equipment in international and official competition events.

Playing figures on bases, pitches (cotton or artificial cloth simulating grass), goals and balls must all comply with standards and measurements and must be officially homologated by the FISTF Board.

Measuring tools are used to verify technical data of playing equipment, such as the base, figure, goalkeeper, and ball.

FISTF-sanctioned competitions are held in many of its member nations, featuring individual competitors divided into a variety of categories by age group and gender (open, veteran, U-19, U-15, U-12 and ladies) and competitions for teams (open, veteran, U-19, U-15, U-12 and ladies).

The FISTF World championship is held annually, in a member country acting as the host nation.

There are several Major, Grand Prix, International Open, Challenger, and Satellite tournaments around the world.

There are also international competitions between nations, and three-country tournaments are often played such as Belgium–Netherlands–Germany, Austria–Switzerland–Germany, or the British Championship (England–Scotland–Wales–Northern Ireland).

[citation needed] Every player in such tournaments has a chance to be nominated for international matches (caps) for his country.

In 2011 the World Amateur Subbuteo Players Association (WASPA) started to promote the game worldwide.

The round-robin tournament system is used and the participants (individual or teams) play each other in the league two times within one season, normally as one home and one away match.

The international tournament competition format is a mixture of the league and cup formats, used for the FISTF World Cup, Champions and Europa Leagues, Majors (MJ), Grand Prix (GP), International Open (IO), Satellite (SAT), and Challenger (CHA) tournaments.

The Swiss-system tournament was introduced to table football from the world of chess in 1976 by Michael Dent.

The concept was devised to provide a fair number of matches for competitors who may otherwise travel a long way, only to be beaten in the 1st round of a knock-out tournament.

Goal difference is not a determining factor, in order to prevent discouraging younger or newer players from suffering heavy defeats.

The advantage of the Swiss system is that players find their own level and have better chances of at least winning one game.

The line defence (7 figures or more) was introduced to the game by Michael Dent in the early 1970s when he moved from Scotland to England and joined the English Table Soccer League (Division 2).