Introduction to Air Hockey Tournaments

You may have seen air hockey tables sitting in arcades, maybe you even played a few game with friends. Most people leave the game table when the quarters run out, but not everyone. Air hockey has many devoted players who compete in tournaments both locally and at the championship level.

Games consist of two players at each end of the air hockey table, defending their goal and trying to make shots into the opponent’s goal. A coin toss determines who starts serving the puck. When a player is scored upon, he or she gets to serve the puck for the next play. The first player to score 7 points wins the game, and after each game players switch to the other side of the game table. A match is played until one player has won 4 games, so at most 7 games are played in a match.

There are a couple of options for entering the world of competitive air hockey. You can find a local tournament that is already happening and enter to play. This option is really easy if you already live near a city that has an active air hockey scene. The major west coast and east coast cities have serious player communities and Texas has its own state tournaments. If you cannot find a local tournament, create your own! Find a place that has air hockey tables and ask about hosting a tournament. Get support from friends and family to get the word out via posters and fliers. Not everyone has their own game tables, so creating a local tournament benefits the community by bringing people together in friendly competition. If you do create your own local tournament, let the United States Air Hockey Association (USAA) know so that the air hockey community has access to your tournament and the tournament can be sanctioned.

The local tournaments are held often, called Weeklies. This is where people play regularly when they’re not in a large tournament. Weeklies are only a few hours long, and are held in community centers or businesses with air hockey tables available. This is where people start playing competitively, and gain experience to move up in skill level. Usually, once you’re eliminated from a weekly, you’re finished playing for that event. Some larger tournaments are open to any contenders, while some are require qualifying in the USAA ranks. Larger tournaments have the typical winners bracket and feature a spinoff bracket for the losers. The spinoff bracket allows eliminated players to play each other, providing more opportunities for players to compete. Those who are skilled enough to stay in the winners bracket can advance on to the championships both nationally and worldwide.

The competitive air hockey scene is not widely publicized, despite the game’s popularity and general appeal. Maybe you’ll be inspired to get your own air hockey table so you can join in on the fun and get an edge on the competition. If you’re not quick enough for air hockey, try exploring competitive communities for other games. With all the different game tables available, it’s easy to find a people who are eager to compete and practice with you.

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