Like ping pong and pool, air hockey is a fun, table-based game that incorporates hand-eye coordination with strategy to win
. A typical air hockey table is about 4'x6' in size.
The tabletop is perforated with small circles that allow air to flow through. Air hockey tables are often covered with blue and redlines -- the same as used in regular ice hockey.
An air hockey game begins with one person selected as the server. The server takes the puck and is the first to hit it across the table at their opponent's goal. The opposing or receiving player can return the serve as soon as it crosses the center line.
It's illegal to block shots with arms or other parts of the body. Players have just seven seconds to return the shot after it reaches their end of the table. Air hockey players often wait for their opponent to establish a pattern.
An air hockey table is built with side rails to help keep the puck from flying off and to allow players to make tricky shots. They can bank shots of the sides to fake out their opponent. The game is often won with shots involving misdirection and deception.
Each player has a goal to defend. The player's goals are slots in the table where the puck has to slide into in order to be counted as a goal. The main objective of the game of air hockey is to use a flat mallet with a vertical handle to slide the puck toward the opposing goal. The person to reach the designated score total is the winner.
Often it's a good idea to shot straight at the goal. Sometimes a player will succeed by changing the pace of shots frequently so that their opponent can't get a read on their strategy.
If you ever participate in an air hockey tournament you'll find the tables are larger and players use more sophisticated strategies. Air hockey tables used in tournaments are larger and players use additional tactics to distract their opponents.