Patent ID: 7992872

Claim:
A method of playing a foosball game on a mechanical foosball table having a playfield, two goals opposite each other, a plurality of rods that extend completely across the playfield, a plurality of paddles attached to the rods, and a computer that activates and deactivates the mechanical foosball table, the method comprising the steps of: activating the mechanical foosball table to initiate play for a first predetermined period of time; playing foosball on the mechanical foosball table during the first predetermined period of time; selectively initiating a plurality of timeouts, with each timeout temporarily deactivating the mechanical foosball table, thereby suspending play for a second predetermined period of time; resuming play when the mechanical foosball table automatically reactivates when the second predetermined period of time expires; and terminating play when the mechanical foosball table automatically deactivates when the first predetermined period of time has expired; wherein the duration of time from activating the mechanical foosball table until terminating play extends for the first predetermined period of time plus the product of the number of timeouts and the second predetermined period of time.