Air Hockey Table

The game of air hockey was invented by three engineers, Bob Kendrick,, Brad Baldwin and Phil Crossman in 1969. They were looking to develop a table game that could be played atop a frictionless surface. The engineers tried several designs for air hockey tables, and worked on revising the rules off and on over the course of the next few years. Eventually, the trio of engineers realized that the game may appeal to a large market, and thus, air hockey was born.

The game of air hockey became both an entertainment and financial success. By the early 1970s there were already official air hockey tournaments. The United States Air Table Hockey Association was formed by J. Phillip Arnold in 1975 to create standards of play in air hockey tournaments.

A standard air hockey table has a smooth playing surface, goal slots in the rail at either end of the table, as well as a rail that prevents the puck from leaving the table, with a puck return on the ends of the table below the goal slots. The air hockey playing surface has machinery that produces a cushion of air on the play surface, which reduces friction and increases the speed of play.

In some tables, a slick plastic table surface is used instead of an air cushion. While tables that employ a slick plastic surface are not technically air hockey tables, since air is not involved, they may still be called �gair hockey�h tables due to the play mechanics being otherwise identical. Some pucks in plastic surfaced air hockey tables attempt to overcome this by using a battery and fan to generate its own air cushion, but as this type of air hockey puck is prone to damage, they are commonly marketed as toys instead of air hockey equipment.

Air Hockey was invented in 1969 by three engineers, but was not formed until 1975. In 1975, the American Air Hockey association was found. They formed the association because competitors were starting to take place. To be fair to all, the following rules were established: can stand anywhere on your side, no part of your hand clothes or body can touch the puck, air hockey puck can be touched by mallet just not the bottom, puck can not be stopped by mallet, only one puck can be used at a time, can only use one mallet per person, puck must stay in goal to count, you have seven seconds for puck to cross center line, puck is in centerline either player can hit, you win by having the most goals. Air hockey tables are an investment in entertainment.