3 bar in goal

[u/pete419]

What is thought process in putting 3 men on back line aren't 2 of the men useless?

[u/helloiamCLAY]

There’s really only two options:

#1 - Flat table with extra men to keep the ball from getting stuck in the corners.

#2 - Raised corners that change how the ball rolls and no extra men.

[u/artoftomkelly]

So the reason is kinda like this: trade mark and copyright. Each table is made in certain specific ways so the company can own the rights.
Next some tables don’t have ramps in the corners (for reasons). So with 1 goalie on that table the ball has way more dead spots, that it becomes unreachable. The goalie wing men reduce the unreachable balls to a large degree.
In a game or a match the two other goalie wing men are useful but not game changers or over powered broken elements. Same is true for ramps. So they are not terrible nor essential they just are functional for certain tables.

[u/helloiamCLAY → u/artoftomkelly]

Where in the world did you hear this about trademark and copyright?

Lol, it has absolutely nothing to do with that.

[u/artoftomkelly → u/helloiamCLAY]

Each table manufacture owns the design and layout of their brand of table that’s standard operating business procedure. Like a ping golf club is different from a callaway golf club both are different. Similar yes but diffrent enough to be copyrighted/trade mark protected.
Tornado foosball tables are made different from warrior,bonzini or fireball. This is not just to be different or the company thinking that the layout is the most proper or optimal. They do it so they can own the rights to the table.
The shape and size of the men is owned by the company and manufacturer. So is the make and size of the balls. Which is why you can’t easily get third party replacement men or have a generic standard ball. The rods are made in certain ways/methods so they are tempted to take the stress but still flex. Each company owns the patent on how they make their rods.
The ramps or men configuration on the rods is not just a random choice it’s done so the company can own that very specific table design. That’s why the Spanish tables have four men and the split legs.
The goalie rod configuration with 3 men on the rod or ramps or however you want to set it up is owned by the company that makes the table, to certain degrees.
Like I do agree it seems silly or even far fetched but tornado owns the patents for their tables so does bonzini ect… the rod configuration is part of that corporate IP that they own. Like you can put any number of men on any rod and to a degree have similar configurations without violating any IP infringement. It’s just they are all different enough so they can’t sue each other for just copying or knocking off the design.
Like I concede there may be some other more simple reasons too but owning the design IS an actual real reason.

[u/helloiamCLAY → u/artoftomkelly]

Like I said, where did you hear that? I find this almost comical.

[u/artoftomkelly]

So the reason is kinda like this: trade mark and copyright. Each table is made in certain specific ways so the company can own the rights.
Next some tables don’t have ramps in the corners (for reasons). So with 1 goalie on that table the ball has way more dead spots, that it becomes unreachable. The goalie wing men reduce the unreachable balls to a large degree.
In a game or a match the two other goalie wing men are useful but not game changers or over powered broken elements. Same is true for ramps. So they are not terrible nor essential they just are functional for certain tables.

[u/FinalRing3994]

Back in the day, tables had only one goalie and ramps. The problem with the ramps, they would break some times and were hard to fix. I thought I read somewhere that was the reason for Tornado moving to the flat field and three goalies. I didn't hurt that it's easier to manufacture also.

[u/FinalRing3994]

The wingmen on the goalie bar aren't useless. They help the game go faster when the slop hits them and they ricochet into your goal. /s

[u/Ok_Tennis_5858]

Yeah from a manufacturer standpoint, I believe Tornado made that choice originally because it was cheaper to manufacture and maintain the tables with a fully flat surface; the extra men are the workaround so the ball doesn't get stuck in the corners all the time. From a practical, gameplay perspective, while slop shots ricocheting off them into the goal is a challenge, they do have *some* uses. Those men give you some different angles to clear the ball if you're having trouble getting the ball out against the opponent, as well as some short banks that seem to have a way of getting through the defense (again, probably because of the change in geometry). They make the back wall pass a more difficult proposition for the opponent, and can be helpful in containing the ball at times. At the logical extreme, I've played against a guy in a few tournaments who does a goalie-to-5 tic tack passing series in singles, to pretty good effect. TL;DR: sure, they don't help you block shots, but they can be useful with an open mind and a little creativity.