The football table - also known as a foosball table or table soccer - is one of the steadiest performers in our games-room lineup. It doesn't need much explaining. Put one out at a freshers fair or a corporate Christmas party and within a few minutes there's a queue behind it.

What we hire is a commercial-grade table in a light blue finish: 4.7ft long by 2.5ft wide, chrome steel rods, red and blue moulded player figures, and built-in scoring bead rails on each side. The playing surface is a hard green-lined pitch - the ball moves well and doesn't get lodged anywhere awkward. It's solid construction and holds up well under a full day of heavy use.

Each side controls multiple rows of players across the pitch - keeper, defenders, midfielders and forwards. Standard play is one player per side, though two a side works if you've got the space and the inclination. Games run around two to five minutes, so there's a decent flow of players even when a few people are waiting.

It's suitable from age 5 upwards, though in our experience it gets more competitive the older the players get. It doesn't need power - just a flat indoor surface and 6ft x 6ft of clear floor. We deliver, set up and collect at the end of the hire period. If you need more than one table - for a tournament or a larger event - it's worth mentioning when you enquire, as we can usually accommodate it.

For brand activations we can also wrap the table panels, as shown in the Wembley Stadium gallery image below. It works well alongside a Batak Pro and a magnetic leaderboard when you want a small competitive zone rather than a single game.