ITSF official vs ITSF recognized

When you browse table football tables you will see four letters again and again: ITSF. Some tables are “ITSF official”, some “ITSF recognized”, and many have no badge at all. Here is what these words mean in plain language, and why they matter less for your living room than you might think.

What is the ITSF?

The ITSF is the International Table Soccer Federation, the international body for table football as a sport. It sets the rules of play, brings national federations together and runs international competitions. It also works with table manufacturers, and that is where the badges come from.

ITSF official

An ITSF official table is a table the federation accepts for play at the top level of the sport. These are the tables serious players train and compete on. When a table carries this status, it tells you the build, the rods and the playfield meet the demands of competition.

In our catalog these tables are ITSF official:

• Garlando Pro Champion, in black or white
• Garlando Master Champion, in black and a white “Number 1” edition
• Garlando World Champion 2.0, the coin-op venue table
• Leonhart Tournament, handmade in Bavaria

ITSF recognized

ITSF recognized is a different status. The federation recognizes the manufacturer as a partner, and the table as one built for competitive play. It is a meaningful mark of quality, but it is not the same as official status. We are careful about the difference, and we never call a recognized table “official”.

In our catalog the Ninestar JX-199 is ITSF recognized. Ninestar (JX Sports) has been an ITSF recognized partner since 2022. The JX-199 is a heavy, tournament-style table with a white cabinet and red corners, at home in clubs and venues.

The makers behind the badges

• Garlando is an Italian manufacturer and a member of the ITSF.
• Leonhart builds its tables by hand in Bavaria, Germany. It has held official ITSF certification since 2011 and states that its tables are used by world champions.
• Ninestar (JX Sports) has been an ITSF recognized partner since 2022.

Does your home table need a badge?

Usually not. ITSF status is about competition. For evenings with friends, a family weekend or a table that makes your apartment look good, other things matter more: the room, the rods, the weight, the design.

Many tables without any ITSF badge are excellent home tables. The Garlando G-2000 Evolution has solid rods, which Garlando says follow international competition standards, 75 kg of weight and leg levelers, and it looks like design furniture. The Leonhart Yacht, made almost entirely of solid oak by a master carpenter according to Leonhart, carries no badge either: it is a piece of furniture as much as a game.

An ITSF official table makes sense at home when:

• someone in the house plays tournaments or wants to start;
• you want the exact feel of competition play every evening;
• you simply want a table built to competition standards.

And for offices and clubs?

If your office runs an internal league or you host tournaments, an ITSF official table is a natural choice: players get the same feel as in competition. Bars and clubs that hold events often think the same way. For relaxed play after work, a sturdy table without a badge does the job well.

A quick summary

• ITSF official: accepted by the federation for top-level play. In our catalog: Pro Champion, Master Champion, World Champion 2.0, Leonhart Tournament.
• ITSF recognized: a recognized manufacturer and a table built for competitive play, not official status. In our catalog: Ninestar JX-199.
• No badge: not a weakness. Many home and design tables are made this way, and they play very well.

Find your table

Not sure which group you belong to? Our table finder quiz asks how you play and suggests tables with or without ITSF status.

See every model with its ITSF status in the catalog, or ask SKF which one fits your game.