DIY Set ( Equipment ( Info ( MiSTFA ) ) )

DIY Set

Equipment

A starter set is the ideal way to begin playing Subbuteo. However for the really keen, or if you can share the cost with co-workers, friends, or wish to provide a more robust alternative for a youth group, it is easy to get the components you need from a couple of different online sources.

Premium pitch
Metal framed goals
Two teams (or one per player)
Balls
MDF board and edging

You may wish to consider FISTF regulations when producing this tabletop. Although neither MiSTFA nor the ASA requires FISTF standards, applying these standards will require little or no adjustment when you start playing in major tournaments.

Premium Pitch

A number of different premium pitches are available, that allow you to store the pitch in a tube or stick right down on your board.

Metal Framed Goals

These are more sturdy than the plastic goals produced by Subbuteo. They usually include screwholes to allow them to be fixed permanently or semi-permanently to the playing board.

We recommend the use of T-nuts and thumbscrews to fix the goals to the board if you have stuck your pitch down permanently. This idea, pioneered by MiSTFA, results in more portable tabletops, less pinholes in the surface, and a more kid-friendly environment.

We used 10-24 x 5/16 Pronged T-Nuts and 10-24 x 1/2 Thumb Screws, both available from Lowe's and just about any hardware store. If ordering a set of metal goals from a private individual such as Doug Hardinge, ask for slightly wider holes in the brackets to allow for the size of thumbscrew you have purchased.

Two Teams

If it's just you and whoever you can convince to play you, two teams is all you need. Workplace leagues can consider purchasing a team each as part of the start-up cost. Otherwise just get two contrasting teams (consider the base colours rather than the uniforms as they are more visible from above) and give the participants the URL of online stores to purchase their own. Some online stores offer bulk discounts so you may want to split that and the cost of shipping across a larger order.

Balls

A number of different balls are available at different prices, and usually in packs of 2, 3 or 5. Make sure you always have spares, you never know when you are going to step on your last one!

MDF Board & Edging

To avoid your tabletop warping, most people recommend 3/4" MDF. It is sturdy and just about warp free. You can usually buy it in 8'x4' sheets at your DIY store for around $18. Most of them will cut it to size for you, Lowe's at Muskegon did for the PTSL. Standard board size is 5'x3.5' (60"x42"). That would be a good time to put up a new basketball backboard or a headboard for the kid's bed ;o) as you are left with a decent size 4'x3' chunk of MDF.

Add edging to your shopping list. Check the moulding and door trim aisle for a simple flat piece. Try for about an inch wider than the board which is just enough to keep a rolling ball on the table. Leave a gap at each end (6" to 10" is the FISTF standard) to allow for goalie manipulation. You'll find a 8' length of 1/4" edging will give you just about a 6" gap at each end on a 5'x3.5' table. You'll be better off screwing the trim on the board (with pre-drilled holes to avoid splitting!) rather than nailing, to allow for clean removal and replacement.

DIY Startup

Here are some prices for you if you intend to start up a game based on custom components rather than purchasing a starter set. They are based on the first tabletop built for the PTSL league in Ada and should not be considered as a "standard" for MiSTFA or ASA play. However the tabletop was put together with FISTF rules in mind. Prices include approximate shipping costs:

5' x 3.5' x 3/4" MDF, and edging to stop the ball rolling off: $27
Woodentop Prima pitch: $65
Two teams of your choice: $30
Balls: FISTF logo by Astrobase: $5 a pair
Metal goals from Doug Hardinge in Toronto: $30 a pair
Total: $157

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