Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership hosts human foosball in Market Square

Foosball is soccer on a tabletop with figurines attached to a rod. Handles are on either side of the board and players slide and turn the figurines. The goal is to flick a ball into the opposition’s respective goal.

You may have seen it on “Friends” in Joey and Chandler’s apartment in lieu of a dining table.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership created a live version of foosball — human foosball — in Market Square, Downtown Pittsburgh on Friday.

Representing local businesses and organizations, 100 people dressed in athletic wear stepped onto an inflatable table.

The event was Compete for a Cause: Foosball Frenzy Is Coming to Market Square. Originally scheduled for Thursday, it was moved to Friday because of rain.

Massoud Hossaini | TribLive

Allegheny County players, left, compete against City of Pittsburgh team during the first Human Foosball Tournament to support youth programming for downtown school students at at Market Square in Pittsburgh on Friday. ​

Teams included people from the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Riverlife, Visit Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Executive, City of Pittsburgh, Fairmont Pittsburgh, Hilton Garden Inn, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Gatesman, Conference, FlySpace, Winthrop Management, People’s Natural Gas, Hotel Monaco, Westin Hotel, JLL Francic, Piatt, JLL Janectic, CBRE, Pittsburgh Police Department and Allegheny Conference, which was a sponsor along with PUMP (Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project).

Players were arranged in rows, each holding onto a pole that ran the width of the field, mimicking the rods in traditional foosball. They could only move side to side along their pole and had to work together to kick the ball into the opposing team’s goal.

“It required more coordination than I thought, especially with the person next to you,” said David Hutchinson, a former soccer player who is assistant director of capital and asset management for the office of Mayor Ed Gainey. “This was really fun.”

Each team gave a $500 donation that will directly support “youth programming for Downtown school students,” according to a news release.

The matches were played in a round-robin style, so every team played every other team. The team with the most overall points won.

“Bringing organizations together to spend time inside a 45 by 20-foot foosball table in the middle of Market Square is certainly a unique spectacle, but it also offers a great opportunity for some team building and fun with an important goal,” said Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership via email. “All the participating teams are businesses and organizations who have donated time and funding to support the advancement of youth programming for Downtown students – a crucial need for our city.”

Christopher Watts, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, said in a statement that as “Downtown continues to evolve as a neighborhood, we know that it needs to welcome everyone.”

Watts said youth are often the forgotten group, but with thousands of teens going to school or transferring through Downtown daily, additional focus is required to ensure they are supported.

He said teens deserve safe places with committed mentors and engaging programs to help them reach their potential, especially during the times they spend out of school.

“Events like the human foosball tournament are not just fun — they help make Downtown a more welcoming and safer place for all,” Watts said.

When asked to participate, Leah Friedman, community affairs manager for Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, said the immediate reaction was yes.

“Doing these types of events are ways to have fun Downtown and activate public spaces,” Friedman said. “We were more than happy to be a part of it. This brings people together.”