Air hockey

Air hockey requires an air-hockey table, two mallets, and a puck.

A typical air hockey table consists of a large smooth playing surface, a surrounding rail to avoid the puck and mallets from leaving the table, and slots in the rail at either end of the table that provide as goals. On the ends of the table behind and below the goals, there is generally a puck return. Additionally, tables will characteristically have some sort of machinery that produces a cushion of air on the play surface through minute holes, with the purpose of reducing friction and increasing play speed. In some tables, the machinery is eschewed in favor of a slick table surface, generally plastic, in the interest of saving money in both manufacturing and maintenance costs. Note that these tables are officially not air hockey tables since no air is involved, however, they are still generally understood to be as such due to the basic similarity of game play.

Air Hockey Mallet

Currently, the only tables that are approved for play and sanctioned by the USAA (United States Air-Table-Hockey Association) for contest play are 8-foot tables manufactured by Dynamo. Approved tables contain the Photon, Pro-Style, older Blue Top, Brown Top, Purple Top or Black Top with unpainted rails. The HotFlash 2 and other full-size commercial tables with neon lights and/or painted rails are not approved for USAA play but are still great tables on which to learn the games.

A mallet (sometimes called a goalie, striker or paddle) consists of a simple handle attached to a flat surface that will generally lie flush with the surface of the table. The most general mallets, called "high-tops", resemble small plastic sombreros, but other mallets, "flat-tops", are used with a shorter nub.

A group of five air hockey pucks

Air Hockey pucks are thin discs made of Lexan polycarbonate resin. Standard USAA-approved pucks are the yellow lexan, red lexan and the Dynamo green. In competitive play, a layer of slim white tape is placed on the face-up side.