IFPA8 World Pinball Championship
Official Rules
IFPA8 is the World Pinball Championship event operated by the
International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA). This document
specifies the official operating rules and regulations of the event.
The event coordinators for IFPA8 are Josh Sharpe, Zach Sharpe,
Brian Woodard and Patrik Bodin. Event coordinators organize volunteers,
designate scorekeepers, handle malfunctions and rulings, delegate
responsibilities and authority, and otherwise work to ensure the smooth
operation of the tournament. Event coordinators and designated officials
are not excluded from tournament play but will be recused from any
situation that directly affects their actual or potential standing as a
player.
I. Quick Overview
IFPA tournament rules are quite lengthy and detailed. They
reflect the experience of many years of tournament and league play,
under many different systems. Many of the rules are based on rules used
by the Professional and Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA). The
underlying ideas are simple, however.
The tournament consists of 8 sessions of qualifying rounds.
During each session, players play against each other in three 4-player
games. Players earn points based on their finishing positions, with the
top 32 players advancing to the final rounds.
In the final rounds, qualifying players play against each other
in head-to-head single elimination matches until a winner is determined.
II. Competition Details
1. How to qualify
Unlike most tournaments where the qualification process takes
place over a couple of days at the tournament site, qualifying for IFPA8
is based on results from all the IFPA endorsed tournaments held over the
past 3 years. Utilizing its World Pinball Player Rankings, the IFPA has
used the January 1st, 2011 rankings to determine the qualifiers for
IFPA8. The tournament field will consist of 64 players. The top 2 ranked
players from each country as of 1/1/2011 will receive an automatic
qualifying spot into the tournament. Should either of the top 2 players
not be able to attend, that country exemption will move down the country
ranking list until it is filled. The rest of the field will be made up
of the most highly ranked players from the WPPR list. For players that
cannot attend, spots will be filled by going down the rankings list.
Additionally, 2 of the 64 spots will be made available at the 2011 IFPA
Satellite Events, consisting of the European Pinball Championship in Le
Treport, France and the Michigan Pinball Expo in Rochester, MI. This
satellite event will be open for any player ranked in the World Pinball
Player Rankings as of the end of 2010, but did not qualify for IFPA8
through the automatic bid process. Contact the IFPA for these details.
2. Fees
There will be no fees associated with IFPA8.
3. Prizes The top 4 finalists will receive trophies,
and the winner of the tournament will be crowned World Champion.
III. Qualifying Sessions
1. Original groupings for Session #1
Once all participants are finalized, the 64 players will be
ranked by their World Pinball Player Rankings standing as of 1/1/11. The
field will be divided into 16 groups of 4 players. Initial groups for
Session #1 will be as follows: Group 1: 1-32-33-64, Group 2: 2-31-34-63,
Group 3: 3-30-35-62, Group 4: 4-29-36-61, Group 5: 5-28-37-60, Group 6:
6-27-38-59, Group 7: 7-26-39-58, Group 8: 8-25-40-57, Group 9:
9-24-41-56, Group 10: 10-23-42-55, Group 11: 11-22-43-54, Group 12:
12-21-44-53, Group 13: 13-20-45-52, Group 14: 14-19-46-51, Group 15:
15-18-47-50, Group 16: 16-17-48-49
2. Playing a session
Each group will be assigned 3 games at random (1 ‘OLD’, 1 ‘MID’
and 1 ‘NEW’).
Groups 1 through 5 will start on the ‘OLD’ machine, 6 through 10
on the ‘MID’ machine, and 11 through 16 on the ‘NEW’ machine. Groups
will move from ‘OLD’ to ‘MID’ to ‘NEW’ throughout each session.
Choice of position for game 1 will go to the highest seeded player
within that group based on the standings entering that session, second
choice will go to the 2nd highest seeded player, third choice will go to
the 3rd highest seeded player and the lowest seeded player will have the
remaining choice.
In subsequent games, the player finishing in 4th place will have choice
of position for Game 2. The player finishing in 3rd place will have 2nd
choice of position. The player finishing in 2nd place will have 3rd
choice of position. The player finishing in 1st place will have the
remaining position.
3. Scoring
The rank of the player’s result on each machine awards the
following amount of points. These points are cumulative over all 8
sessions when the finalists are determined.
|
Rank |
Score |
|
1st place |
7 points |
|
2nd place |
5 points |
|
3rd place |
3 points |
|
4th place |
1 point |
In the unlikely event of two or more scores on a machine being
tied, an average point value of the tied positions will be awarded for
each tied score. For example, a tie for 2nd place would earn each player
4 points.
In the unlikely event that someone drops out of the tournament
during the qualifying sessions, and a 3 person group is formed, scoring
for that group will be 7 points for first place, 4 points for second
place and 1 point for third place. 3 person groups will be formed based
on where the missing players would have been grouped. Should 4 players
drop out, we will instead form 15 groups of 4 rather than 12 groups of 4
and 4 groups of 3.
Tournament officials will endeavor to provide up-to-date scores
and rankings at all times, using a projected screen. The up-to-date
scores and rankings will also be available on the
http://www.ifpapinball.com/ Web site following each session.
4. Regrouping for Session #2 through Session #8
After Session #1 players will be ranked according to their first
session scores. For session #2 through session #8 the groupings will be
done according to the most up to date standings entering that particular
session. Session #2 (same breakdown as Session #1): Group 1: 1-32-33-64,
Group 2: 2-31-34-63, Group 3: 3-30-35-62, Group 4: 4-29-36-61, Group 5:
5-28-37-60, Group 6: 6-27-38-59, Group 7: 7-26-39-58, Group 8:
8-25-40-57, Group 9: 9-24-41-56, Group 10: 10-23-42-55, Group 11:
11-22-43-54, Group 12: 12-21-44-53, Group 13: 13-20-45-52, Group 14:
14-19-46-51, Group 15: 15-18-47-50, Group 16: 16-17-48-49
Session #3 & 4: Group 1: 1-16-17-32, Group 2: 2-15-18-31, Group
3: 3-14-19-30, Group 4:4-13-20-29, Group 5: 5-12-21-28, Group 6:
6-11-22-27, Group 7: 7-10-23-26, Group 8: 8-9-24-25, Group 9:
33-48-49-64, Group 10: 34-47-50-63, Group 11: 35-46-51-62, Group 12:
36-45-52-61, Group 13: 37-44-53-60, Group 14: 38-43-54-59, Group 15:
39-42-55-58, Group 16: 40-41-56-57
Session #5 & #6: Group 1: 1-8-9-16, Group 2: 2-7-10-15, Group 3:
3-6-11-14, Group 4: 4-5-12-13, Group 5: 17-24-25-32, Group 6:
18-23-26-31, Group 7: 19-22-27-30, Group 8: 20-21-28-29, Group 9:
33-40-41-48, Group 10: 34-39-42-47, Group 11: 35-38-43-46, Group 12:
36-37-44-45, Group 13: 49-56-57-64, Group 14: 50-55-58-63, Group 15:
51-54-59-62, Group 16: 52-53-60-61
Session #7: Group 1: 1-4-5-8, Group 2: 2-3-6-7, Group 3:
9-12-13-16, Group 4: 10-11-14-15, Group 5: 17-20-21-24, Group 6:
18-19-22-23, Group 7: 25-28-29-32, Group 8: 26-27-30-31, Group 9:
33-36-37-40, Group 10: 34-35-38-39, Group 11: 41-44-45-48, Group 12:
42-43-46-47, Group 13: 49-52-53-56, Group 14: 50-51-54-55, Group 15:
57-60-61-64, Group 16: 58-59-62-63
Session #8: Group 1: 1-2-3-4, Group 2: 5-6-7-8, Group 3:
9-10-11-12, Group 4: 13-14-15-16, Group 5: 17-18-19-20, Group 6:
21-22-23-24, Group 7: 25-26-27-28, Group 8: 29-30-31-32, Group 9:
33-34-35-36, Group 10: 37-38-39-40, Group 11: 41-42-43-44, Group 12:
45-46-47-48, Group 13: 49-50-51-52, Group 14: 53-54-55-56, Group 15:
57-58-59-60, Group 16: 61-62-63-64
In the case of players that are tied in total points after a
given session, those players will be randomly placed in the different
tied positions available.
IV. Final Rounds
1. Advancing to Finals
When all 8 sessions of the qualifying round have been completed,
a final calculation of standings will be tabulated. Those scores will be
ranked, and the top 32 players will advance to the final rounds.
In the event a qualifying player is not available, he or she will
be skipped in the ranking as if he or she had not qualified. Upon
discovering that a player is not present, tournament officials will make
a specific announcement for that player, allowing at least ten minutes
but no more than twenty minutes, for that player to appear.
Substitutions or late arrivals are not allowed.
In the event that two or more players are tied on either the
qualifying bubble or a potential bye, such that not all of the tied
players can advance to the final rounds or receive the bye, a
tiebreaking procedure will be utilized. A single game will be played on
a machine randomly selected by tournament officials from the qualifying
bank of games. Tournament officials will draw one ‘OLD’, one ‘MID’ and
one ‘NEW’ machine at random.
The players tied on the qualifying/bye bubble will be asked to
vote by secret ballot for which game they would like to play. The game
with the most votes will be the game used for the tie-breaker game. If
two or three machines receive the same number of votes, the players will
vote again from the machines that are tied from the original voting. If
after the second round of voting there is still a tie, the game will be
chosen at random from those three by tournament officials. The tied
players will play, in randomly determined order, in a multi-player game
on the selected machine, and will subsequently be ranked in the order of
their scores on that game. If more players are tied than the selected
machine will support in a single game, multiple games will be played to
accommodate all tied players, in randomly determined order, and the
resulting scores will be compared as if they had occurred in a single
game on the same machine. This tie-breaking procedure is used to
determine which players advance to the finals, and which players are
eliminated. However, this one-game playoff will not effect the seeding
of the tied players that do advance. The tied players that do advance
will be ranked according to the methods of players not on the qualifying
bubble (see next paragraph).
In the event that two or more players are tied but are not on the
qualifying/bye bubble, a simpler tiebreaking procedure will be used in
order to save time. Tournament officials will examine the Session sheets
to determine the head-to-head results for the players involved in the
tie. A winning percentage will be calculated for each player involved in
the tie, and the player with the highest winning percentage will be
given the highest rank entering the final rounds. Should there be a tie
in winning percentages between any of the players involved in the
tiebreaker, original rankings used at the start of the tournament
(1/1/11 World Pinball Player Ranking) will be used to rank the players
in order from highest to lowest. Should a player not have a record
against any of the other players involved in the tie, that player will
be ranked amongst those tied based on their initial ranking entering the
tournament. The remaining players will be ranked based on the initial
tie breaking procedure of head-to-head record.
2. Machines Chosen
The machines used for final rounds in each division will be the
same machines used during the qualifying sessions.
The most updated list of these games are available here: http://www.ifpapinball.com/?page_id=239
3. Head-to-Head Single Elimination Format Players will be
placed in a single elimination bracket based on the final seedings after
Session #8 and all tiebreakers are completed. Players seeded 1 through 8
will receive 2 byes, while players seeded 9 through 16 will receive 1
bye. First round pairings are as follows:
17 vs. 32, 18 vs. 31, 19 vs. 30, 20 vs. 29, 21 vs. 28, 22 vs. 27,
23 vs. 26, 24 vs. 25
Second round pairings are as follows:
9 vs. 24/25 winner, 10 vs. 23/26 winner, 11 vs. 22/27 winner, 12
vs. 21/28 winner, 13 vs. 20/29, 14 vs. 19/30 winner, 15 vs. 18/31
winner, 16 vs. 17/32 winner
Third round pairings are as follows:
1 vs. 16/17/32, 2 vs. 15/18/31, 3 vs. 14/19/30, 4 vs. 13/20/29, 5
vs. 12/21/28, 6 vs. 11/22/27, 7 vs. 10/23/26, 8 vs. 9/24/25
Each match will be a race to 4 wins (unless a match is tied 3-3
after 6 games where a sudden death tiebreaker will be played – see
below). At the start of the match each player will choose an ‘OLD’,
‘MID’ and ‘NEW’ machine. The lower seeded player will choose the first
machine, followed by the higher seeded player choosing the second
machine. This picking order will continue until all 6 games have been
chosen. A machine may not be picked more than once in the same match.
The higher seed will first choose whether they want to start on
one of their own choices, or one of the lower seed’s choices. There
should be no waiting for a game that is currently being played in
another match. Please select another one of the six games chosen in an
effort to expedite the match process.
Position will be based on who originally selected the machine
before the match started. The player that did not have the machine as a
part of their three choices will have choice of position on that
particular machine. The match will alternate between machines chosen by
each player, until all 6 games are completed. Should a player reach 4
wins before all 6 games are completed, no further games should be
played.
Should the match be tied after these 6 games, the match will move
to ‘Sudden Death’. This will be a best-of-3 match where any of the
remaining machines are available to be chosen. This means that all 3
games of ‘Sudden Death’ can be played on the same era of games. The
higher seeded player will have choice of machine or position for the 1st
game, with the loser of each subsequent game having choice of machine or
order.
Each player will have 30 seconds of warmup time on each machine
used in the match before the game starts.
The winner of the match advances to the next round, while the
loser is eliminated.
Consolation matches will be run differently from a normal finals
head-to-head match. The 5th through 8th place match will be run similar
to a qualifying session, while the 3rd/4th place Consolation Final will
instantly be moved to ‘Sudden Death’ and will be a best of 3 match.
4. Winners
Winners will receive cash prizes as cash or check during an
awards ceremony shortly following the conclusion of all final rounds on
Sunday. Winners need not be present to receive prizes; prizes will be
supplied via postal mail if necessary. All taxes are the sole
responsibility of winners. Certain tax forms may need to be completed,
as directed by tournament officials. All decisions by tournament
officials regarding winners and prizes are final.
First Place will receive the title “IFPA World Champion”. This
title remains in effect until the next annual IFPA tournament, or will
expire after two years if IFPA tournaments are discontinued.
V. Malfunctions and Rulings
1. The Nature of Pinball
The unique charm of pinball lies, in large part, in the physical
nature of the game. Unfortunately, this means that unusual events and
outright malfunctions cannot be prevented, nor can they be perfectly
compensated for. IFPA attempts to strike a balance between compensating
for malfunctions and accepting the physical nature of the game. In
certain cases, malfunctions will be dealt with more strictly during
finals rounds than during qualifying rounds, at the discretion of
tournament officials.
2. Minor Malfunctions
A minor malfunction is any incident without external cause which
deviates from the normal course of gameplay, without directly causing a
player’s loss of turn and without providing any player a significant
advantage over others. A minor malfunction is considered part of normal
play. Tournament officials shall determine what constitutes a
significant advantage; in the event that such an advantage is obtained,
refer to “Beneficial Malfunctions”. A minor malfunction that occurs
repeatedly, to the extent that it is markedly affecting play of the
machine, may be considered a major malfunction at the sole discretion of
tournament officials.
3. Major Malfunctions
A major malfunction is a gameplay problem with a machine that
results in the premature loss of ball in play in a fashion that is not a
normal feature of the machine’s gameplay. These may be unusual one-time
events, or they may indicate a recurring problem that will need to be
addressed by technicians.
Examples of major malfunctions include:
The bonus count begins while the ball is still in play. This can
happen if, for example, the machine loses track of how many balls are in
the drain trough.
A lit kickback fails to return the ball to play, ending the
player’s turn. This does not apply to other ball saving devices such as
timed ball savers, ball traps, gates, or “virtual” kickbacks.
Any malfunction that results in the loss of one or more balls
during multiball play, without losing all balls so as to end the
player’s turn, will only be considered a minor malfunction.
Loss of Tilt warnings, without loss of ball, shall not be
considered a major malfunction.
Loss of any lit feature, running mode, or other gameplay
specifics, shall not be considered a major malfunction.
When a major malfunction occurs, it is the player’s
responsibility to notify the scorekeeper, calmly and promptly. The
scorekeeper will request advice from a tournament official. If the
official(s) agree that the incident is a major malfunction, the player
will be provided with one additional ball of play at the beginning of a
new game, after the current game has been completed. No attempt will be
made to re-establish the state of the machine at the time of the major
malfunction. The player’s total score on the additional ball of play
will be added to his or her previous score, and the new game will be
terminated.
If a major malfunction occurs early in the play of the first ball
by the first player, tournament officials may rule that the current game
is voided. Machine repairs will be attempted and the player(s) will
restart their play without needing to track the previous score. In the
event that two or more major malfunctions take place during the same
game, the current scores of the player(s) will be recorded, and the game
terminated. Once the machine has been repaired, players will be provided
additional ball(s) of play on a new game, as necessary to provide the
correct number of balls of play for each player.
Alternatively, tournament officials may choose to allow the
affected player(s) to replay the game from scratch, and the higher score
for each player will be recorded as his or her official score, except in
any case where the original score was unfairly improved by the
malfunction or was significantly increased during attempts to
investigate or cure the malfunction.
In the event that a recurring major malfunction cannot suitably
be repaired, the failure must be treated as a catastrophic malfunction.
Under certain specific conditions, a major malfunction may be
declined by the player. This must be approved by the tournament
official, and must not result in a situation which provides an unfair
advantage to the player.
4. Known Malfunctions
Any malfunction or unusual behavior that is determined to be
relatively minor but unusual enough to merit comment may, at the
discretion of tournament officials, be posted for players to be aware of
before playing the affected machine. Players who have played the machine
before this notice is provided will not be allowed to replay the machine
nor to replace it with play of another machine. The occurrence of any
posted malfunction will be treated as a minor malfunction unless it
worsens or interacts with another feature to yield a major malfunction.
5. Catastrophic Malfunctions
A catastrophic malfunction is any event, not caused by a player, which
immediately ends play for all players on the machine.
Examples of catastrophic malfunctions include:
The game system crashes and/or resets due to a software error or
component failure.
Power is lost or interrupted.
A new game starts.
A major malfunction repeatedly recurs in spite of attempts to
repair the machine.
Any event caused by a player, intentionally or unintentionally,
including Slam Tilts, is covered under “Player Errors” below.
In the event that two or more major malfunctions take place when
a catastrophic malfunction occurs, the current scores of the player(s)
will be recorded, and the game terminated. Once the machine has been
repaired, players will be provided additional ball(s) of play on a new
game, as necessary to provide the correct number of balls of play for
each player.
Alternatively, tournament officials may choose to allow the
affected player(s) to replay the game from scratch, and the higher score
for each player will be recorded as his or her official score, except in
any case where the original score was unfairly improved by the
malfunction or was significantly increased during attempts to
investigate or cure the malfunction.
If a machine affected by catastrophic malfunction cannot be
repaired in order to continue play, it is considered disabled; please
see “Disabled Machines”.
6. Beneficial Malfunctions
Any malfunction which provides at least one player with a
significant advantage over any other player competing on that machine is
known as a beneficial malfunction. Tournament officials shall determine
what constitutes a significant advantage. Any beneficial malfunction
which results in a player being able to continue play of a ball that
normally should have ended is normally allowed once per game.
Examples of this would include:
An unexpected software ball save.
A ball that bounces back into play without player action, or a
ball that comes to rest on an unlit kickback in the outlane.
Any such behavior shall not be allowed if it repeats, meaning
that tournament officials may require players to allow the
repeatedly-saved ball to drain, or play on the machine may be terminated
in accordance with catastrophic malfunction rules, at which point
repairs may be attempted.
Any beneficial malfunction which provides one or more players
with a significant scoring or strategic advantage in a way that is not
part of normal gameplay will void the score of the affected player(s),
unless all immediately-affected players and tournament officials can
agree on a suitable adjustment of the score or other elimination of the
advantage. If the beneficial malfunction has been specifically avoided
by the player, it is unlikely that a penalty is necessary. If any player
score(s) are voided, the affected player(s) may then replay the game
after the other players have finished, and the new score(s) are used for
the affected player(s).
Examples of beneficial malfunctions would include:
A jackpot switch that registers when a different target is hit.
A valuable switch that scores repeatedly without the ball
contacting it.
A failed Tilt sensor.
A ball stuck during multiball. See also “Stuck Balls”.
Any situation which indicates the presence of a beneficial
malfunction should be brought to the attention of the scorekeeper
promptly, who will alert tournament officials.
Any player who intentionally takes advantage of a significant
beneficial malfunction may be given a warning and/or have his or her
affected match interrupted and disqualified by tournament officials.
7. Stuck Balls
During the course of play, it is possible for one or more balls
to become stuck on a playfield feature, usually after becoming airborne.
If this happens during single ball play, the player must wait for
automatic ball searches to occur. The expiration of any timed feature
during this period is not considered a malfunction. If the stuck ball
has not been freed after four such searches, or if the machine is not
performing searches for some reason, the player must alert the
scorekeeper, and a tournament official will be brought to the machine.
The player must remain alert and at the machine, as he or she is
responsible for the ball if it becomes freed at any point. Where
possible, machines will be configured with “chase” features disabled, so
that additional balls will not be released into play as a result of ball
searches. However, in the event this occurs, the player is responsible
for continuing play, and a suitable malfunction will only be ruled if
the machine is unable to function normally from this point forward.
A tournament official may initially choose to try to free the
stuck ball through judicious nudging, tapping, etc. The player must
remain ready to resume play at the machine during this attempt. If
actions by the official result in a Tilt, this will be treated as a
major malfunction (not the fault of the player). If the official frees
the ball but the player does not successfully continue play, this is
normal play (the fault of the player). Loss of Tilt warnings due to
tournament official nudging is considered normal play.
If the tournament official is unable to free the stuck ball, the
machine will be opened, and the stuck ball freed and placed either in
the plunger lane, if it is manually controlled, or on the upraised
flipper of the player’s choice, with the flipper button held by the
player. In the event this is not possible, the official may select
another location or feature where the ball can be placed safely while
the machine is being closed in order to resume normal play.
If more than one ball is stuck, all freed balls will be placed on
the flipper(s) of the player’s choice before play resumes, or in the
plunger lane if the flippers are inactive while the machine is open.
If the ball is inadvertently freed while the machine is open and
drains without the player regaining complete control (stopped on a
flipper), this will be treated as a major malfunction.
If the machine cannot be opened successfully, or if opening or
closing the machine terminates the game(s) in progress for any reason,
this will be treated as a catastrophic malfunction.
If the ball is freed and the machine closed without the player’s
loss of ball, play continues as normal.
If the game is in multiball play and one or more balls are lost
as a result of freeing stuck balls, possibly ending multiball but not
ending the ball in play, this will be considered no worse than a minor
malfunction.
If any feature or mode that is lit or active times out while one
or more balls are stuck, this will not be considered a malfunction.
Any player who chooses to shake or bump the machine in order to
free a stuck ball does so at his or her own risk. No allowance will be
made for a player who tilts while attempting to free a stuck ball,
whether or not tournament officials are present. If a ball becomes stuck
during a multiball mode, the player should attempt to trap the other
ball(s) in play and request assistance. A stuck ball during multiball
often represents a significant beneficial malfunction, and intentionally
taking advantage may result in a penalty.
Please note specifically that a ball ending up in the plunger
lane during multiball on a machine where there is no autoplunger (or
where the autoplunger for some reason refuses to fire) counts as a stuck
ball.
See “Beneficial Malfunctions” for further details. Any player who
misuses a game feature in order to intentionally trap a ball during a
multiball mode, such as holding in the plunger on Tommy in order to
defeat the autoplunger, may be given a warning and/or have his or her
affected game disqualified by tournament officials.
In situations where a ball is trapped in a way that it can be
released through player action other than shaking or bumping – for
example, a ball at rest underneath a flipper which the player controls –
this is not deemed to be a stuck ball. Balls trapped in this fashion
during multiball modes are not generally considered to be a rules
violation, although the ruling will depend on the exact machine and
situation.
8. Disabled Machines
Any tournament machine that breaks down during play will be
attended to by technicians as promptly as possible. In the event that a
breakdown is severe and cannot be repaired promptly, the machine may be
taken out of service temporarily or permanently. A permanently disabled
machine will be replaced with a predetermined substitute by tournament
officials. If the failed machine is eventually repaired, it will be put
back into play the following session or round.
9. Player Errors
A player error is any player action, purposeful or accidental,
which affects the normal play or outcome of a game in progress. Any
player who tilts his or her ball in play will not receive any penalty
other than the normal loss of ball. Note that some older machines may
penalize the player with loss of game; this is equivalent to tilting all
remaining balls in order. Abuse of machines is covered under “Player
Conduct”.
Any player who tilts the ball of another player, either through
interference or by tilting his or her ball so roughly that the next
player’s ball is affected before play continues, will receive a score of
zero for that game, unless tournament officials grant an exception based
on the behavior of the machine in question.
Any player who tilts their own ball, which then results in a tilt
warning given to the following player will not have any consequences for
the first offense. The player with the warning will be allowed to
continue play as normal, or choose to have the ball played on a fresh
game. A second offense by the same player anytime throughout the
tournament, and it will be treated as a tilt of another player’s ball,
with a score of 0 for the offending player.
Any player who slam tilts a machine, thereby ending play for all
players, will receive a score of zero for that game. The slam tilt is
treated as a catastrophic failure for any other player(s) who have not
completed their game(s) in progress; they will be allowed to replay a
new game and choose the higher score. If a tournament official rules
that the slam tilt sensor is not functioning properly, the slam tilt
will be treated as a catastrophic failure for all players.
Any player who deliberately tilts or slam tilts a machine in
order to derive some benefit to his or her own play, or the play of
others, under these rules, may be ejected from the tournament.
Any player who deliberately interferes with the play of another
player, through distraction, touching the machine or player, or
disrupting tournament procedures, will receive a score of zero for the
game.
Any repeated offense under this rule will result in ejection of
the player from the tournament. Any non-player, or tournament
participant not playing in the game in progress, who deliberately
interferes with the play of any tournament game, will be given one
warning. On the second offense, the offender will be ejected from the
facility.
Accidental interference is regrettable but can happen. Any player
or non-player who accidentally interferes with the play of any
tournament game will be warned. If the interference was sufficient to
cause the loss of ball, this will be treated as a major malfunction. If
the interference terminated play for all players (for example, tripping
over a power cord and pulling it from the wall), this will be treated as
a catastrophic malfunction.
A player who plays out of turn in a multiplayer game will receive
a score of zero. The affected player may choose to take over the ball in
play, if possible, or they may choose to have the incident treated as a
major malfunction. In the event the player takes over, he or she shall
be deemed “in control” after declaring his or her intent, taking his or
her position at the table, and making contact with the ball via the
flippers. The affected player may not change his or her mind once he or
she is “in control”. Any player who plays out of turn deliberately in
order to employ this rule will be disqualified entirely.
Because the tournament consist solely of singles play, coaching
of any player during a game, in any session or final round, is not
allowed. If a player specifically requests advice on a game feature
during play, his or her question may be addressed only by a tournament
official, and answered only in terms of whether or not the machine is
functioning correctly.
Players are not to seek assistance from other players or
spectators. While not actively playing, players are of course free to
discuss features and strategies as much as they like, including between
balls during a game.
Tournament officials will be the sole determiners of what
constitutes interference and whether or not it is accidental or
deliberate. Scorekeepers are strongly encouraged to watch for and, if
possible, prevent incidents of interference.
10. Rulings
Rulings shall be made by tournament officials, which includes
event coordinators and any person(s) designated as officials by the
coordinators. Designated officials may have restrictions on the breadth
of rulings, and may be overridden by tournament officials. Any
designated official or event coordinator is excluded from ruling on any
play situation that directly affects his or her actual or potential
standing as a player. Such persons may also be recused where their
decision affects a close friend or family member, at the discretion of
other tournament officials. Final authority for any ruling, including
rulings that contradict or vacate anything written in this document or
in other IFPA materials, rests with the President of the International
Flipper Pinball Association, Joshua Sharpe. IFPA accepts all feedback
and constructive criticism, including player complaints, without
reservations. However, please recognize that IFPA strives to be fair
even in the most difficult situations. Complaints will be taken
seriously, ruled upon, and considered resolved.
VI. Machine Settings
1. Software Settings
In general, the software settings of each machine will be
adjusted to best accommodate tournament play. The following settings
will be employed on any machine that supports them: Tournament Mode, 3
Balls, Extra Balls disabled, Buy-In or Continues disabled, Game Restart
disabled, 2 Tilt Warnings (may be 0 on older machines), Flipper
AutoLaunch disabled, Timed AutoLaunch disabled, Standard Factory
Settings for Ball Savers, Difficulty, Timers, etc.
Specific Difficulty Settings as determined by tournament
officials (this includes the possible removal of ball saver timers, and
increased difficulty for certain features), Automatic Reflexing Features
disabled, Replays disabled (no score or Extra Ball awarded). In general,
expect settings to be the more difficult than is commonly found on
location. Certain older machines, may include extra balls and/or
five-ball play. For these games, these features may be utilized by the
player unless otherwise posted. Players should also be aware that some
machines end gameplay entirely for a Tilt (similar to modern games’ Slam
Tilt), that scoring mechanisms can malfunction (this is handled as
minor, major, or beneficial, depending on the situation), that in some
cases features that resemble pop bumpers and slingshots are not powered,
and that some older machines employ gobble holes which end the current
ball in play.
2. Hardware Settings
Machines used for tournament play will be prepared and kept in
good working order to the greatest extent possible. Each machine will be
properly leveled left-to-right and inclined front-to-back. Any player
with a complaint or question about the hardware setup of a machine
should make his or her inquiry in between games, or in between balls, if
urgent.
3. Machine-Specific Settings
In order to best suit tournament play, certain machines may be
subject to specific settings or rules adjustments, at the discretion of
tournament officials. These adjustments will be made before tournament
play begins, and will be documented if possible. The intent is to
eliminate features which can be abused by skilled players, or which
arbitrarily extend play time to a degree that would hinder the smooth
progress of the tournament.
VII. Player Conduct
1. Facility
The Balacs Pinball facility must be treated with respect at all
times. IFPA or BPP staff reserves the right to remove anyone from the
property at any time. Any person(s) may be banned from the property at
the discretion of tournament officials or BPP staff. Banned persons will
be prosecuted for trespass if necessary. Playing areas must be kept
clean at all times. Spills of any kind should be reported to officials
immediately. Trash should be deposited in the provided receptacles.
Please do not remove chairs from any area where they have been placed.
All areas inside the building are strictly non-smoking. Smoking is
restricted to designated areas outside the building. Violation of this
and/or other rules may lead to ejection from the tournament. Weapons,
illegal drugs, and alcohol are prohibited on the property. Naturally,
any and all types of illegal activity are prohibited as well.
2. Personal Conduct
All players are expected to conduct themselves in a polite and
sensitive manner. Outbursts, especially those including indecent
language, are unacceptable. A wide variety of players and observers will
be present, including media, and these types of outbursts do nothing to
promote pinball as a sport. Any express or implied threats or actions of
violence are grounds for immediate ejection from the facility, and
authorities will be contacted. Other possible grounds for ejection
include but are not limited to fraud, theft, illegal activity,
harrassment, inappropriate behavior, public drunkenness, etc. Any person
ejected from the facility is banned and may not return to the property.
Banned persons will be prosecuted for trespass if necessary.
3. Abuse of Machines
Tilt sensors are employed to determine what constitutes unduly
rough handling of each machine, within the parameters of normal play.
Abusive handling such as punching, kicking, lifting, tipping, or rocking
a machine, or hitting the glass in any way, is grounds for a warning and
possible disqualification of game or ejection from the tournament, at
the discretion of tournament officials.
4. Interference & Cheating
Any player who intentionally interferes with tournament play or
otherwise disrupts the tournament setting will be warned and/or ejected
from the tournament, at the discretion of tournament officials.
Any form of cheating, including game restarts,
tampering with games, tampering with recorded results, scorekeeper
intimidation or collusion, or anything else not covered here, will be
addressed by tournament officials as appropriate, including
disqualification and/or ejection from the tournament.Should any acts
cheating or collusion not be discovered until after the tournament, the
players involved may face disqualication from future IFPA World
Championships.
5. Delay
Any player who delays the progress of his or her game for more than 60
seconds, for any reason other than to await a ruling or resolution of a
temporary inconvenience, will be given a warning. Temporary
inconvenience is defined as any condition which can reasonably be
expected to be resolved quickly, such as unusual noise, lighting
problems, etc. An inconvenience such as sunlight glare does not normally
qualify, unless easily resolved. A player may choose not to play a game
that is experiencing glare; they may reschedule their play or choose
another game, within the rules of the tournament. Sunlight glare tends
to be temporary. If the player is choosing to let a game mode time out,
the total delay must be less than 60 seconds. Delay is defined as time
during which the ball is left in the plunger lane, or held on a flipper
by the player. Stuck balls do not count as intentional delays. If delays
are repeated or willful, tournament officials may terminate the game in
progress and record a score of zero for that player.Any player who
delays the progress of his or her game for more than 60 seconds, for any
reason other than to await a ruling or resolution of a temporary
inconvenience, will be given a warning. Temporary inconvenience is
defined as any condition which can reasonably be expected to be resolved
quickly, such as unusual noise, lighting problems, etc. An inconvenience
such as sunlight glare does not normally qualify, unless easily
resolved. A player may choose not to play a game that is experiencing
glare; they may reschedule their play or choose another game, within the
rules of the tournament. Sunlight glare tends to be temporary. If the
player is choosing to let a game mode time out, the total delay must be
less than 60 seconds. Delay is defined as time during which the ball is
left in the plunger lane, or held on a flipper by the player. Stuck
balls do not count as intentional delays. If delays are repeated or
willful, tournament officials may terminate the game in progress and
record a score of zero for that player.
6. Death Saves, Bangbacks, etc.
Techniques known as “Death Saves” and “Bangbacks” are sometimes
practiced by certain advanced players. Because the effectiveness of
these techniques varies from machine to machine, and because of the risk
of injury to either player or machine, these are banned from tournament
play. In the event that a drained ball bounces back into play without
deliberate or significant player action, the ball may be played. This
may require a ruling from tournament officials if there appears to be
abusive force employed by the player.
7. Wagering or Gambling
Please note that gambling is illegal in our venue and the tournament
does not endorse, condone, nor support wagering between players. We also
feel that pinball is at least 75% skill-based, making any wagering at
best ill-advised, in addition to being illegal.
8. Internet Use
The facility provides wireless Internet access service, at no
charge. This is provided to our players and guests as a courtesy and we
expect proper behavior. Any abuse or misuse of the service may result in
ejection from the tournament and/or facility.
9. Accommodating Disabilities
Tournament officials will make every reasonable attempt to
accommodate genuine disabilities, and may also elect, on a case-by-case
basis, to ameliorate injuries or other hardships. Players who are not
fluent in English are allowed to utilize a bilingual assistant in order
to understand these rules, official rulings, and so forth.
VIII. Miscellaneous
1. Special Score Handling
a. Any player who reaches the maximum possible score on a machine
that has such, will receive that score as their total. For example, Guns
n Roses stops scoring at 9,999,999,990 points.
b. Any player whose machine “rolls over” to a zero score is
responsible for immediately advising the scorekeeper, both when this is
imminent, as well as when it happens. The score keeper will then make a
note to record the appropriately increased score. If the player fails to
notify the scorekeeper, he or she may not receive the increased score.
c. On the game NBA Fastbreak using basketball-style scoring, each
championship ring collected by the player shall cause their recorded
score to be increased by 1000 points.
