IFPA7 Rules

IFPA 7 World Pinball
Championship

Official Rules

IFPA 7 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 IFPA 7 are Josh Sharpe,
Zach Sharpe, Roger Sharpe, Steven Epstein, Brian Woodard, Eden Stamm 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 IFPA 7 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, 2010
rankings to determine the qualifiers for IFPA 7. The tournament field
will consist of 64 players. The top 2 ranked players from each country
as of 1/1/2010 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, 3 of the 64 spots will be made
available at the 2010 IFPA Satellite Events, consisting of the Midwest
Gaming Classic in Milwaukee, WI and Flip-Expo in Mers Les Bains, France.
This satellite event will be open for any player ranked in the World
Pinball Player Rankings as of the end of 2009, but did not qualify for
IFPA 7 through the automatic bid process. Contact the IFPA for these
details.

2. Fees

A one time entry fee of US$200 per player is to be
prepaid prior to the event. US$50 from each entry will go to Minnesota
Pinball Hall of Fame, to be put towards tournament expenses, with the
remainder being paid back as cash prizes.

3. Prizes

The tournament features a
guaranteed package of cash prizes. Additional tournament expenses on top
of the US$50 per entry are recouped through sponsorship dollars. In the
event of an overrun beyond expenses, tournament revenue will be retained
to finance the next IFPA event. In the event IFPA discontinues its
events or is disbanded, any such retained revenue will be donated to
charity.

The guaranteed prize package is as follows:

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 1/1/10. 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.

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 removed
from selection. If a single game is remaining, that will be the machine
used as the tiebreaker game. If more than one machine remains,
tournament officials will choose from the remaining at random. If all
three machines are voted for removal by the players, 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 (1/1/10 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=206 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.

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 Minnesota Pinball Hall of
Fame facility must be treated with respect at all times. IFPA or MPHOF
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 MPHOF 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.