Quick Overview

The IFPA Australian Championship Series is an annual pinball competition with players qualifying throughout the entire calendar year. At the end of each calendar year, the top 16 or 24 ranked players with the most WPPR points from each state will qualify for the playoffs, where they will play for the title of IFPA State/Territory Champion within that area.

From there, these champions, along with the other Top 4 or 6 finalists from each State/Territory final, will be invited to play for the IFPA Australian Pinball Championship, details of which can be found below. The remaining portion of the field of 64 will be filled by the top WPPR earners (best 20 results) throughout the calendar year.

All mentions of “State” below also refer to Territory winners.

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 the IFPA State Championship Series is based on results from all the IFPA endorsed tournaments held throughout the year in each eligible state. Utilising its World Pinball Player Rankings, the IFPA will be tracking results based on where those IFPA endorsed tournaments are held, maintaining separate state rankings made up of those filtered results.

For example, the Queensland State Rankings will be made up of IFPA endorsed tournaments including the Brisbane Masters, Empire Pinball Tournaments, Sunshine Coast Pinball, Park’n’Plunge, Coomera Classic, etc. Those 16 or 24 players that earn the most WPPR points based only on these subset of events, will qualify for the IFPA Queensland State Championship. Similar to the World Pinball Player Rankings, only a player’s best 20 events within that state will count towards their standing.

No player will be eligible to play in more than one IFPA State Championship, so it is likely that the IFPA will have to move down the state/territory rankings list to find 16 or 24 eligible qualifiers to participate in the State Championship. It is possible to qualify for an IFPA State Championship within a state that player does not live in, and it is even possible for players that live outside Australia to qualify for an IFPA State Championship should they earn enough WPPR points within a state to qualify.

It is the player’s responsibility to make sure they have an email address on file with the IFPA, or they run the risk of not being contacted for participation in any State Championships they are qualified for. Please fill out an IFPA profile to ensure we have a way to contact you. If you see a green check within your profile information on your IFPA profile page, it means we do have a registered email address on file for you.

While all States will have a minimum of 16 players that qualify for the State Championship, certain states will be eligible to expand their qualifying field to 24 players. Any States that have a minimum of 200 unique players and 50 events held within that state during the calendar year will be eligible for that expanded 24 player final.

1. Fees

An endorsement fee of $1 per player, per event will now be required for events to be endorsed by the IFPA and award WPPR points within Australia.

Tournament Directors are responsible for submitting payment to IFPA after results are approved. WPPR points will not be posted until payment has been received by the IFPA.

The fees collected will be allocated to the prize pool of that state (60%), prize pool of the Australian Championship (25%), mandatory prize pool for IFPA World Championship (5%), with the remaining 10% of the fees being withheld to cover processing fees related to those payments.

Format of Matches

1. Seeding of finalists

Once all participants are finalised, the 16 or 24 players will be seeded based on their State rankings position at the end of the calendar year. In the event that any players are tied with the same amount of In-State WPPR points, we will look at the overall WPPR rank of those players as of the end of that calendar year. Any players tied on the qualifying bubble with the same State ranking position will result in a play-in tiebreaker game to determine who joins the field of finalists for the State Championship. Game and position will be pulled at random by the TD.

1. Machines Chosen

With each IFPA State Championship being held at a different location, each will have a different set of games available for the tournament. Please check with the IFPA State Representative for details on the game list once the location has been finalised for that particular IFPA State Championship.

1. Head-to-Head Single Elimination Format

Players will be placed in a single elimination bracket once seedings have been completed.  At no stage will matches be contested in a Slaughter format, with the exception of the first round.

First round pairings (based on 16 entrants) are as follows:

1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, 3 vs. 14, 4 vs. 13,
5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, 8 vs. 9

Second round pairings are as follows:

1/16 winner vs. 8/9 winner, 2/15 winner vs. 7/10 winner,
3/14 winner vs. 6/11 winner, 4/13 winner vs. 5/12 winner

Third round pairings are as follows:

1/8/9/16 winner vs. 4/5/12/13 winner,
2/7/10/15 winner vs. 3/6/11/14 winner

Fourth round pairing are as follows:

Two winners of round 3 play for the State Championship
Two losers of round 3 play in the Consolation Final for 3rd/4th place.

Each match will be a best-of-seven series. The higher seeded player will have a choice of machine or position for the 1st game.  For every game thereafter in the same match, selection of machine or order will go to the loser of the previous game, and will continue until someone has won 4 games. Players must select from whichever machines are available for play at the time of selection, however a machine may not be played more than once in the same match.  This does not apply if there are less than 7 machines available. If that is the case, only after all machines have been chosen can either player select that game to be played for a second time within the same match. Once a player verbally announces their game choice, or chooses position, that decision will be locked in and cannot be changed.

Each player will have the opportunity for up to 20 seconds of practice time before starting every game of every match. This is to ensure that both players have a chance to get familiar with the machine.

The winner of the match advances to the next round, while the loser is eliminated.

The 3rd/4th place Consolation Final will be played as a best-of-three instead of a best-of-seven like all other rounds, using the same rules. It is up to the IFPA State Representative as to whether matches will be played out to determine 5th through 16th (or 24th) place.

For any state that is eligible for the expanded field of 24 finalists, the top 8 players will receive a bye, with the 9th through 24th seeds playing in an opening round. The rest of the bracket will play out as per usual.

1. Winners

Winners will receive cash prizes as cash during an awards ceremony shortly following the conclusion of all final rounds.. All decisions by tournament officials regarding winners and prizes are final.

Any state with 16 finalists will have the following payout structure:

1st place – 25% of the prize pool
2nd place – 17% of the prize pool
3rd place – 13% of the prize pool
4th place – 9% of the prize pool
5th through 8th place – 5% of the prize pool each
9th through 16th place – 2% of the prize pool each

Any state with 24 finalists will have the following payout structure:

1st place – 22% of the prize pool
2nd place – 15% of the prize pool
3rd place – 11% of the prize pool
4th place – 8% of the prize pool
5th through 8th place – 5% of the prize pool each
9th through 16th place – 2% of the prize pool each
17th through 24th place – 1% of the prize pool each

First Place will also receive the title “IFPA State Pinball Champion” for the state being contested. For example, the winner of the IFPA Queensland State Championship will receive the title of “IFPA Queensland State Pinball Champion”. This title remains in effect until the next annual IFPA State Championship Series, or will expire after two years if the IFPA State Championship Series is discontinued.

Rulings and Malfunctions

All rulings and malfunctions will be based on the rules for the IFPA/PAPA unified ruleset, available HERE.

IFPA Australian Championship

As part of the prize package for each IFPA State Championship, the Top 4 finalists (or 6 for any State final with 24 entrants) will be invited to the IFPA Australian Pinball Championship. If any of those Top 4 or 6 finalists are unable to attend the IFPA Australian Pinball Championship, the next finalist(s) from the State Championship will be allowed to participate and serve as the representative(s) of that state, down as far as the 8th placed finalist.  If there are less than 4 finalists from the Top 8 from a particular state, that spot will be given back to the National WPPR rankings.

The IFPA Australian Pinball Championship will be held early 2025 in Empire Alternacade + Events in Townsville, QLD (exact dates & times TBC)

Sep 5th 2024 10:00am – Sep 8th 2024 10:00pm

Enterrium, 2 Woodfield Mall Unit A, Schaumburg, IL 60173

PAPA 21 is four full days of open competitive pinball play welcoming players of all ages and skill levels. Enterrium will be hosting a total of 3 tournaments over the course of the 4 day event including the PAPA 21 World Pinball Championships. Enterrium will also be hosting the Women’s Championships and Classics Championships.

Event passes are available HERE. No player cap.

Charity Donation/Raffle tickets are available HERE.

Details of the event are available HERE.

Tentative game list available HERE.

4-Day Event Pass – $150 with 2 free Main Division entries when purchased before August 5th, 2024

T-Shirts are available at the pass link for $30 or they can be bought for $35 at the event.

Event passes will also be available at the door.

All tickets and entry fees are non-transferrable.

Ticket Refund policy:

• 100% (minus Stripe processing fees) Prior to August 5th , 2024.
• 50% (minus Stripe processing fees) from August 5th, 2024 to August 31st, 2024.
• No refunds after August 31st, 2024.

Pricing for tournament cards, only available during the event, are as follows:

Main: $20 for 1 Card (5 games)
Classics: $10 for 3 entries (each entry is one machine)
Women’s: $15 for 1 Card (5 games)

Unplayed / Incomplete cards will not be refunded—please plan accordingly.

Location

Enterrium
2 Woodfield Mall Unit A, Schaumburg, IL 60173

REGISTERED PLAYER LIST (last updated 4/16/24):
1 Aaron Rich
2 Adam Lefkoff
3 Alex Harmon
4 Alex Pierson
5 Alysa Parks
6 Amy Gunson
7 Andrei Massenkoff
8 Andy Bagwell
9 Andy Pickens
10 Anna Neal
11 Austin Trent
12 Barry Roberts
13 Bob Caldwell
14 Bob Matthews
15 Brad Ramey
16 Brian Shepherd
17 Bryan Henson
18 Cayle George
19 Chris Nosiglia
20 Chuck Jackson
21 Cody Webb
22 Cristine Gasson
23 Daan Rosvelds
24 Dave Hegge
25 Dave Stewart
26 Davey Plaisted
27 David Barber
28 David Burrier
29 David Slaymaker
30 Derek Lehmann
31 Edward Zeltman
32 Eric Fisher
33 Erin Seiden
34 Escher Lefkoff
35 Ethan Bent
36 Ethan Gasson
37 Germain Mariolle
38 Glenn Krause
39 Greg Poverelli
40 Hadi Seyed-Ali
41 Howard Dobson
42 Ian Harrower
43 Jacob Fischer
44 Jane Verwys
45 Jaran Jones
46 Jared Schmidt
47 Jasmijn de Jong
48 Jason Scheffelmaer
49 Jason Werdrick
50 Jeff Teolis
51 Jim Mank
52 Jim Seward
53 Joe Bayer
54 Joe Blasi
55 Joe Katz
56 John Delzoppo
57 Jon Rangel
58 Jordan Dechaine
59 Jose Chong
60 Josh Sharpe
61 Josh Ussery
62 Kaite Martin
63 Kevin Kolodziej
64 Kristen Gregory
65 Kyler Dittbenner
66 Laila Ryun
67 Leslie Ruckman
68 Logan Henderson
69 Logan Smith
70 Luke Sheahan
71 Mark Seiden
72 Mark Thomas White
73 Matt Faulkner
74 Matt Peace
75 Matt Wall
76 Matthew Rowbottom
77 Matthew Stacks
78 Max Senesac
79 Megan Weir
80 Michael Kolman
81 Michael Rivelli
82 Mike Pantoliano
83 Nate Smith
84 Neil McRae
85 Nico Rosvelds
86 Nicole Turk
87 Paul Madison
88 Penni Epstein
89 Per Holknekt
90 Peter Roarke
91 Phil Harmon
92 Preston Currie
93 Rabih Dahdouh
94 Raymond Davidson
95 Richard Morgan
96 Ricky Bryant
97 Rodney Minch
98 Roger Sharpe
99 Sean Irby
100 Spencer Imboden
101 Stanley Sowa Jr.
102 Stephanie Traub
103 Steven Bowden
104 Ted Brockly
105 Terrence Carl
106 Therese Edwards
107 Tim Hansen
108 Tom Edwards
109 Tom Graf
110 Trenton Kent
111 Tyler Cook
112 Will Cooper
113 Zach McCarthy
114 Zach Sharpe
115 Zachary Parks

4-Day Event Pass – $150 with 2 free Main Division entries when purchased before August 5th, 2024.

T-Shirts are available for $30.

All tickets and entry fees are non-transferrable.

Ticket Refund policy:

• 100% (minus Stripe processing fees) Prior to August 5th, 2024.
• 50% (minus Stripe processing fees) from August 5th, 2024 to August 31st, 2024.
• No refunds after August 31st, 2024.

Louis Marx’s interview with Tournament Director:
Tommy Bizzi

Interviewer:
Louis Marx, Owner/Director, DFW Pinball League (Rowlett, Texas).

Hello again! As I said last time, I am glad to be back writing again. Oh, there are a few articles on the IFPA website that I have written, ‘here and there.’ However, I choose to leave my name off those articles. I want it to be about the pinball, not me. I only put my name on these Tournament Director interviews because I have been asked to. I do hope you enjoy!

If you are interested in telling your story or you have suggestions for questions that you’d like included in these interviews, you can reach out to me Facebook (privately or through the DFW Pinball League page), at LMA574 on Pinside, or through the IFPA. I’d be happy to hear from you.

So, for my next conversation, I had a great phone call on February 3, 2024, with Tommy Bizzi. He’s most known for his time in Cleveland, even though he doesn’t live there anymore. This was a great conversation. It went very LONG because we both wandered into “side-stories”, all about pinball. This is a good thing as we both enjoyed the stories that we each had to tell. As a pinball enthusiast, Tommy is amazing and it was my honor to get to speak to him.

KEY:
LM = Louis Marx
TB = Tommy Bizzi

LM: Let’s start with biographical info. Where are you from originally?
TB: Born and raised in Massachusetts

LM: I see your phone number is a Hawaii number, how many stops did you make before you got to Hawaii.
TB: That was it, Massachusetts to Hawaii, then Ohio, and then Arizona.

LM: Where do you live now, Arizona?
TB: Just outside of Phoenix, Arizona for almost 2 years.

LM: Where in Ohio were you before that?
TB:  I started in Cleveland, Ohio. I was there for 10 years. That is where I met all the people and my semi-professional career began.

LM: How long have you been Directing Tournaments?
TB: Started in about 2012. Starting helping and then moved on to being a Director. That actually, kind of happened on accident. It was like, ‘here, take over” and I just started helping out. But here’s the good part, the beginning. That’s where I had no idea about tournaments and this stuff was going on. I was doing a Google search for pinball machines. That’s where I found the Ohio Pinball Show in 2012. At the show they had a tournament. I was amazed at how many pinball machines were there and that something like the tournament even existed

LM: So you found the Ohio Pinball Show, who was the first person that you met, that your still friends with?
TB: Marvin Ortscheid and Mike Pacak who run the show. Then I met Donny Johnson through Mavin. Trent Augenstein and Andy Rosa were also running the tournament. I also met Joshua Henderson through the finals. I am still friends with all of them.

LM: You said that you started Directing and/or assisting in 2012. This was this pretty fast, after the show, so what happened?
TB: Immediate friendships that would be extended to working with Dony Johnson. We started helping him out at Kidforce Collectibles and doing directing there. We also went to Stone Hedge, which is now called Station 300. That was Marvin Ortscheid’s place. We all got together and it collaborated as a community. When I met Donny, he said “yeah you should come by.” Kidforce Collectibles started out with 5 pinball machines and today has 24. If it was not for Kidforce Collectibles’ owner, Joe Kiskis collaborating with Donny running the tournaments, the Cleveland Pinball Community wouldn’t be where it is today. The value of that collaboration is immeasurable. Kidforce Collectibles is where I started and they have the largest league in the country right now, regularly drawing 100 players.

LM: Tell me about the pinball experience in Hawaii.
TB: Went to Hawaii for ten years and there just wasn’t any pinball. So that was a 10 year hiatus of no pinball. So then going to Cleveland, within three weeks, I was “back on the mainland” and I found a pinball machine at a bar. I was like, “all right!”. It was literally a week after arriving from Hawaii that I found the Ohio show and was playing in a tournament. If you can imagine playing against the top players in the world, not knowing who they are, after a ten year hiatus of no pinball. That’s when my IFPA professional experience started.

LM: How many participants did you have at your first solo event?
TB: I have no idea. I think we started off pretty slow. I would think maybe 16. I think we only had 5 machines at the time so it couldn’t have been too many.

LM: Shifting gears a little bit, in Arizona for two years now, what kind of a pinball scene did you find when you got there?
TB: I’m semi-retired but I still don’t go out and do much because of family. So, I don’t play much. That said, there is a lot of pinball here. There are a LOT of places that have 30, 50, 70 games. I just do not get out there much. I still do the circuit events in Ohio and travel back from time to time. It was amazing how disconnected they were, in Arizona, in some aspects from knowing what’s going on in the national scene and not knowing the “known players”, but they have a ton of machines, tournaments, and players.

LM: So, if you were to walk in and want to organize a tournament for them (Arizona), what kind of reaction do you think you would get?
TB: They don’t know who I am. I’ve played in maybe 2 tournaments since I’ve been here and I hosted one since I’ve been here. That was for people from work and they were already running a tournament at the venue. They were amazed at how organized he was. They even gave me a prize to give away. It was surreal. Basically two tournaments were going on at once. They were amazed that I had my own tablet and that I knew the matchplay software already. They were kind of like, “Who is this guy?”

LM: Since moving Arizona, are there pinball regrets?
TB: No because I am starting to develop here a little bit – casual play and that one tournament. It still keeps me fresh. It was fun to jump into the scene out of nowhere after my first year and still be competitive. That comes from a lot of us that have been playing for so long, it just like riding a bike, it comes right back.

LM: Do you have any machines at home? If yes, how long have you been a collector?
TB: Not Now – I sold my machines when I moved here.

LM: Before you sold all your machines, how many did you have?
TB: I only had two here. I never leally had the capacity for much more.

LM: Most TDs have machines in their home and a lot of them are collectors. Its refreshing to see someone who really cares about the pinball passion, but doesn’t necessarily need machines at their house. So now that you’ve only played in two tournaments in your two years in Arizona, how do you get your pinball fix?
TB: I just go out and do casual play. Any random pinball machine anywhere will satisfy me. I am a “Grand Champ” monger. I want to be the Grand Champion on every machine that I see.

LM: What is your first pinball memory and how old were you?
TB: Definitely at the age of 4 years old. Just how old my daughter is now and she’s been playing since she was 2. I was at a bowling alley and saw machines there and I was hooked instantly. I don’t remember what the specific game was. That’s not counting seeing the movie Tommy. It’s like “Wait a second, there’s a movie?” I guess the first one I could remember by name was in the basement of my friend’s place. That was Strikes and Spares.

LM: Are there any unique memories that you want to share?
TB: The Ohio shows was the biggest memory. I didn’t know who Trent was and who Andy was, but at the time, they were at the top. I didn’t know anything about Josh and his dad. Josh’s Dad introduced me to the IFPA. It was amazing making it to the finals of that tournament and coming in third against all these great players, not knowing who they were.

LM: How different is it to run larger versus smaller tournaments for you? What stands out?
TB: Just the mass of it I would think. Everything is still run the same whether its small or large. The pinball community that I had in Cleveland was massive and we were all a great pinball area (Michigan and Pittsburgh too). Running the big tournaments, you get to see the big players that travel. That’s why the big shows are so fun. You’re seeing the big people that you haven’t seen in a year.

LM: A lot of people feel intimidated about the phrase ‘competitive pinball’. From what I’ve read, some people will go to their first tournament, but never go back because of feeling like an outsider. So what do you do or suggest to help new players feel welcomed?
TB: I have a strategy and I do seminars for the Cleveland Pinball and Arcade show. I teach Pinball 101. I teach basics on a machine and talk about tournament play and regular play. I encourage them to go play in the tournament that is currently running. By the end of the seminar, I take the group over to an event and am there for them. I’ll direct traffic so they know what games to go play and in what order. Its about getting over that hump. I generally try to get them to play two different ones. A few actually start buying tickets at that point. It breaks that fear. Yes there are pros, but there are also amateurs. You just have to go and enjoy it.

LM: Directing Pinball Tournaments can be a thankless job, especially when some players take it more seriously than others. So, do you have any regrets or second thoughts?
TB: No, not at all. It comes with the territory.

LM: What’s the craziest or most unusual ruling you’ve had to make as a director?
TB: Cleveland Pinball and Arcade show and the machine caught fire (it started smoking) and nothing was recorded at the time. Obviously, the ruling is easy, new machine, but its memorable. We did try fixing the machine, but that didn’t go so well. It was a Demo Man machine. It was smoking up a storm and we thought the sprinklers were going to activate for the venue. We were very happy when they didn’t.
Rulings are tough in general. One time the venue cut the power on us during the finals, one and half hours into the game. We had to call up Josh on that one. Ultimately we paid them some extra money to let us stay and turn the power back on.

LM: What is your preferred or favorite tournament format to run? Why?
TB: Pin-brew is by far my favorite one. That’s kind of our thing with me and one other guy. Pin-brew is variation of match play. A lot of our players enjoy that one because its more relaxing. Pin-brew is more designed for amateurs as it gives them better opportunity to compete with the pros.

LM: Is there a specific format you don’t like to run? Why?
TB: They are both equally great. That said, if I have to pick one HERB style because its demanding and tedious. I still do it for the love of pinball and am happy to do it for the promoters of the show. I am happy to do both types that I run.

LM: Do you have any partners in pinball that you need to recognize?
TB: Jeffrey Dixon – he’s my Co-Director. We do this together; He came on the scene during the Ohio show and started helping me. It developed into friendship and then doing tournaments together. We’ve been doing tournaments together for 8 or 9 years now.

LM: What haven’t I asked that you feel the IFPA World needs to know?
TB: Stay strong within the pinball community and let it grow. Its not just where you’re at. You’ll meet new people and new friends. The people I’ve met and played with, I cherish. The most important part is the community, the people. That brings me joy!
At one point in time, I had run more than 100 tournaments per year (both sanctioned and unsanctioned), usually submitted under the business name. I was told that I had more tournaments than any other to Tournament Directors in the world for a time. I may still hold the record, not sure.

Registration for the IFPA North American Pinball Championship closes tomorrow, Sunday, January 28th at 8pm CST.

We’ve heard some feedback as an organization that we need to do a better job reminding players of deadlines so they don’t miss the opportunity to compete.

We’re going to try to do one better than that, and use the community to track down these missing Champions who have yet to respond to their invite. If you know these people feel free to reach out to them about accepting this invite before it’s too late.

IFPA Connecticut State Champion –> Ashton Capone (FOUND!)
IFPA Idaho State Champion –> Xyren Silvers (FOUND!)
IFPA New Hampshire State Champion –> Jillian Towne (FOUND!)
IFPA New Jersey State Champion –> Ken Rossi (FOUND!)
IFPA North Dakota State Champion –> Ryan Babb (FOUND!)
IFPA Quebec Provincial Champion –> Adam Kiesler (FOUND!)
IFPA Vermont State Champion –> Carter Casselman (FOUND!)

The IFPA is pleased to announce the 19th annual IFPA World Pinball Championship. It will be held June 7-9, 2024 at Jim Belsito’s in Murietta, CA.. Details for IFPA19 can be found HERE.

Registration is available below. Registration deadline is set for Sunday, January 14th, 2024 at 8pm CST.

For At-Large spots, the entry fee is US$400.

For Country Exemption spots, the entry fee is US$250.

Rules for Country Exemption eligibility:

A player must be residing in their registered country for at least a year in order to be eligible. For countries that organize an IFPA Country Championship Series, players that have qualified for that final will be given priority for a Country Exemption spot over those that have not qualified. Furthermore, we require that a country has 50 or more players currently ranked within their country to be eligible to award these 2 Country Exemption spots for the IFPA World Pinball Championship. 

If you believe you have qualified for a Country Exemption spot please contact us.

Any questions please contact the IFPA at ifpapinball@gmail.com.

As we come to the end of another year, the 2023 season brings the changeover to our WPPR v6.0 system. Details on the WPPR v6.0 changes can be found HERE. The 2024 season also brings us some additional challenges with the IFPA sanctioning fee expanding to include Women’s only events held in North America.

In order to close the books on 2023, we ask any organizer with open tournament results to submit those to us by Thursday, January 4th. Furthermore, any corrections to player misspellings, incorrect results, improper scoring issues, etc., need to be addressed by January 4th as well. Please take some time to review your own personal results to see if anything looks out of place.

Our plan is to lock down 2023 rankings on January 4th, and use the standings at that time for any IFPA-related campaigns (IFPA19 World Championship qualifications, IFPA Women’s World Championship, Stern Rewards Program, Player of the Year, etc.). Any errors caught after that point in time will NOT impact the 2023 standings, although those changes will be reflected in the 2024 rankings going forward.

The 2024 season brings with it the start of qualifying for the following IFPA campaigns:
– IFPA North American Championship Series
– IFPA Women’s North American Championship Series
– IFPA European Championship Series
– any IFPA Country Championship Series
– IFPA20 World Pinball Championship
– IFPA Women’s World Pinball Championship
– Stern Pro Circuit (2024 season)

Any questions please contact us at ifpapinball@gmail.com, and remember that if your profile doesn’t say ‘Registered’ with a green check mark, that we do NOT have your email address on file. Players that don’t have their profile ‘Registered’ are ineligible to participate in any IFPA Championship Series.

With the North American Championship Series (NACS) and Women’s North American Championship Series (WNACS) planned for January 20th and 21st, 2024 respectively, registration process is going to be fast. Players will have until the end of January 7th, 8pm CST to declare the State/Province they wish to compete in. Contact your IFPA State Representative to make sure you are registered for the state you wish to play in. Contact the IFPA Women’s Advisory Board at ifpawomen@gmail.com for questions on the WNACS.

sponsored blog post

The 2024 IFPA Pin-Masters: World Pin-Golf Championships are scheduled for March 8th-10th, 2024 at District 82 in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Registration is now available HERE!

Please take this opportunity to solidify your spot in next year’s IFPA Pin-Masters, which is limited to 144 players.

Entry fee is $350 per player. Any refunds will be paid back at 50% of the registration fee. The additional funds will be added to the prize pool.

Please note spots will be RESERVED for any player that qualifies for the IFPA North American Pinball Championship. Do NOT register if you only intend to participate should you qualify for the IFPA North American Pinball Championship.

Full details of the event are available here:
https://www.ifpapinball.com/tournament_pages/pinmasters/

Should you have any questions about our qualifying process or to find out more information about the tournament, please contact the IFPA at ifpapinball@gmail.com.

Two days of sports pinball and great fun, next to the Marmore waterfall and inside the ‘Dino Merluzzi’ Pinball and Modern Art Museum, with a multi-tournament by Ifpa.

Marmore, Terni – An unexpected success, perhaps. But at the same time, well-deserved one. The player Renato Agresti from Lazio raised the cup at the end of the two days of pinball competition at Marmore, in Terni – where the 2023 edition of the “Pinball at Waterfalls – Torneo flipper Marmore” tournament has just ended. He defeated a talent like that of Giovanni Parisella, at the end of the final match for two, after beating some of the big favorites for the title: Gabriele Tedeschi from Rome, who ended at the third place, and Lorenzo Gagliardi from Siena, who has to settle for the fourth place. But in addition to being the first “important” title won by Agresti in an official competition, valid for the world rankings, what makes the Lazio player’s triumph even more special is above all the way in which it happened, because he dominated the decisive match, after the other finalist literally gave the show during the entire qualifying round and in the two days of challenges. Not to mention, then, the long journey that he had to face earlier, in the knockout round, to get to the decisive challenge.

But this success is worth double; triple, indeed. Bearing in mind that the competition, in addition to being valid for the World Pinball Player Rankings (Wppr), was also the sixth stage of the seven scheduled for the current year of the Ics (Italian championship series) circuit, and the only one in our country included in the European circuit Ecs 2023 (European Championship Series).
Along with Agresti, entertainment also triumphed, because that of Marmore was a memorable experience, to put in the book of memories and leave it there forever. Among the moments not to be forgotten. In addition to celebrating the first official competition held in a unique location in Italy, such as the “Dino Merluzzi” Pinball and Modern Art Museum, inaugurated only a few months ago in the Umbrian village, what was staged was a formidable proof of how one can bring value to a territory and to the local community, through the synergy of several subjects. In fact, in addition to the Museum and the Ifpa Italia association, the Pro Loco of Marmore and the parish of Marmore worked on the event, with the support of a series of national and international suppliers, who have joined forces to feed the local initiative: such as the historic companies Faroplay – the Italian Stern Pinball’s distributor, Luxury Games – the distributor of Jersey Jack pinball machines – and Mr.Arcade by GennaGroup, specialist in the world of pinball machines. Thus creating an event sponsored by the Municipality of Terni and the Umbria Region, managing to entertain many people, including professional players, citizens, tourists and simple curious. Creating two real days of fun, for everyone.

But in addition to the main tournament, two other competitions were held. A “side tournament”, always valid for the Ifpa ranking, won by Paolo Luise from Padua, ahead of Alessio Crisantemi and Fabio Squadrani from Romagna, played on vintage pinball machines present in the museum, and a collateral tournament (“Flipperando nel Museo”) open to everyone, where the winner was the other Lazio player Carmelo Vitale, followed by the Milanese Francesco Sacco and the Roman Alessandro Cacialli. While the “quota for women” Tiziana Castellani ended at the fourth place.

Info and pictures about tournament: www.ifpaitalia.it

Info about Italian Pinball Museum: www.museoflipper.it/en