With just over a week having passed from the end of Pinfest, I thought I'd take the time to write some handy hints how to get the most of entering pinball competitions, be they small or large.
These few things will not only help things for you, but also your fellow competitors and the officials.
Understand the format beforehand
Almost every comp now has a webpage, a FB page, or even just a thread on here.
It will help everyone hugely if you at least take the time to familiarise yourself with the format, rather than waiting until the point of registration, to ask question which have already been detailed.
Focus on your game
It is not your job to give your opinion on what ruling should be made in any given situation, that is the TD's job. They may ask you for the FACTS, but they will make the decision. At one stage over last weekend I had 4 different people all trying to tell me what had happened in with a game, and what my ruling should be (despite the fact that 2 of them weren't even playing on that machine at the time).
Press the start button the correct number of times.
Do not blame the machine/flippers/rubbers/coils/etc.
On 2 different machines, I had numerous people telling me that it was IMPOSSIBLE to hit such and such ramp. So, on both LW3 and SM (despite already play testing the machines before allowing them in to the comp) I again tested the flippers, both machines were able to make the shot without fail.
There were also complaints about other machines in both competitions.
These machines weren't even set-up at full tournament difficulty. Just because you can get 500 mil on your FT at home, does not mean that you can expect to rock up to a machine in a comp and do the same. (Maybe you're not quite as good as you thought?)
Even if the machine is a 'little off perfect', it is the same for your competitor as well.
The TD's ruling is final
If the TD has made a ruling that is it - there is no VAR or appeal.
The ruling will be based on IFPA rules, along with the TD's experience AND knowledge of the particular scenario AT THAT TIME.
The rulings made over the weekend were extremely lenient. There were multiple incidences when players could have been disqualified, or at the very least their scores voided. However, we made the decision to veer towards the player in most incidents, as there were lots of people playing in their first competition.
This will not be the case in most tournaments.
Be respectful
This covers so many different areas!
If the competition is due to start at 10:30 - be at the desk/meeting area at 10:30. Don't go wandering off, for a ciggie, a drink, a toilet break, whatever. It is not the TD's job to go searching for you. In many instances you could end up having your ball plunged by the TD, or even disqualified altogether and a replacement substituted in.
If you do need to leave the area, let the TD know.
Whether you win, lose or draw at least have the decency to shake your opponents hand - no walking off in a sulk.
This one is just common decency and manners - if you want to speak to someone, yet see that they are already busy such as talking to someone else, entering stuff on the computer, don't just walk up and start talking. At least have the common sense to wait until they aren't talking to someone else.
You may not be taking the competition seriously and are entering for a bit of fun, that's fine, but others may want to take it more seriously.
Repairs
If you think you spot a fault that needs repairing - inform someone. That may be the NLP guys at Pinfest, or the TD in another venue. Don't just take it upon yourself to turn the machine off and then walk off.
Likewise - if you see a machine switched off - don't just turn it on, because you want to play it.
Submissions
There are check/witness boxes to be signed by your opponent on some score sheets. This is there to confirm there is no cheating AND to double check the scores. Don't just sign it blindly as once those scores are submitted with signatures they may not be able to be reversed.
If the scores are hand written - make the writing legible. If there is any doubt between a 6 & 0, 1 or 7, I will ALWAYS err on the side of giving the player the lower score.
Likewise write your FULL name, the TD on receiving a scoresheet does not know which particular Alan or Gary or Dave has played that game.
When you give your name/register for a competition - if you would like your results tracked on the IFPA website and to gain your hard earned WPPR points - please submit the name that you are known as there.
This may be Andrew rather than Andy, Stephen rather than Steven, your married name rather than your maiden name, if you have a hyphen in your name, or the IFPA has put a suffix to your name to differentiate you from another with the same name.
Without this your pts may not go towards the correct person.
If this happens - IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT THE IFPA and sort it - not the TD who made the submission.
Hope this hasn't come across as too moany (I specifically didn't mention the individuals who some of the points above may refer to) but if it has - tough, it is meant to not only help you, but also the TD's.
It's also probably not a great idea to play when too drunk.
Walking up to a machine, doing a twirl and then managing to push the start button twice without noticing, then having a face like a smacked ar$e when the decision is made that you can't keep the 2 player score because it's better, isn't a great look.
These few things will not only help things for you, but also your fellow competitors and the officials.
Understand the format beforehand
Almost every comp now has a webpage, a FB page, or even just a thread on here.
It will help everyone hugely if you at least take the time to familiarise yourself with the format, rather than waiting until the point of registration, to ask question which have already been detailed.
Focus on your game
It is not your job to give your opinion on what ruling should be made in any given situation, that is the TD's job. They may ask you for the FACTS, but they will make the decision. At one stage over last weekend I had 4 different people all trying to tell me what had happened in with a game, and what my ruling should be (despite the fact that 2 of them weren't even playing on that machine at the time).
Press the start button the correct number of times.
Do not blame the machine/flippers/rubbers/coils/etc.
On 2 different machines, I had numerous people telling me that it was IMPOSSIBLE to hit such and such ramp. So, on both LW3 and SM (despite already play testing the machines before allowing them in to the comp) I again tested the flippers, both machines were able to make the shot without fail.
There were also complaints about other machines in both competitions.
These machines weren't even set-up at full tournament difficulty. Just because you can get 500 mil on your FT at home, does not mean that you can expect to rock up to a machine in a comp and do the same. (Maybe you're not quite as good as you thought?)
Even if the machine is a 'little off perfect', it is the same for your competitor as well.
The TD's ruling is final
If the TD has made a ruling that is it - there is no VAR or appeal.
The ruling will be based on IFPA rules, along with the TD's experience AND knowledge of the particular scenario AT THAT TIME.
The rulings made over the weekend were extremely lenient. There were multiple incidences when players could have been disqualified, or at the very least their scores voided. However, we made the decision to veer towards the player in most incidents, as there were lots of people playing in their first competition.
This will not be the case in most tournaments.
Be respectful
This covers so many different areas!
If the competition is due to start at 10:30 - be at the desk/meeting area at 10:30. Don't go wandering off, for a ciggie, a drink, a toilet break, whatever. It is not the TD's job to go searching for you. In many instances you could end up having your ball plunged by the TD, or even disqualified altogether and a replacement substituted in.
If you do need to leave the area, let the TD know.
Whether you win, lose or draw at least have the decency to shake your opponents hand - no walking off in a sulk.
This one is just common decency and manners - if you want to speak to someone, yet see that they are already busy such as talking to someone else, entering stuff on the computer, don't just walk up and start talking. At least have the common sense to wait until they aren't talking to someone else.
You may not be taking the competition seriously and are entering for a bit of fun, that's fine, but others may want to take it more seriously.
Repairs
If you think you spot a fault that needs repairing - inform someone. That may be the NLP guys at Pinfest, or the TD in another venue. Don't just take it upon yourself to turn the machine off and then walk off.
Likewise - if you see a machine switched off - don't just turn it on, because you want to play it.
Submissions
There are check/witness boxes to be signed by your opponent on some score sheets. This is there to confirm there is no cheating AND to double check the scores. Don't just sign it blindly as once those scores are submitted with signatures they may not be able to be reversed.
If the scores are hand written - make the writing legible. If there is any doubt between a 6 & 0, 1 or 7, I will ALWAYS err on the side of giving the player the lower score.
Likewise write your FULL name, the TD on receiving a scoresheet does not know which particular Alan or Gary or Dave has played that game.
When you give your name/register for a competition - if you would like your results tracked on the IFPA website and to gain your hard earned WPPR points - please submit the name that you are known as there.
This may be Andrew rather than Andy, Stephen rather than Steven, your married name rather than your maiden name, if you have a hyphen in your name, or the IFPA has put a suffix to your name to differentiate you from another with the same name.
Without this your pts may not go towards the correct person.
If this happens - IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT THE IFPA and sort it - not the TD who made the submission.
Hope this hasn't come across as too moany (I specifically didn't mention the individuals who some of the points above may refer to) but if it has - tough, it is meant to not only help you, but also the TD's.
It's also probably not a great idea to play when too drunk.
Walking up to a machine, doing a twirl and then managing to push the start button twice without noticing, then having a face like a smacked ar$e when the decision is made that you can't keep the 2 player score because it's better, isn't a great look.
