Main Tournament

I. Quick Overview

The 2024 Cactus Jack’s Silverball Showdown is a Pinburgh-style event consisting of two days of match play pinball competition. All players compete in groups on Saturday, with the quality of their play determining whether they advance to finals. Qualifiers compete for the division prizes on Sunday. An additional, ‘open to everyone’ Side Tournament will be conducted Sunday concurrent with Divisional Finals. Multiple cash prizes and trophies will be awarded, the specifics of which will be determined after pre-registration is completed

II. Overall Competition

1. Fees

A one-time $60 registration fee is required of each player who wishes to compete. Registration is not required to play non-tournament machines or to simply watch. Games will be set for coin play as set by the facility. All players must check in by 9:30 am on Friday. Players who are not checked in by 9:30  am and present for the roll call at 10:00 am will not be allowed to participate in the tournament. Pre-registration via email is required.

2. Prizes

1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishers in both A and B divisions  will receive cash awards, the amounts of which will be determined after the preregistration period has ended and the number of competitors is determined. Trophies will also be awarded to 1st through 4th place in each group.

III. Saturday: Qualifying rounds

1. Qualifying Format

Saturday’s match play will be a series of seven sessions of multiplayer pinball, with multiple games played per session. In each session, opponents are determined based on each player’s win-loss rank. All players must be onsite for the start of Session 1 promptly at 10:00 am after checking in by 9:30 am. There will be a 1-hour break for lunch after Session 2.

2. Playing a Session

During each session, all players will be assigned to a group. For each group, a set of three games will be randomly assigned. Games will be played in the order provided by the tournament software (Matchplay). In some cases more than one group may be assigned to a particular bank. In such case, the second group to be assigned to that bank will proceed to the second game and play the games sequentially (2,3,1)

The highest-seeded player within each group chooses the order of play for the first game. The remaining players choose their order, in descending order of seeding. For subsequent games, the last-place finisher of the previous game chooses the order of play for the next game. The remaining players choose their order, in ascending order of finish in the previous game (3rd place, then 2nd place, then 1st place).

All players will play their games and record the results. When all three games have been completed by a group, each player will have a win-loss record from the session. The best possible win-loss record for a session is 9-0, and the worst is 0-9.

A group must complete and sign its score sheet for the session, then return it promptly for entry. Once completed and signed, all score sheets are final, so please check the score sheet carefully before signing. Prompt entry of score sheets is essential to the timely progression of the tournament. In any scenario where a player has already defeated his or her opponents and still has one ball left to play, that ball should be plunged but not played, as it cannot affect the results. A score must be recorded for the winning player.

Unsigned score sheets will be processed normally; if there is any dispute that necessitates a ruling, it must be brought to the attention of tournament coordinators immediately. Once seedings have been published for the next session, no changes can be made to prior recorded results, except to reverse any advantage a player may have gained from an incorrect score sheet. Tournament officials will not reverse a disadvantage a player receives by signing an incorrect score sheet.

Subsequent sessions will start immediately after all games from the previous session have concluded (with the exception of the break for Lunch after round 2) and the scoresheets have been turned in. Players that finish a session early are permitted to practice on any of the facility’s machines that are not being used in an active round. Tournament coordinators must be notified immediately if any player does not appear at his or her assigned set of machines. Please see “Absences” in VIII. Player Conduct for further information.

3. Game Assignment

For each group, a set of three games will be randomly assigned. Games will be played in the order provided by the tournment software (Matchplay). In some cases more than one group may be assigned to a particular bank. In such case, the second group to be assigned to that bank will proceed to the second game and play the games sequentially (2,3,1)

4. Seeding Players

Before the first session, all players will be “seeded” in the tournament. Players will be seeded according to their IFPA rankings via Matchplay software at the time the tournament is started.  For example, the player with the best IFPA ranking would receive the top seed, etc.

5. Group Assignment

For the first session, players will be grouped according to initial seeding with Slaughter pairing, i.e. Top seed, bottom seed, 2 middle seeds, etc. In each following session, players will be grouped using tiered-Swiss pairings based on their win-loss records from previous rounds.

6. End of Saturday: Qualifying for Finals

At the end of Session 7, the top 24 players based on win-loss record will qualify for A Division Finals.  The top 24 players in A division will qualify for the A Division finals with the top 8 players receiving a first round bye. The #1 player will receive the top qualifier cash bonus. Positions 25-40 will qualify for the B division finals. In case of a significant tie (for entry into finals, or top qualifier), a single-game tiebreaker will be played on a machine selected by tournament staff. Tiebreaker winners advance to finals or receive byes as appropriate. The order of play in the tiebreaker will be selected based on random draw. If more than four players are tied, players will be put into balanced groups of two or more.

IV. Sunday: Final Rounds and Side Tournament

1. Final Rounds

Final rounds employ the same format as session play on Friday and Saturday. Finals for A Division begins at 9 am Sunday. Finals for B Division begins at 9:30 am Sunday. Any player who is not available at the designated time will be disqualified and the next lower-ranked player will take his or her position in the finals.

Players who qualify for finals will be assigned a seed according to their win-loss record from Saturday’s play. Ties in record that were not previously addressed will be broken by the tied players’ win-loss record after Session 6, and previous sessions’ cumulative records as needed. In the unlikely event that two or more players had the same win-loss record through all seven sessions, seeding will be determined by the original seeding of the tournament.

Players in final rounds will be placed in four-player groups and play a three-game session in the same format as the sessions of Saturday. For the A division final, machines will be organized into set banks rather than being randomly selected. At least two sets of machines will be available for play. The highest seeded player in the round will select the set of machines for his or her group to play. Choice of sets will then proceed through the remaining groups, in descending order of seeding, with the highest seeded player in each group making the choice. At no time will a player be allowed to pick the same set of machines he or she picked in the previous round. Each set of machines may be selected by a maximum of two groups. Note that machines are arranged into fixed sets; players do not get to choose individual machines to form a set.

The B division final will be played on random groups of machines similar to the qualifying rounds.

As in regular rounds, the highest-seeded player within each group chooses the order of play for the first game. The remaining players choose their order, in descending order of seeding. For subsequent games, the last-place finisher of the previous game chooses the order of play for the next game. The remaining players choose their order, in ascending order of finish in the previous game.

Each round of the finals will be executed and scored identically to the sessions played on Saturday. The top 2 of 4 players in each group, according to win-loss record, will advance to the next round, until the final four players are determined. These four players will play a final four-game session to determine the division winner. In case of a significant tie, a one-game playoff will be played on a machine randomly selected by tournament coordinators. In case of a tie between the first and second-place finishers in a group, both players advance, and the player with the original higher seed will receive the first-place position.

For purposes of final rankings of finalists submitted to the IFPA, player’s positions will be ranked based upon the number of points earned in the round in which they were eliminated relative to the other players eliminated in that round.

At the beginning of each round of the finals, a brief warm-up time will be provided for players on their selected set of machines. Players must cooperate with tournament coordinators when instructed to switch between machines or discontinue warm-up.

The first round of finals will consist of the following:

First Round, Group 1: #9, #16, #17, #24

First Round, Group 2: #10, #15, #18, #23

First Round, Group 3: #11, #14, #19, #22

First Round, Group 4: #12, #13, #20, #21

Two players from each group, for a total of eight players, will advance to the quarterfinal rounds. These players are re-ranked according to their qualifying seeding, and assigned to groups as shown below.  B Division finalists will be grouped in similar fashion as follows

Quarterfinals, Group 1: #1, #8, #9, #16

Quarterfinals, Group 2: #2, #7, #10, #15

Quarterfinals, Group 3: #3, #6, #11, #14

Quarterfinals, Group 4: #4, #5, #12, #13

Two players from each group, for a total of eight players, will advance to the semifinal rounds. These players are re-ranked according to their qualifying seeding, and assigned to groups as shown here:

Semifinals, Group 1: #1, #4, #5, #8

Semifinals, Group 2: #2, #3, #6, #7

Two players from each group, for a total of four players, will advance to the final round.

V. Malfunctions and Rulings

Most rules governing malfunctions and rulings are governed by the full PAPA/IFPA ruleset, found here:  https://www.ifpapinball.com/rules/
The specific rules below supersede the full PAPA/IFPA ruleset.

1. Major Malfunctions

If a major malfunction occurs that will require significant repairs, tournament coordinators may declare a “Disabled Machine” (see section below). Because the tournament needs to move quickly from session to session, it is not possible to make significant repairs during a match. A new machine will be assigned to the group for immediate play, and the game in progress will be declared void.

In the event that two or more different major malfunctions take place during the same game, the machine will be declared “Disabled” and a new machine will be assigned to the group for immediate play. During final rounds, the machine selection process will be resumed, if possible.

2. Catastrophic Malfunctions

Player(s) affected by a catastrophic malfunction will be given the same choice of how to proceed as described above for “Major Malfunctions”.

3. Beneficial Malfunctions

Any situation which indicates the presence of a beneficial malfunction should be brought to the attention of tournament coordinators promptly. Any player who intentionally takes advantage of a significant beneficial malfunction may be given a score of zero by tournament coordinators.

If the beneficial malfunction has significantly increased the score of any player(s), the malfunction will be treated as a major malfunction, and each affected player will be given the same choice as described in “Major Malfunctions”.

4. 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. Results on that machine from prior sessions will not be disqualified, and the machine will be replaced by another machine selected by tournament coordinators.

5. Player Behavior

Coaching of any player while he or she is at a machine is not allowed and may lead to sanctions. Spectators and other players must refrain from commenting on play in a way that affects the current player.

No player may use reference materials of any kind, whether printed or electronic, while playing his or her ball. Reference materials may be used at any other time, however, even during a session or final round.

VI. Machine Settings

Most rules governing machine settings are identical to the full IFPA/PAPA ruleset. The specific rules below supersede the full IFPA/PAPA ruleset.

1. Software Settings

Please note that older machines may have different settings, such as allowable extra balls, five-ball play, or a Tilt penalty of “entire game” rather than “current ball”. Players will play the game “as is”., even if there is no sign indicating an expected change in machine behavior. For example, if a machine is set for five-ball play, groups may not end the game after three balls. Electromechanical machines will generally be set for five-ball play, but if they are set for three, they will be played as three.

VII. Player Conduct

All rules governing player conduct are identical to the full PAPA ruleset, with additional, superseding rule(s) listed below.

1. Absences

When session groups are announced, all players must proceed immediately to their assigned set of machines and check-in with the other players in their assigned groups. If a player is absent, tournament officials must be notified promptly. An announcement may or may not be made, to attempt to locate the absent player. Any player absent for longer than 10 minutes will be disqualified from the session, and will receive a score of 0-9.

When a player is determined to be absent, tournament officials will alter the affected group appropriately, recognizing that other groups will have begun play and should not be unduly disrupted. A 4-player group can easily become a 3-player group.

Under extraordinary circumstances due to multiple player absences, a 2-player group or even a 1-player group may be forced to play. In the event of a 2-player group, six machines will be played and all Wins will be doubled, yielding the standard point opportunity to each player. In the event of a 1-player group, the singleton player will be assigned to “shadow” an existing 4-player group and play three of the same machines. Wins will be assigned based on the scores the singleton player surpasses, but corresponding losses will not accrue to players in the 4-player group.

If a player who was present initially cannot be found during the play of a group, tournament officials must be notified promptly. That player will be allowed no more than 3 minutes to return. If he or she does not return, each ball for that player will be promptly plunged and left unplayed. Any player who has more than one such absence may be disqualified from the tournament.

Any player who is absent at the beginning of two consecutive sessions without notifying tournament coordinators of an emergency in advance will be disqualified from the tournament. Disqualified players will not appear in subsequent sessions nor may they qualify for the finals.

Any player who is not present at the beginning of finals will be disqualified and replaced by the next lower-ranked player. Any player who is absent during final rounds will be subjected to the rules described above for absences during group play.

At no time may any person be substituted for an absent player.

2. Facility

Tournament location must be treated with respect at all times. IFPA staff or members of the location staff reserve 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 location 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.  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.

3. 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, patrons, 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, harassment, 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.

4. 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. NOTE: This year, tournament officials will be using a card system for delivering warnings and disqualifications borrowed from competitive soccer. For first offenses of a given category of misconduct, a YELLOW CARD will be presented to the player in question. This will serve as the player’s warning. For repeat offenses, the player will be presented with a RED CARD, which will indicate that the player has received a disqualification for the game in question.

VIII. Miscellaneous

All miscellaneous rules are identical to the full PAPA ruleset, with additional, superseding rule(s) listed below.

1. Special Score Handling

Any player who reaches the maximum possible score on a machine that has such a limit, will receive that score as their total. If two or more players reach the maximum possible score on the same game, those players will be considered tied for that game.

During sessions, any player whose machine “rolls over” to a zero score is responsible for confirming this with his or her opponents before and after the rollover occurs.

2. Practice Guidelines

Our gracious hosts, Cactus Jack’s Family Fun Center, is a public coin-drop based location that is allocating a large portion of their machines to accommodate the event, in addition to many other generous accommodations provided specifically for this tournament. The coin drop during the tournament over the weekend is essentially the sole facility fee to compensate the location. Thus, unlike most other tournaments where the tournament games are off-limits for any practice play outside of an official tournament match, at the Silverball Showdown players are allowed and encouraged to practice on tournament machines(or play crane games, for that matter) after their group’s session has ended and before their next session begins, provided it does not interfere with another group’s access to a tournament game.  Once a session’s groups and assigned games are announced or published, players are no longer allowed to practice on their assigned games for that session until their group has completed their session. One exception being that, for A Division Finals, players will be allowed 30 seconds of practice time prior to playing each machine in their bank.