League Rules

Table of Contents

Overview
1. Overview
  1. PinballPDX is a team pinball league that is played in bars and other establishments with pinball machines on location throughout the city. Each team chooses a location to call “home,” and once a week every team competes against one other team, either at “home” or at their opponent’s location. Each team scores match points based on the results of the individual pinball games — 2 points for Doubles games and 1 point for Singles games. At the end of each match the team with the most match points records a match win, while the other team records a loss. League standings are based on a simple win/loss record with cumulative match points serving as a tiebreaker. At the end of the season there are playoffs to determine the overall league champion.
  2. PinballPDX is committed to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment to players of all genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, ages, and creeds. The league will not under any circumstances tolerate discrimination of any kind, be it from league players or venues or any third party outside of the league. The league encourages anyone who has experienced any behavior of this sort to report it to league officials. Anonymous reports can be filed using the Report Player Conduct link in the footer of the league website (see Section VII.D – Conduct for more information).
Team Rosters
1. Roster Construction
  1. Teams consist of at least 6 players, and no more than 10.
  2. All league players are assigned ratings on a scale of one to six based on their previous performance in league matches and pinball tournaments outside of PinballPDX that are IFPA sanctioned and/or managed through Matchplay.
    1. The criteria for the ratings will be made available to team captains before the start of each season.
    2. Final assignments of ratings for each season will be conducted on January 15th for the start of the Spring season and August 15th for the start of the Fall season.
    3. Ratings will not change during the season.
2. Team Captains
  1. Each team will have one or two players that will act as the Team Captain(s).
  2. Captains are responsible for organizing their team and corresponding with the league about match results.
  3. Captains also serve as official team representatives in each of the matches.
    1. If the Team Captain or Captains cannot be present at the match, one attending player from the team as designated by the Team Captain(s) shall act as the Team Captain for the duration of the match while the Team Captain(s) are not present and will assume all pertinent Team Captain duties.
  4. Team Captains are also responsible for registering their teams for a given season during the appointed team registration period prior to the start of the season.
  5. Each team must have at least one captain (or designated representative) in the official team captain Discord channel (see VII.S Team Captain Communication Channel)
3. Team Registration
  1. Prior to the start of each season, teams will be permitted to register during a window of time specified by the League before the start of the season.
  2. The league cannot operate with an odd number of teams; therefore, teams will only be admitted in pairs during the registration period.
    1. Teams that were registered to play in the previous full season will be given priority admission over newly formed teams or teams that did not play in the previous full season.
    2. Teams that previously played and have retained at least four of their players from their last active roster will be given priority over newly formed teams.
    3. If all registered teams are teams that were active in the previous season and there is still an odd number of teams, the team that registered last will not be admitted to play in the given season.
4. Roster Changes
  1. Teams may add players to their roster at any point during the regular season, provided there is an available roster spot.
    1. Roster changes are not permitted during playoffs.
  2. If there are no available roster spots, then teams may drop players to make room for new players.
    1. Any player that is dropped from a roster may NOT return to that same team at any point during the season.
    2. Dropped players MAY be added to the roster of another team in the league.
  3. All roster changes MUST be submitted to the league, by a team Captain, by 4 p.m. of the day the changes are intended to take effect.
Match Play and Scoring
1. Overview
  1. Each match consists of 2 Doubles rounds and 2 Singles rounds. Scoring is based on a simple game to game win/loss basis. Game winning teams earn match points and at the end of the match the team with the highest number of match points earns a match win.
  2. Matches are designed to feature a minimum of six players from each team. A team may compete with only four players in attendance, but they do so at a penalty (see VI. Attendance).
2. Start Time
  1. All matches are scheduled to start at 6:00 PM, unless otherwise noted.
  2. Match start may be delayed up to 30 minutes, if necessary (see VI. C. Tardiness and Early Departure).
3. Lineup Declaration
  1. Prior to each round, each team will declare a lineup of players to compete for that round.
  2. The team that declares their lineup first also chooses the machines to play on for that round.
  3. Which team declares their lineup first begins with the AWAY team, and alternates between HOME and AWAY each round.
  4. Once the first team declares their lineup, the other team determines their lineup based on the first team’s choices.
  5. Each team is allotted ten minutes each to set their lineups between rounds. Teams may not stall during the lineup declaration period for any reason unless it is agreed upon by the Captains of both teams.
  6. Once declared, lineups cannot change, unless there is a machine failure as described in Section VII. J. Machine Failure that would allow teams to change their lineup.
  7. No single player may compete more than once in any round.
  8. No single player may play more than three times in a given match.
  9. The team selecting the machines in a given round may not start a new practice game on any chosen machine after the lineup has been submitted to the other team.
4. Game Play Sequencing
  1. The team that declares their lineup first will play second in every game of that round.
  2. In Doubles matches (4-player games) individual game play alternates between the two teams (i.e., P1 HOME, P1 AWAY, P2 HOME, P2 AWAY).
  3. The players must play in the specified order as listed in the scoresheet.
  4. Once game-play order is set, it cannot be changed.
  5. Playing Out of Turn
    1. Should one player launch and play another player’s ball, intentionally or otherwise, then they are “playing out of turn.”
    2. Playing out of turn will result in the automatic disqualification of the offending player’s ENTIRE score in the game being played.
    3. The player whose turn was affected will be offered a compensation ball at the end of the game.
5. Doubles
  1. There are 2 rounds of Doubles play.
  2. Doubles rounds feature two games of 2-on-2 play (i.e., two 4-player games).
  3. The team with the highest combined score in each game records a win.
  4. Each Doubles win is worth 2 match points.
  5. No two players may be paired together more than once during a match.
  6. Two-Player Machines (machines that only offer 1 or 2-player games)
    1. 2 Games of 1-on-1 should be played.
    2. Each game will feature one player from the Home team, and one from the Away team.
    3. The results from each game will be tallied to determine the team winner for that Doubles game.
  7. Single Player Machines (machines that only allow 1-player games)
    1. Single-player machines should be played one player at a time, alternating home and away.
    2. Scores should be tallied together after all four players have played to determine the winner.
6. Singles
  1. There are 2 rounds of Singles.
  2. Each round features 4 games of 1-on-1 play (i.e., four 2-player games).
  3. The player with the highest score wins and his/her team will receive 1 match point.
  4. Single Player Machines (machines that only allow 1-player games)
    1. Single-player machines should be played one player at a time, alternating home and away.
    2. After both players have played, the highest score will earn the match point.
7. Scoresheets
  1. All players must utilize the PinballPDX website’s scoresheet functions to set lineups, manage team and match information, and to adjudicate match results.
    1. Teams must set their lineup of available players (including substitutes) and validate the lineup of machines before the start of each match.
    2. In each round, the team selecting machines will have the option to fill in their machine and player picks first. When each team is finished, they must set their lineups and inform the other team that their selections have been made.
      1. All players must play in the order specified in the lineup declaration.
    3. After lineups have been set, the options to enter scores will be unlocked.
      1. All teams must accurately enter each individual’s game scores as they are being reported from the machine.
      2. Any team that enters blatantly false scores will have the results of the game completely nullified (neither team will win the game and all points will be removed), even if the placement of players is correct (i.e. don’t enter scores of 4, 3, 2, and 1 – enter the full scores for the game).
      3. Players/teams that enter false scores multiple times may be subject to further discipline from the league.
    4. If there is a malfunction on a game that requires the game to be moved to a new machine, the team that selected machines may propose an edit to the game with the new machine and lineup.
      1. The opposing team will have the option to change their lineup when reviewing the edit to the game.
      2. The opposing team is only allowed to reject the game edit if the game on the machine in question does not need to be moved. If there is a conflict about whether or not a game should be used, it is the responsibility of both team captains to reach out to a league official for a ruling.
    5. Once all scores have been entered in, one person from each team must verify that the results are correct.
      1. Once scores have been verified, the results are final unless valid documentation can be provided that the scores are incorrect (i.e. a picture of the scores).
  2. In the case that the website is non-functional, or the users encounter website errors that prevent them from moving forward with the match, the team captains must reach out to the league commissioner or designated league official responsible for handling website issues for assistance.
    1. Every reasonable attempt should be made to use the website first.
    2. In the case that the league commissioner or delegated official cannot resolve the issue, the players must continue the match on paper.
      1. All game scores must still be recorded, in addition to calculating the match points for each game.
      2. Teams must still abide by the player rating budget, and must make a reasonable effort to track the number of player rating points they are spending during matches.
      3. The scoresheet must be submitted to the league following the end of the match.
        Scoresheets must be submitted by noon the Tuesday following the match
        Scoresheets must be sent to the dedicated scoresheets channel in the Portland Pinball Discord server or sent directly to the league commissioner.
        The responsibility for sending the scoresheet falls on the captain of the Home team. If a scoresheet is not submitted by the deadline, the match will result in a forfeit for the Home team.
    3. Teams that forego the usage of the website without first consulting the league may result in the forfeiture or vacation of the match points for one or both teams.
8. Scorekeeping and League Records
  1. The league will keep track of all match scoring, and all records and match results will be posted on the league website. This includes individual game scores and league records for high scores on machines.
    1. Any score that is entered into the system must be the result of a valid league game.
      1. Any player that is disqualified from a game for any reason must have a score of zero entered in. If multiple players are disqualified, add one point to the player’s total score to break the tie between the scores
        First player disqualified gets zero points, second player disqualified gets one point, third player disqualified gets two points
    2. Games generally must end once the full game result is clear. However, players may be allowed to continue playing on the last ball if both teams agree to allow it.
      1. The game must still follow league rules (no playing extra balls, etc.)
      2. If a player wants to play any remaining balls for a game or they wish to play the rest of their game freely (i.e. they want to chase a GC score and no longer care about a league record), they may opt to enter their score in before plunging the extra ball. AFTER the score is entered in, the player may play the rest of the game however they wish.
      3. Any player that logs a score for a game where they had committed a rule violation of any kind before entering the score will have their entire score nullified, even if the rule violation occurred after the game was finished.
    3. Game scores must be entered in as they are reported on the display for the machine.
      1. On NBA Fastbreak, players are awarded an additional 100 points for successfully completing a Trophy Multiball. This total must be added on to the player’s reported score from the machine.
9. Minimum Play Requirements
  1. In the spirit of inclusion, minimum play requirements were set in place to prevent teams from benching players — if you attend a match, you should play.
  2. Minimum play requirements only apply during the time that a player is physically present (see VI. C. Tardiness & Early Departure).
  3. Regular Season Matches
    1. When 8 or fewer players on a team are present:
      1. Each player on the team must play a minimum of two rounds.
      2. Each player must play in at least one doubles round and one singles round.
    2. When 9 or more players on a team are present:
      1. Each player may play a maximum of two rounds.
      2. Each player that plays in two rounds must play in one doubles round and one singles round.
  4. Regardless of the number of players available to a team in a given night, no one player may play more than one round more than the player(s) that have played the least number of rounds in a given night.
    1. Teams fielding four to seven players must use the following arrangements to distribute playing time:
      1. Seven players: two players will play in three rounds, five will play in two rounds.
      2. Six players: four players will play in three rounds, two players will play in two rounds.
      3. Four or five players: all players will play in three rounds each.
  5. If a player has been selected by a team to play in a round where the game ultimately ends up being forfeited (due to, for example, the opposing team having too few players or the opposing team going over the restricted player cap), the player in question will be treated as having played the game with respect to minimum play rules.
10. Player Rating Point Budget
  1. Each team is allotted a budget of sixty points for each standard match and ninety for extended format (three doubles and six singles per round) matches. Each time a team plays a player, they must spend a number of points equal to that player’s assigned player rating from their budget.
  2. Teams cannot exceed their assigned budget for the match. If a team cannot fill spots in a given round with the players they have available, the team must forfeit the additional spots that they cannot afford to play.
    1. It is the responsibility of the teams to know whether the roster they have for a given night will allow them to stay under budget.
    2. If a team knows that they must forfeit spots because their roster configuration will not allow them to stay under the budget, the team is required to at least forfeit one game in the singles round where they choose machines.
    3. Teams should use the player rating point calculator available in the scoresheet pages on the website to ensure their roster will allow them to stay under the budget.
11. Tiebreaker
  1. If after 4 rounds of play the teams are tied (i.e. 8 to 8), there will be a single tiebreaking game to determine the evening’s winner.
  2. A tiebreaking game will not count toward overall match points.
  3. There are two tiebreaking format options:
    1. Shared Game
      1. Standard 2-player game
      2. Each ball must be played by a different player.
        3 people from the AWAY team will be “Player 1,” and 3 people from the HOME team will be “Player 2.”
      3. Only 3 balls will be played:
        Extra balls will be sunk according to extra ball rules (see VII. G. Extra Balls).
        Balls 4 and 5 of a 5-ball machine will be ignored.
    2. Split Flipper
      1. 2 players from one team against 2 players from the other, in a single 2-player game.
      2. 2 players from each team will play simultaneously — 1 on each flipper.
        Players must not touch their teammate’s flipper during their turn.
        Players MUST alternate flippers from turn to turn.
        All external control features (such as plungers or buttons) located on the left or right thirds of the playfield in respect to the width of the machine may only be controlled by the player operating the flipper on that given side of the machine.
        Either player may use external control features located in the center third of the playfield in respect to the width of the table.
      3. If the machine is set to 5-ball games, all 5 balls will be played.
        Extra balls will be sunk according to extra ball rules (see VII. G. Extra Balls).
        Players will not switch sides on extra balls.
  4. The HOME team will have the option of choosing which format OR which machine to play on. The AWAY team will then make the remaining decision. Alternatively, the HOME team may defer first choice to the AWAY team.
    1. Each team will make one decision: either which format to play or which machine to play on.
    2. Once both choices have been made, the AWAY team will declare their lineup, followed by the HOME team.
  5. The AWAY team will be “Player 1” and the HOME team will be “Player 2,” regardless.
  6. Any available player for each team is eligible to play in the tiebreaker. Minimum play rules and rating budget points do not apply to tiebreakers.
  7. Any team that violates the rules set forth or referred to in this section will forfeit the tiebreaker game and the opposing team will be awarded the match.
Standings
1. Overview
  1. League standings are based primarily on a simple win/loss record. Season-long cumulative match points are used to break ties at the end of the season, so it is important to play every game during match play — do not end a match early simply because one team has earned the minimum 9 points necessary to record a match win.
2. Breakdown
  1. Win loss record is the first determination in standings.
  2. The first tiebreaker is cumulative match points.
  3. The second tiebreaker is head-to-head results between the two teams in question.
  4. The third tiebreaker is overall match points in head-to-head matches between the two teams in question.
  5. The fourth tiebreaker is head-to-head results in matches against common opponents during the regular season.
  6. The fifth tiebreaker is the total number of points scored in matches against common opponents during the regular season.
  7. The sixth tiebreaker is the total strength of victory (or the sum of the win percentages of each team that each team has beaten during the regular season, higher is better).
  8. The seventh tiebreaker will come in the form of a single tiebreaker match that will be played immediately following the regular season.
    1. If there is a bye week before playoffs, then tiebreaker match will be held on regular match night on the week following the end of the regular season.
    2. If there is not a bye week, then match will be held the Thursday after the teams’ last regular season match.
    3. Match will be held at a “neutral” venue (see “Neutral Venues” below).
    4. Match will only be played if it has playoff implications.
Playoffs
1. Breakdown
  1. The following distributions of teams into playoff divisions will result as a function of the number of registered teams in the given season:
    1. Six or fewer teams: All play in A Division
    2. Eight teams: Top four teams play in A Division, remaining four play in B Division
    3. Ten to fourteen teams: Top six play in A Division, remainer play in B Division
    4. Sixteen to eighteen teams: Top eight play in A Division, remainder play in B Division
    5. Twenty teams: Top eight play in A Division, next six play in B Division, remaining six play in C Division
    6. Twenty-two teams: Top eight play in A Division, next eight play in B Division, remaining six in play in C Division
    7. Twenty-four teams: Top eight play in A Division, next eight play in B Division, remaining eight in play in C Division
  2. Each Division will play off in a standard single-elimination bracket following the end of the regular season.
    1. The playoffs will commence following the end of the regular season.
    2. All matches will be held at the regularly scheduled match days and times.
    3. Home field advantage will be conferred upon the team with the higher seed in the bracket, with the exception of the finals match for each bracket.
  3. The finals match for each bracket, as well as any auxiliary matches (third place game, fifth place game, etc.) that are held during the playoffs, will be held at a neutral venue as described in subsection C.
    1. The team with the higher original seed in the bracket will be considered the HOME team, the other team will be considered the AWAY team.
    2. Teams will play a three-doubles six-singles format for all championship rounds if each team has six players available, otherwise the normal league format will be used.
      1. Teams may not bring in substitutes to reach the six player threshold.
2. Playoff Rosters
  1. Playoff rosters will be set as the same rosters in place for the final week of the regular season.
    1. Changes to rosters may NOT be made after the end of the regular season.
    2. In order for a player to be active on a playoff roster, that player must have played at least one match during the regular season.
3. “Neutral” Venues
  1. In the case where a neutral venue is required, the two teams that are participating in the match will select the venue utilizing a Stage Striking process
    1. A list of venues will be provided to each team at the Commissioner’s discretion.
    2. The number of venues available at the beginning of the Stage Striking process must be an odd number.
      1. If an even number of venues are available, both teams must submit a list of three venues from the pool of venues to the Commissioner or designated referee.
      2. The first venue to appear on both lists submitted by each team will be struck from the pool of venues.
      3. If there are no matches in the first set of three venues submitted by each team, one additional venue will be requested from each team until there is a match.
      4. The Commissioner or designated referee will select the venue to strike at random if multiple matching venues appear in the lists submitted by each team.
    3. The team that is the higher seed has the option at the beginning of the selection process to strike first or second.
    4. Each team will take turns removing venues until there is only one left in the pool.
  2. The Commissioner will set the date and time of the selection process and will make an effort to do so as soon as reasonably possible once the two teams playing in the match have been determined.
    1. Preference will be given to neutral matches in A Division, then B Division.
  3. The selection process is expected to be completed in a timely manner by both teams.
    1. The Commissioner may establish a window of time where the entire selection process must be completed.
    2. If the window of time comes to a close before the final venue has been determined, the team that took the longest amount of time to make selections during the process will forfeit all future selections and the venue will be chosen by the other team from the remaining pool of venues.
  4. If the selected venue is closed on the day of the match, the match will move to the last venue struck from the list in the reverse order that the venues were scratched.
    1. If the next neutral venue is already hosting a match and cannot, by league rules, support a second match, the next available venue will be selected in the reverse order that the venues were scratched.
Attendance
1. Overview
  1. League play is structured with the assumption that at least six players from each team will attend every match. In addition, bars have agreed to host matches under this same assumption. To maintain the integrity of the competition, and to keep the bars happy, we ask that each team strongly adhere to this rule. Teams are highly encouraged to keep extra players on their roster to accommodate those unforeseen occasions when one or more players are unavailable to compete. Teams may compete, at a penalty, if four or five players show up, but any less will result in a forfeit. Should a team repeatedly attend with fewer than five players, then they may be asked to step out of the league.
2. Playing With Four or Five Players
  1. Any team that brings five players must forfeit a singles game in the round where they declare machines.
    1. In the case that both teams are playing with five players, each team will forfeit a singles game in the round where they choose machines.
  2. Any team that brings four players must forfeit a spot in each round.
    1. In doubles rounds, one of the doubles games will be played with only one player on the side of the team with four players as a three-player game (2 vs 1).
    2. The same player cannot play alone in doubles twice in the same match.
    3. In singles rounds, the team must forfeit one game per round.
      1. In the singles round that the opposing team is selecting games, the opposing team must declare all four games. The team short players will choose the game to forfeit.
    4. If both teams bring four players, each team must follow the same guidelines. In the case that a doubles game ends up being played as a 1v1 game, the game will still be worth the same amount of points as a standard doubles game.
3. Tardiness And Early Departure
  1. Matches should start on time if at least 4 six players from each team are present.
    1. Match should not be delayed simply because a “better” player is on their way.
    2. If six players are present from a single team, then late players may not be written in until they are physically present.
  2. If one, or both teams, is short players at the scheduled start time, then the start should be delayed.
    1. Both teams are required to wait at least 15 minutes for the arrival of the six players needed for each team to start.
    2. Teams have the option to delay the start an additional 15 minutes (30 minutes total).
      1. Both teams MUST agree to delay the additional 15 minutes.
    3. Once the courtesy and/or optional window has closed, then the match MUST start
      1. If a team has fewer than four players, then it is a forfeit.
      2. If one or both teams has four players, then they play at a penalty (see items A and B above).
  3. Players who show up late or leave early are only obliged to play while they are present.
    1. If a player is not present for a Doubles game or Singles game, this does not exclude them from the match.
    2. While a player is present, they must be utilized according to the minimum play requirements.
4. Substitutes
  1. Teams are permitted to use non-rostered players in a match up to a limit.
    1. Teams are permitted to use up to three substitute players in a match, as long as the combined number of rostered players and substitute players does not exceed the maximum team size of ten.
      1. Any team that fields seven or fewer rostered players is permitted to use up to three substitute players.
      2. Any team that uses eight rostered players may bring two substitute players, and any team that uses nine rostered players may use one substitute player.
    2. Substitute players are treated the same as rostered players in terms of minimum play rules.
    3. Substitute players must be added to the team’s roster via the Match Settings in the scoresheet. Teams must search for an existing player profile in the Match Settings for the substitute player before creating a new player profile for the player they wish to add as a substitute player.
    4. Teams may not use substitute players who have previously been on another team’s roster during the season. Teams may use substitute players who have played for other teams as a substitute player.
    5. Teams may not use players with player ratings of four or higher as substitute players.
      1. All substitute players, regardless of whether a player profile exists, must follow these rules. Any player that does not exist in the system that otherwise would qualify as a four or higher cannot be used.
    6. Teams may not use substitute players in the championship matches for each division.
    7. A substitute player may only be used a total of three times per season if a team has an otherwise open roster spot. Substitute players must be added to the team’s roster in order to continue playing for the team after the third night as a substitute player.
Other Notes
1. Beneficial Malfunctions
  1. The following beneficial malfunctions are allowed once per game:
    1. Unexpected software ball save
    2. Failed tilt sensor
    3. Ball stuck on unlit kickback that a ball search returns to play
  2. If a drained ball returns to the shooter lane through the trough on a validated playfield without a ball save running, the player must plunge the ball without any flips. The player may attempt to short plunge without hitting any switches. If the ball returns to the shooter lane, the player may continue play
    1. Repeated instances of balls returning to shooter lane on validated playfields without a ball save running will be considered a major malfunction, the game will end and be replayed on a new machine.
  3. Switches that repeatedly register and score a significant amount of points without being hit are considered a major malfunction and will require the players to end the game and move to a new machine.
  4. Players may not induce machine malfunctions to their advantage. This includes interfering with auto-plunging features during a multiball or intentionally causing ball searches.
2. Closed Venues
  1. In the unfortunate event a scheduled venue is suddenly unavailable to league play, the two affected teams should move to another available venue to play their match.
    1. Match should be moved to a nearby location.
    2. You MUST move to a regular league venue, unless it is simply not possible.
    3. The HOME team decides where to move.
    4. Rescheduling is an option, but only if both teams can agree to when and where the match should be played.
    5. If a team does not agree to move, or simply does not stick around to resolve the issue, they will receive a forfeit and no points, and the other team a win plus 12 points.
  2. League officials should be alerted to the situation.
  3. If there exists a credible likelihood that a venue will not be available for a match without an explicit confirmation, the home team must choose a tentative venue for the match.
    1. As soon as either the league or one of the teams in question is alerted to the possibility of a venue closure, the league and both teams must be notified.
    2. The home team is responsible for picking a tentative venue to hold the match as soon as possible after being notified of the potential closure.
    3. If the home team’s venue can confirm that they will be open and available to host the match by 6 PM the night before the match, the match will be held at the home team’s venue.
    4. If the home team’s venue confirms they will not be available to host the match or cannot confirm availability by the 6 PM cutoff, the match will be held at the venue chosen by the home team.
3. Coaching
  1. Players ARE allowed to coach their teammates during game play.
4. Conduct
  1. It is vitally important for the league’s continued success that the players of the league uphold the values of sportsmanship and camaraderie that are central to the culture of competitive pinball. In short, don’t be a dick.
  2. If a player displays unsportsmanlike conduct or threatens the safety of any individual or machine, then that player should be reported to the League.
    1. Player conduct can be reported directly to the league, either by reaching out to league officials or using the “Report Player Conduct” link in the footer of the PinballPDX website.
      1. All player conduct reports are completely anonymous. If you wish to be contacted, you must include your contact information in your report.
      2. In order to reduce spam responses, you must have an account on the PinballPDX website to use the Report Player Conduct form.
        As stated in item 1, all reports are anonymous and account information is not tracked in conduct reports.
    2. The League will investigate the incident and, if necessary, disciplinary action will commence.
    3. Mild infractions will incur a warning
      1. If a player receives two warnings during a single season, then that player will be suspended for the remainder of the season.
      2. Multiple suspensions may result in permanent expulsion from the League.
    4. Extreme misconduct will result in permanent expulsion from the league.
    5. All disciplinary actions will be at the sole discretion of league officials.
  3. Any player that is permanently expelled from the league is not allowed to attend or substitute at any league match for any team.
  4. A list of all expelled players will be maintained in the captain’s Discord channel and made available to all team captains.
  5. Players that wish to seek reinstatement may contact the commissioner or other league officials to state their case. Reinstatement of expelled players is at the sole discretion of the league Commissioner.
5. Conflict Resolution
  1. The league is self-officiating.
    1. It is the responsibility of BOTH teams to understand the rules and abide by them.
    2. If there is a question about the rules, then the rule sheet should be consulted to resolve the issue.
    3. The most up to date rules will always be online.
  2. If an incident occurs which the rules do not address, or if the rules are unclear about how to handle such an incident:
    1. IFPA/PAPA rules should be used in the case that the league rules do not cover an issue during play.
    2. Both teams should come to agreement as to how to resolve the issue.
      1. This agreement will stand as the official resolution for THAT MATCH, regardless of how the rules are adjusted thereafter.
    3. If the two teams cannot come to an agreement, at least one of the team captains is required to contact the Commissioner or a designated referee appointed by the Commissioner for a ruling.
      1. The teams must wait for a response from the commissioner or a designated referee before continuing.
      2. Any ruling made by a designated referee can be overruled on appeal by the Commissioner.
  3. Any game and/or match that is in conflict should be played out to the end.
    1. Any team that leaves a disputed match early will automatically forfeit ALL of the unplayed match points to the opposing team.
    2. If both teams refuse to play out the match, then both teams forfeit the unclaimed match points.
  4. All conflicts should be reported to the league so that a judgement can be made and/or the rules can be adjusted
6. Connections to External Platforms
  1. The usage of any connection to an external platform (such as Stern Insider) that can track user progress or potentially award an advantage over other players that do not use the external platform is not allowed, regardless of whether any advantage on the particular machine can be conferred.
7. Death Saves & Bang-backs
  1. Death Saves and Bang-Backs are defined as the deliberate act of rescuing the ball after it has gone down one of the outlanes by bumping the machine so that the ball bounces up between the flippers and back into play.
  2. Not permitted during match play
    1. A player caught ATTEMPTING one of these techniques during match play will forfeit their score for that game.
  3. Should a drained ball bounce back into play WITHOUT deliberate player action, then the ball may continue to be played.
8. Extra Balls
  1. All extra balls awarded will NOT be played. Any player that is awarded an extra ball may plunge the ball and use one flipper button once while the ball is in play.
    1. Flipper buttons may be used normally PRIOR to launching the ball.
    2. After the ball is launched, the player may only press a flipper button ONCE while the ball is in play. This limit applies whether or not the ball makes contact with the flipper (i.e. controlling lit lanes for skill shots counts as one flip).
    3. A flipper that is held up before the ball is plunged may be held up as long as necessary if it is done in the act of shooting a skill shot (i.e. performing a loop pass to shoot a particular shot).
      1. Only one flipper may be held up before the ball is plunged unless holding both flippers up to activate a super skill shot is necessary.
    4. The player must step away from the machine after the single flip has been performed. The machine may not be moved or nudged by the player while the ball is in play.
    5. Action buttons cannot be used on an extra ball in any capacity, including plunging a ball, unless it is absolutely necessary to progress to the next ball.
  2. If, while draining an extra ball, a player violates the above guidelines, intentionally or otherwise, then that player’s TOTAL SCORE is forfeited for that game.
  3. The above rules govern Extra Ball play in both regular season AND playoff matches.
9. Forfeits
  1. If a team does not have at least four players at a match, then that team forfeits the match.
    1. The team that forfeits receives a loss and zero match points.
    2. The fully attending team will receive a win and 9 match points for the evening.
    3. If the fully attending team remains at the bar and plays for the evening with a minimum of 4 players, then that team will receive an additional 3 match points, for a total of 12 points.
    4. Forfeited matches may be rescheduled at the League’s discretion.
10. Game Payment
  1. It is the shared responsibility of both teams to pay for the individual pinball games.
  2. “Match” and “Replay” credits should be passed along to a teammate in the next game.
11. Idle Machines & Practicing During Matches
  1. During a match, players ARE allowed to practice on those machines which are not in use.
  2. In a given round where a team has selected machines, new practice games may not be started on the selected machines once the lineup has been submitted to the other team.
  3. Practice games may not, in any way, interfere with match play.
    1. If a machine being practiced on is needed to progress the match, then league players should surrender the machine immediately for match play.
    2. If the practicing player’s physical presence is deemed a distraction to a player involved in a match game, then the practicing player should not practice on that machine.
      1. If you feel like a practicing player may distract you, then please POLITELY ask the practicing player to step back BEFORE you start your match game.
    3. When a practicing player is needed for a match game, then that player must immediately step away from practicing to participate in match play, so as to not hold up the match.
  4. Those practicing MUST allow other players, from either team, to join them in the practice game.
    1. This requirement applies to all practice games before and during the match.
  5. All rules defined in Section VII. J. (Idle Machines & Practicing During Matches) also apply to all practice games within an hour of the start of the match.
12. Loss Of Ball During Play
  1. Compensation balls
    1. A player will receive a compensation ball at the end of the game in the following circumstances:
      1. Flippers stop working, bonus collects, and ball(s) drain due to machine losing track of balls
      2. Ball tilted by previous player
      3. Ball loss caused by other player
      4. Ball played by other player
        The points scored by the player playing the ball will be kept and treated as part of the affected player’s score.
      5. Flipper ceases to function or gets stuck in upright position causing loss of ball
        In the case that the flipper continues to function improperly, the game will be ended and moved to a new machine,
      6. Other situations that cause a premature loss of a ball
    2. In this situation, the player must note their score and add the points scored after the compensation ball to the previous game’s score.
  2. Normal course of play
    1. The following situations are considered normal course of play and the affected player will not receive a compensation ball:
      1. Loss of all but one ball during multiball, including in the case of a stuck ball on the playfield that requires a ball search to knock loose
      2. Kickback failure
      3. Ball flying off of rail into outlane or center drain
      4. Ball flying over flipper, slingshot, or inlane rail into outlane or center drain
      5. Ball “moonwalks” up inlane into outlane
13. Machine Failure
  1. Minor machine misbehavior is forgivable and does NOT warrant the removal of the machine from match play.
    1. Failures that do not favor one player over another, are deemed forgivable. Examples include, but are not limited, to the following:
    2. Weak flipper
    3. Broken bumper(s)
    4. Failing light(s)
    5. Weak plunger
    6. Broken feature
    7. Dirty playfield
    8. Scoreboard glitches (provided you can still read the relevant scores)
  2. Machines that have annoying failures (such as a broken feature) can be removed from match play, provided the following is true:
    1. BOTH teams must be in agreement
    2. There MUST be at least two other machines available to play in the match
  3. In the case where both teams cannot come to an agreement about the inclusion of a game with multiple broken features or broken features that drastically alter the normal course of gameplay, the captains of each team should seek a ruling from the league commissioner or another league official. The league commissioner has the final say on whether or not a game is in an appropriate state to be used for a match.
  4. If a machine resets, “Rev Tests”, starts a new game, or loses power during play, the following protocol should be followed:
    1. If the scores are retrievable from the previous game, all players should mark their scores down and will receive a number of compensation balls equal to the number of balls that were not finished by each player.
    2. If the scores cannot be retrieved, the game should be restarted.
      1. If the same issue occurs again, the machine should be taken out of play and the game in question moved to a new machine.
  5. If a machine fails outright in the middle of game play and the teams are forced to choose a new machine to play on, then the team that originally chose that machine is entitled to choose the replacement machine to play on.
    1. Both teams are entitled to change their lineup to reflect the newly chosen machine.
      1. Teams are ONLY allowed to make changes to the game(s) in that round that include the broken machine.
      2. ALL other game lineups for that round must remain unchanged.
      3. Lineup changes are ONLY allowed if they do not violate any other rules.
        Teams may not switch their lineup in such a way so as to violate a player’s minimum playing requirements (see III. F. Minimum Play Requirements).
        Teams may not duplicate a pairing in the Double’s round (see III. D. Doubles, item 5).
    2. The entire game will be replayed once the new machine and lineups are chosen.
  6. Major machine failure requires a more elaborate solution
    1. If there is at least one working machine available, then the failing machine should simply be eliminated.
      1. BOTH teams need to be in agreement.
      2. Once eliminated from match play, it may not be re-introduced.
      3. The match may NOT be moved to another venue so long as there are at least two machines working.
        If a match is moved despite there being two working machines, then the HOME team will receive a forfeit, and zero points, and the away team will receive a win, and 12 points.
    2. If there are no other working machines available, then the match must be rescheduled or moved.
      1. As rescheduling a match can be difficult, moving is the best option.
        Match should be moved to a nearby location.
        You MUST move to a regular league venue, unless it is simply not possible.
        HOME teams decides where to move.
        Please alert your bartender of your move, and your reason for moving.
      2. If the two teams can agree to a reschedule date for the match, then this is an option.
      3. Rescheduled match MUST be at regularly scheduled bar.
        BOTH teams must agree to this option.
        There NEEDS to be some certainty that the issue will be resolved in time for the rescheduled match.
      4. Moving and/or rescheduling should be avoided at all cost.
      5. Any move or rescheduling MUST be reported to the league.
    3. Major failure includes, but is not limited to, the following:
      1. Stuck flipper(s)
      2. Multiple balls being randomly kicked into play
      3. Scoreboard failures that hide relevant players’ scores
      4. Stuck balls that cannot be dislodged that render the game unplayable
    4. Tilt and Slam Tilt sensitivity are NOT major failures.
  7. If, for any reason, both teams agree to remove a machine from match play, then that machine may NOT be reintroduced at any point during the match.
  8. All machine failures, big or small, should be reported to the bartender on duty.
  9. Major problems should be reported to the league.
14. Moving Matches
  1. Matches may only be moved to a new venue if ALL of the machines are inaccessible or not working (as per the guidelines above — L. Machine Failure, item 3.), or if a venue is suddenly unavailable to match play (see item VII. A. Closed Venues)
  2. So long as there are at least TWO working machines, and the venue is open and willing to host a match (as they should be), then all matches MUST be played at their designated venue.
    1. If the above conditions have been met and the teams decide to change venues anyway, then the outcome of the match will be as follows:
      1. HOME team receives a forfeit and zero (0) points.
      2. AWAY team receives a win and twelve (12) points.
15. Multiple Machines
  1. If a bar has more than 1 working machine, then all of the machines are available for play.
  2. At least 2 MUST be used for each round.
  3. No more than 2 games may be played on the same machine in the same round.
  4. The same machine may NOT be played twice in a given doubles round.
  5. If there are more than 2 machines available, then the teams have the option of using all the available machines, but it is not mandatory — the same 2 machines may be used throughout the evening.
  6. With more than 2 machines in play, 2 match games should be played simultaneously.
16. Non-Traditional Machines
  1. Any machines that primarily feature a video component with a secondary pinball game (such as Baby Pac-Man, Granny And The Gators) or head-to-head pinball play (such as Joust) may only be played if both teams approve.
  2. Pitch and Bat games (such as Zombie League All Stars) are not allowed for league play.
17. Slam Tilts and Tilt-Throughs
  1. Slam Tilts, or violent Tilts that cause a pinball machine to force the end of an entire game, automatically result in a game (not match) loss for the offending player’s team.
    1. This rule is enforced regardless of the machine’s sensitivity to such offenses.
  2. Players found to repeatedly Slam Tilt machines may be disciplined.
  3. Any player that tilts through another players ball will have their game disqualified. During doubles matches, only the offending player’s score is disqualified.
    1. The player whose ball was tilted through will receive a compensation ball after the end of the game.
18. Team Captain Communication Channel
  1. To facilitate seamless communication between the league and team captains, all teams are required to have at least one active representative of their team in the official Portland Pinball Discord channel for team captains.
    1. All official announcements that are intended for team captains will be made in the specified Discord channel.
    2. While it is preferred by the league that each team’s captain maintain a presence in the channel, each team may appoint a non-captain to participate in the channel.
    3. Each team may only have two representatives (Team Captain or otherwise) in the channel, unless otherwise directed by the league Commissioner.
    4. The invite link to the Portland Pinball Discord server can be found in the footer of the league website.
19. Tiebreakers (During Match Play)
  1. In the unlikely event that an individual game during match play ends in a tie between any two players or between the team’s overall scores, the players involved must play a one-ball tiebreaker to break the tie.
    1. The team with the higher score after the end of the first ball will be declared the winner.
    2. If the first ball also ends in a tie, the second ball will be played. The third ball will be played if it is still tied after the second ball, and a new one-ball game will be started if the third ball still results in a tie. This will continue until a winner can be determined.
    3. In Doubles rounds where the overall team score is tied, all four players will be required to play an additional ball.
    4. In the case of a tie on a Tiebreaker game at the end of a match using the Shared Game format, each team must select a player that has NOT yet played a ball in the Tiebreaker game. The selections must be written down on the scoresheet before the game continues. Teams may only select a player that has played a ball during the game if the team has used all of the players available to the side during the Tiebreaker game.
  2. When recording scores for the games, teams must use the following protocol for reporting the broken tie:
    1. In the case that two players are tied, the winning player is awarded one additional point.
      1. In the case that awarding a point to the winner would result in an additional tie, a point will instead be deducted from the loser’s point total.
    2. In the case of a doubles match where the two teams are tied at the end of the game, the top scoring player on the winning team will be awarded an additional point
      1. In the case that awarding a point to the winner would result in an additional tie, a point will instead be deducted from the player with the lowest score in the losing team’s point total.
    3. If three players are tied, award two points to the top scoring player and one point to the second highest scoring player.
      1. If the possibility of another tie happening could occur as a result of this tiebreaking arrangement or a change in the team result, contact the league for guidance.
    4. If a tiebreaker situation not explicitly listed here occurs, contact the league commissioner or a designated league official for more information on how to break the tie.
20. Venue Eligibility
  1. All venues that can host teams must be approved by the league before a team may claim it as their home venue.
    1. All venues must maintain at least four machines to be eligible to host a team.
    2. Venues containing twelve or more machines may host a second team, if approved by the Commissioner.
    3. The Commissioner reserves the right to remove a venue from the list of approved venues at any time.
21. Website Usage
  1. The PinballPDX website is designed to be used to enhance the experience of league teams both during and outside match play. The website is used for administering matches and team management, as well as tracking stats and match results.
    1. Any player or team that knowingly exploits a bug on the website to their advantage or uses the website in a malicious manner will be subject to discipline and potential expulsion from the league.
    2. The website user interface, while designed to help players and teams, is not a replacement for knowing the league rules. The league rules take precedence over the design of the website, and teams are expected to follow the rules even if a feature on the website allows them to bypass a rule.
    3. Any individual that discovers a bug can report it to the league using the league contact form or emailing the league (contact@pinballpdx.org).
  2. When creating a new player profile, the IFPA and Matchplay IDs must be populated with the correct information if they exist.
    1. Matches where teams that utilize incomplete player information may be subject to revision if it is found that a player was used that did not use the correct information, especially in the case where a team’s player rating budget would otherwise have been exceeded by using the player in question.