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Pinball

Competitive pinball is organised through machine scores, group/match-play formats and IFPA/PAPA rulesets.

LevelDiscipline FamilyPrecision Sport CategoryPrecision sport

AI-generated illustration: Pinball — AI-generated illustration

Classification

Category Precision sport

Family Precision Sport

Level Discipline

Getting started

Kurzbeschreibung An arcade precision game where machine score, ball control, table rules and tournament format all matter.

Geeignet für Suitable for people who like fast reflexes, physical machines, score chasing and social arcade/league nights.

Cost Low: individual credits at an arcade, barcade or pinball location are enough for first attempts. Low to medium: regular credits, league/tournament fees and possible travel; owning machines is much more expensive and not required. Pinball venue, local league, IFPA event, arcade museum, barcade or arcade community. Respect machines and house rules; clarify ti…

First progress First shots happen immediately; controlled trapping, passing and nudging need repetition.

Fitness level low

Was du brauchst

pinball machine
credits or tokens
comfortable stance
quick table-rule explanation
tilt understanding
optional matchplay app

First steps

find a pinball venue
play one machine repeatedly
practise flipper timing
learn to trap and aim
then try a local league

IFPA event calendar, local pinball league, barcade, arcade, arcade museum or pinball community.

Do not hit or tip machines; follow house, age and tournament rules.

Weitere Angaben

Aliases Flipper, Pinball

Tags precision, arcade, mind, pinball, precision-sport, machine-score-game, prazisionssport, flipper

Rules and format

Die Grundlagen

Ziel

Score more machine points or match points than opponents on assigned pinball machines under tournament rules.

Teilnehmer

Individual players in qualification, group, match-play or knockout formats.

Teamgröße

Individual players in qualification, group, match-play or knockout formats.

Spielfeld

Arcade, pinball venue or tournament hall with selected machines, scorekeeping and tournament direction.

Dauer

Duration depends on set, frame, round, lane or tournament format.

Wertung

Machine scores are converted into ranking points, match points or qualification places depending on format.

Gewinnbedingung

Best score/match-point result in the announced tournament format.

Ausrüstung

Pinball machines, scorekeeper/TD, paper or digital match-play system and optional IFPA/PAPA ruleset.

Wichtige Regelpunkte

wrong order of play
foot fault or wrong throwing line
tampering with equipment or surface
interference with the opponent

Regelquellen

Federations and sources

A Comprehensive Guide to Pinball for New Players Kineticist · community-guide · medium
Play better! Pinball tips from the world's top competitors Pavlov Pinball · strategy-blog · medium
PAPA/IFPA complete competition rules IFPA / PAPA · rulebook · high
IFPA17 rules International Flipper Pinball Association · rulebook · high
Stern Pro Circuit rules International Flipper Pinball Association / Stern · official · high