Is this an IFPA format? I’d make sure you can predetermine those finals games based on how long they played in qualifying. You’re allowed to have a separate pool of games for finals, but not sure if it’s allowed to be based on how long they played in qualifying. It may be okay since you’re changing formats, but I would double check.
No one batted an eye for the submission. I haven’t read all the fine print but I’ve played in tournaments where TDs narrow down the game pool for the playoff before: International Flipper Pinball Association
Yeah I just had some follow up questions on Pincinnati. Just a heads up. I think you’re in the clear as long as the format changes for finals. I just know the rule change exists to stop people from forcing shorter playing games later in the event to speed things up.
I know the rule, I’ve been slapped by the wrist on that before and I’ve seen other TDs force faster games at the tail end of tournaments. The folks who make the rules have not been playing Scooby Doo past midnight on a school night.
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Yeah I have to change the game draws for Pincinnati next year even though I was simply trying to alternate older games and newer games each round to even out the draws for all players. Have to do that the whole time or never.
Only reason I wasn’t doing it the whole time is because I don’t have the number of games required to do so. Once X amount of players are left to allow it, I would do it.
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talking to the big boss @pinwizj , a separate pool of games in the finals isn’t always allowed if your “intent” is restriction of available game pick for time consideration. AKA only using classic game from a mixed pool for finals so you finish faster is a NO-
Case by case basis on how to apply the rule.
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“Any tournaments that eliminate any games that were previously available in the event due to time, in an effort to speed things up (this is often done by switching to “all Classics” when a tournament is running long) will no longer earn TGP after the point in time in which games are eliminated.”
If you plan on eliminating games from being available be prepared for us to ask the question “why?”.
We’ll review your answer and let you know if we’re cool with it.
well can you say take one game that is playing extremely longer then others?
well in an case like that you can just say it’s having tech issues and you don’t want to deal with slowing down the finals.
You could absolutely lie as to the reasons why you’re pulling a game. I’ve had a TD literally tell me that all the System 11 games in a Classics final were all having “issues”, which is why they were pulled for finals.
Those machines were magically back in the competition the following morning.
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I would watch a YouTube show hosted by @PinballProfile where TDs are questioned under a lie detector and results are revealed in front of a live studio audience!
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There is an line of that but pulling all S11 games is way to far.
Other times it can be things like the coils / flippers are to hot take the game out and then the next day they are now ready to go again.
Or it can be the the game needs some repairs but we don’t have time to delay the finals to do it or the tech is playing / needed to do an quick fix on an other game / etc.
Also in some tournaments an game can be having minor issues and then the TD can say just take it out of the finals
The format of the tournament is Max Match Play qualifying with all the fastest playing games in the arcade (based on league season data). The theme of the entire event is that is should be heartbreaking. The pool of games can be anything from EMs to modern Sterns. If you haven’t been to Lynn’s Arcade you might not know what this means. Steep as hell, lightning flippers, no outlane rubbers and some weird rubber on posts that if you brick a shot you drain. The best-of-x playoff bracket should simply be the cream of the crop of most fun games.
If you have your predetermined game list that you’ll be using for the entirety of the event, you’re good to go.
“Any tournaments that eliminate any games that were previously available in the event due to time . . .” is the rule, so don’t eliminate any games that were available at the start of the event and there’s no issue here.
No games are eliminated during qualifying unless we have malfunctions. In the 8-player single elimination best-of-x bracket the TD populate the matches with games.
No games are eliminated during qualifying . . . are you eliminating any games for finals?
Yes. Because we have 20+ games in qualifying and only 8 matches in the bracket for playoffs. The games on the bracket are determined by the TD.
pinburgh used to have an smaller finals bank of games vs the bigger qualifying banks is that not allowed at all?
what about events where it’s qualifying 1 game per round and then finals are rounds of 3-4 games on TD set banks of games?
When the TD determines those 8 games in the bracket, how is that machine selection being handled? Are you picking randomly from the 20+ games available?
Moved this discussion to a new topic so I can unsubscribe from this particular discussion 
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Games are sorted and picked by the top fastest game from qualifying. I can pre-populate the bracket from league season data before qualifying starts if that makes it more kosher so everyone knows how it will go down. The whole point of the “soul crusher” format is to play fast games.