Were there rules published beforehand?
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We had it at Pincinnati on Jungle Queen. The player had good bonus built up. I gave them the option, they chose to nudge (I was shocked), and they drained without tilting. Not sure it won them the game, but they wouldāve been in worse shape had they tilted trying to save. And the tilt was TIGHT
This is the worst and why Iām largely against any sort of protesting beyond asking for a look at the written rule being referenced.
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Before calling it ridiculous you kind of needed to be their, donāt you? That ball was 100% not coming off that post. The player had already moved the game around trying to free it on a very tilty game. In this instance specifically, the player deemed it a stuck ball, asked for a ruling and got the ball on a flipper. Rule is that it goes in the drain or the TD (or player) can try to move the ball by nudging hard and that if it tilts the ball is over. If the TD made the correct call and put the ball in the drain then stating the player had a 4th ball is factually correct. If player didnāt consider it a stuck ball and tried to move it then you would be right but that is also not what occurred.
Iām kind of amazed that saying the player in essence got an extra ball is considered ridiculous, but saying player 2 (whom was already beating player 1 at this point) should have just played better isnāt considered ridiculous.
I was trying to be funny, but in my defense that is exactly how I defined Protest Better. The OP stating that the ruling were heavily protested. When in reality asking the TD to review the written rules was a more appropriate and more effective approach.
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I knew what you meant and didnāt take issue with the phrase, but thought it could be misinterpreted by some and devolve into what @BonusLord mentioned.
Youāre missing an important part. The player has the choice to have the TD drain it or they can try to nudge it out.
Fact is, we have no clue whether the play wouldāve been able to nudge it back into play had they chose that route.
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The player did try. It wasnāt coming out without tilting. Which factored into my calling it a stuck ball, because it was actually stuck and not just resting on the post. Iām still tempted to ask the location to pull the glass and see if there is a defect in that spot that contributed to the āstucknessā but the rule seems clear that itās not technically a stuck ball in that spot.
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I donāt understand how the conversation didnāt go as follows
TD: āStuck ball, Iām putting it on a flipper.ā
Player: āActually, the player only has the choice of having you drain it trying to nudge it free because the ball is stuck above an outlane.ā
TD: āReally, where in the rules is that?ā
Player: āLet me pull it upā. <pulls out phone, opens rules at IFPA site, searches for the word outlane, 3rd occurrence is the relevant section> āHere it isā
TD: āOh wow, I learned something new today.ā
I donāt see why any emotion has to enter this conversation unless the TD screams āI donāt need your stinkinā rulesā and jumps out the nearest window.
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I was speaking to gorgarsupperlip in general, and most inline with those that are less obvious. Wasnāt referencing the FT specific ruling, for which the conversation did go pretty much that way with the exception of pulling out the phone. I was also giving him a small jab, all in fun, as he knows that we both share the passion bubble and have had a tendency to let said rulings effect us. I fully expect for him to jab me back at tonightās tournament if I get myself on tilt 
For a different example along those lines though , can someone show where it states in the IFPA rules that the Lost World situation should be ruled anything but a DQ? We know, at least now, it has issues as a game but that falls under TD discretion for which it was apparently ruled differently in subsequent events (thus my initial comment about different outcomes per TD).
2nd occurrence of āslam tiltā in the rules
Any player who slam tilts a machine, thereby ending play for all players, will receive a score of zero for that game. The slam tilt is treated as a catastrophic malfunction for any other player(s) who have not completed their game(s) in progress. If a tournament official rules that the slam tilt sensor is not functioning properly, the slam tilt will be treated as a catastrophic malfunction for all players.
If the player being DQd states that the machine has a known history of slam tilting without cause, then I think the TD needs to put at least some effort into determining if their statement has merit. If several other league players corroborate this, I think ruling it a catastrophic malfunction for all players is appropriate.
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Edit. Previous post said it better.
Separate tournaments in two completely different events and weeks and Iāve gotta assume it was two different TDās making the call thus the difference in opinion on how to treat it.
But, for the one I was present for it wasnāt a slam tilt, it was a tilt through (phantom tilts). Play was able to be continued for players 3 and 4 (player 1 is the one that got the phantom tilt which also tilted player 2 before plunging the ball). Reading the description of the second situation that one sounds like a slam tilt. Slam tilt, I agree but for a phantom tilt through, it feels like it becomes a much grayer situation. Maybe itās just me though.
If it was a phantom tilt through and I was brought over for a ruling, no way would I be able to prove it was phantom so I would rule like a normal tilt through.
I would then try to recreate the issue/fix it. If it happened again, Iād pull the game.
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There have been a lot of really great suggestions in this thread. Make sure your TDās have a copy of the rules printed or can easily navigate to them on a device. Make sure the rules are published beforehand so the players know which ruleset you are using. If youāre using PAPA or IFPA rules, I know Doug and Josh are always willing to field calls or texts seeking clarification. Thereās a slack channel you can ask.
Thatās all preventative, though. @gorgarsupperlip 's original question was āis there anything to be done when an incorrect ruling is made?ā
The simple answer is āNo.ā The TDās ruling is the ruling, even if itās not whatās in the rule book. You canāt go back and change it after the fact. There are two things you can do going forward: 1) Try to do better next time. 2) If you think the rule in the rule book is WRONG, you can examine the practical implications of it and consider changing it going forward.
Is it appropriate to ask to see where the rule is in the rule book? Absolutely. Do it politely and donāt be a dick, though.
Is it appropriate to ask for a second opinion from another TD? No. As someone else mentioned, this will only sow discord between the TDās and between the TDās and the players. And what happens if two TDās give you the same bad ruling? (I would suggest that all TDās try to get in the habit of asking fellow TDās if they are unsure of a ruling, though.)
This is a good thread. Weāre all fallible and itās good to realize that as TDās, and to know what the best thing is to do as a player.
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I think you need to post your Dick Pick in order for some to get this. I was going to google for it and post it for you but got afraid on what results I may get so Iāll let you post it 
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Good idea. Fixed!
P.S. our dog got a hold of my daughters pick. If you have any more laying around sheād love another!
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Thanks for the link to the Slack. TDing my second tournament tomorrow. Hopefully I wonāt need the slack.
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