If I click the link it is just taking me to a blank tab with the address filled out. I did this on my phone and also on my computer while Slack was open in another tab. Is there another step that is hanging on my end?
I highly recommend relying first on the various malfunction rules as stated in the PAPA-IFPA Complete Competition Rules, and not based on your description of Major Malfunctions in your post, as some of your descriptions conflict with the rules. We must be very careful not to twist the rules and loosely interpret them, as this causes even more confusion and tension among TDās and players if we advocate for things that conflict with the PAPA-IFPA rules.
Section I.3: āA major malfunction is a gameplay problem with a machine that results in the premature loss of ball in play in a fashion that is not a normal feature of the machineās gameplay.ā (emphasis mine)
- Most major malfunctions are easily identifiable: they caused a player to prematurely lose their ball.
Section I.2: āA minor malfunction is any incident without external cause which deviates from the normal course of gameplay, without directly causing a playerās loss of turn and without providing any player a significant advantage over others. A minor malfunction is considered part of normal play. ā¦ A minor malfunction that occurs repeatedly, to the extent that it is markedly affecting play of the machine, may be considered a major malfunction at the sole discretion of Tournament Officials.ā
- Please note that only minor malfunctions that occur repeatedly should be considered by the TD to elevate to Major Malfunction level.
- So all your examples of not being able to start multiball, finish spelling a word, etc. are not eligible to be Major Malfunctions (or āmajor problemsā) unless they happen repeatedly. And even then, itās up to TD discretion to elevate it to Major level (similar to the example of a TNA center 3-bank stand-up no longer registering).
Regarding how to fix Major Malfunctions (MM), please be careful there, too. The rules are quite prescriptive.
- Player receives a compensation ball, if possible by adding balls to the game in progress via software settings. If not, then they play one additional ball on a fresh game to add to their score.
- Attempt to fix the MM without resetting the machine.
- If the MM requires resetting the machine, the playersā scores will be recorded, game shut down, problem fixed, and then players play additional balls as needed to add those scores to the recorded ones.
- A MM does not become a Catastrophic Malfunction until it repeatedly occurs in spite of attempts to repair the machine (see Sections I.3 & I.5)
- Only if a Cat. Malfunction is severe and cannot be repaired promptly does the pin become a Disabled Machine, gets pulled, and new pin assigned (if in match play).
For clarity, contrary to what you stated, the next option after trying and failing to fix the MM with the game still on is not to pull the machine.
Hmmm, itās not working for me either. Iāve asked in the Slack, because the image I get indicates the link ānever expiresā
If youāre willing to drop me your email in a PM then Iāll add it directly through this interface.
I think your explanations also requires Section 6 Beneficial Malfunctions, because the minor malfunction flow chart also has an edge to beneficial malfunction.
Any beneficial malfunction which provides one or more players with a significant scoring or strategic advantage in a way that is not part of normal gameplay will void the score of the affected player(s), unless all immediately-affected players and Tournament Officials can agree on a suitable adjustment of the score or other elimination of the advantage. If the beneficial malfunction has been specifically avoided by the player, it is unlikely
that a penalty is necessary. If any player score(s) are voided, the affected player(s) may then replay the game after the other players have finished, and the new score(s) are used for the affected player(s).
So in the TNA example, if the error did not occur for P1 and P2, that it provides them significant scoring or strategic advantage.
I guess the resolution would be to void scores 1 and 2, let P3 and P4 finish, then p1 and p2 replay afterwards in the broken state.
I would argue thatās not correct, by definition: in your scenario, if the error did not occur for P1 and P2 ā that is, the machine worked as designed for them ā P1 and P2 did not have a malfunction at all, so you canāt call their situation a Beneficial Malfunction or use the BM rules to adjudicate. (Letās hope we never get to the point where āmachine worked as designedā is considered a malfunction!)
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Well then we need an significant scoring or strategic disadvantage rule.
As in if P1 and P2 are able to play fully working then P3 and P4 donāt get to play fully working.
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I feel the most important aspect is to preserve integrity of the competition by ensuring the players are competing on as even a playing field as possible.
If it is discovered that a game is and has been broken since P1 B1, Iām likely to say play on, even if a significant scoring feature is disabled. Everyone gets the same conditions and can can adapt as they see fit. Fix the game afterward if possible, pull if not since broken games arenāt much fun.
If a significant scoring feature breaks in the middle of a match at a time so that early players got one more ball with the feature than later players, Iām likely to void and restart on a new machine. If P1/P2 get two balls with the feature, and P3/P4 get one ball, itās simply no longer an even match at that point and the integrity is compromised. The malfunction would have to be significant - eliminating the (or one of the) gameās major scoring features for me to consider this.
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Agreed. @normaj had already given appropriate mention to the Beneficial aspect to a Minor, so I didnāt feel a need to rehash it.
Has someone put together a simplified flow chart on this? That would be really helpful as a tool for TDās (and players)
I think we need rules for āModerateā malfunctions :).
Here are questions I ask myself, for where I draw the line for a CURRENT GAME IN PROGRESS: (1) is it equal and fair to all players. Left orbit never registering is less likely to have me pull a game vs left orbit randomly registers, as one is the same for all players, the other isnāt. (2) Does the malfunction prevent making progress in the game. Some games have multiple strategies, and a broken switch only prevents use of one strategy. Other games you can get to a point where you must hit one shot, that shot is broken, and thereās really nothing else you can do. As long as it doesnāt prevent a real competitive game, play on that game. (3) Is it player 1 ball 1. If an issue is brought to my attention right at the start, before any player has ended a ball, then I am more likely to yank the game on the spot rather than let it go on. But once even one player has ended a ball, then thereās a certain amount of play locked in, and Iāll have a higher threshold.
As far as AFTER the current game in progress, any machine that is questionable I will pull, as long as I have enough machines. If Iām running a tourney with 15 machines available, but I only need 10, I will regularly choose the ābest 10ā to use. There are no rules that say you must use all machines in a location. Iāve actually added in my rule sets that some machines might not be used because of minor issues at TD discretion, or even because they are too long playing. So pull games with even minor malfunctions if you have more than enough for the tournament, but leave them in despite minor issues if you really need the machines to have enough to not double-up matches.
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