Picture this scenario:
The TD has unlimited access to their machines. They can open up the coin door at their leisure.
Does the TD have a leg up over the plebe dropping quarters at said TD’s location?
I can get my flip on to my hearts content on Pinball FX, but is that the same as the person who can open up their Attack From Mars and play the real thing all night?
https://www.ifpapinball.com/menu/halloffame/power100/
I’ll take any win I can get … Even if it’s in my basement 
So because the TD might be able to practice more, that’s unfair? Most events are public locations meaning the players have way more access to the games than the TDs.
I’ve TDed at a bar since like 2015, and I would say outside of some rare exceptions, I didn’t touch the games until event day. Making me the least familiar on those machines. The owner of the bar that TDs now, is only there two days a week.
If players thought this was a problem, they would simply not play in that TD’s events.
I’ve never had anyone not want to play against me on my games at home when I run events here twice a year. Spots are gone immediately and there’s always a waitlist.
Not to say these things don’t happen, Or aren’t an issue for some, I’ve just never seen it in my area.
Is it a leg up, or is it not? Point blank, no BS.
Do you really think that players want to risk getting cast out because they dared to speak up?
It seems there are a lot of issues discussed on Tiltforums as well as other places. Always bringing up these unsavory players that need a good talking to. However, pointing a finger at a TD will get your hoi polloi ass shut down real quick. You think the average player wants to risk it?
Anyone that practices more may or may not get a leg up on the competition. Depends on how well they practice. 
I’ve just never seen any TD in my area act unethically or inappropriately. And if they did (me included), I would hope someone would call it out.
I give opportunities for this to be done anonymously too. Never seen a report.
I support anyone that wants to out a bad TD that is operating unethically. And I think this would be a good place to voice those concerns. That or contacting @pinwizj at the IFPA directly. He has always been receptive and helpful with issues I have.
Or depending how much practice they’re able to get. It makes me a little sad that you’re joking about this. I guess I this isn’t really a topic to be taken seriously.
The bottom line is, did the TD abuse the privilege? Someone owns the machines, someone sets the difficulty, someone chooses the format and someone sets the rules. Many TDs want to compete, including in their own events, because, among other things, those may be the ones closest to where they live. If you as a player don’t believe it will be fair for whatever reason, TD-driven or not, don’t play. I’ve opted out on occasion. If you are a TD, respect your players and be as fair as you can. Unless pinball becomes a big $$ sport where we can hire non-player TDs and use independently-owned machines from non-public locations so no one competing has played them before, this is something we’ll be living with.
I’ll observe here that when Jim won High Stakes at the last Indisc, I didn’t hear anyone complaining about it. The comments I heard were more along the lines of “Jim, great job, this is karmic payback for all the work you put in running events.” If Josh ever wins IFPA, I suspect the sentiment will be the same, even though he’s one of the ones fine-tuning the games before we start. I wasn’t there for the Power 100 basement case, so I have no comment on that.
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disrespect your concerns. In my area, every player has an insane amount of opportunity to practice as much or more than any TD. And almost all players actually do practice much more than the TDs.
Man this is weird. I dare not speak contrarily amongst the pin “greats”.
I completely disagree with some stuff being said, but I am weary and scared, as a pinball competitor, to say more about it.
Well all I can say is try speaking to someone privately about it. I’d start with @pinwizj or someone else at the IFPA. Or hell, I’d be more than happy to discuss further.
Do these players get to play after the operators establishments close? Do they get to play without the coindrop and / or an entrance fee? If they don’t, then the TD has a leg up. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be difficult, but I’m amazed that people aren’t getting this. If Tiger Woods owned a golf course and could play there whenever he wanted to, but the competing public can only play there once or twice a month… does Tiger have an advantage or not?
This might be hard to believe, but the IFPA is not trying to hear anyone speaking ill of their beloved players. Believe me or don’t, I’ve been through the nightmare.
Sometimes. Our local guy is awesome. Especially when a new game arrives. Usually get to come play before the bar is open the next day.
Sometimes. Depends on the event. But all his games at most are on 50 cents a play with more than reasonable tilts and replay settings.
I totally understand your concern, I just haven’t seen it as an issue in the events I’m apart of in my area.
You have to think too. The TD is always doing lots of other stuff that takes away from their practice time.
The owner of the locations we play at also has to run those locations while playing, make rulings, fix games, etc. I think that makes it plenty hard on them.
My experience is they fully support a safe and welcoming space for all TDs and players. They try to have you deal with the situation on your own first with their advice, then they can step in a mediator if the situation cannot be resolved.
Again, just my experience.
This is the aspect that bothers me. Because you haven’t witnessed it, it hasn’t happened? So why would a player that witnesses unsavory behavior ever want to speak up?
Sorry. You misunderstood. I am sure these situations do happen, I just haven’t seen them in my area and no one has approached me, nor have I heard about these things being a concern through second hand. So my only advice without more information is to make your concerns aware with your local players, other TDs that aren’t not involved with the TD in question. Assuming there’s a TD you can trust to have this conversation with.
I’m more than happen to help advise a specific situation privately if you’d like, but here we have merely been talking about hypotheticals so far, so it’s hard to try and help.
The way that I carry myself at my events and the rules that I communicate up front is how I would hope any of the players I deal with would be comfortable coming to me with a concern whether it has to do with me or not.
Ok, hypotheticals it is. If I PM you, you’re just going to get annoyed. Forget about it. PMs Uber Alles!