Tournament ruling: phantom switch hit, valid playfield, autoplunge

[Snailman]

@stevevt

I’m pretty sure the auto-firing switch that wrecked an Addams Family ball of mine was just one slingshot firing once.

Indeed: a single sling on Addams will validate your playfield.

[BMU]

The crate opto had been recently repaired, so that’s probably it, thanks.

[cayle]

@BMU

it auto-plunged and they trapped up, but had no chance to attempt their skill shot.

They assumed control - - Get Wrecked ™

The correct play, if they wanted a compensation ball per IFPA rules, was to not touch the game and let the ball drain after the game auto-plunged without player influence.

[85vett]

I don’t think the crate switch validates the PF. At least at the one we play on league it will auto plunge, hit the crate, go SDTM and do that forever untily ou either flip or it happens to hit another switch. Happens all the time as we plunge extra balls. May just be the game we play though.

As for the ruling. Kind of sucks but right ruling IMHO. That’s one of the risk of doing that strategy. Like yesterday, I did the whole, plunge and let it drain strategy on a HS2. Didn’t know they moved the ball save to something like 2 seconds. By the time the ball hit the through it was ball over for me.

[jdelz]

@85vett

I did the whole, plunge and let it drain strategy on a HS2. Didn’t know they moved the ball save to something like 2 seconds. By the time the ball hit the through it was ball over for me.

Were there any balls locked? With 2 balls locked, the empty trough takes longer to register the drain and even if Free Ride was still flashing when you let it go, it might be too late.

[soren]

The Crate entrance switch, and not the Crate hit switch, will make valid.

Of course the ball did not engage this switch. So, for this scenario we assume a ghost sense somehow.

Also be aware that the deeper logic of a ball saver may differ from game to game. When it starts, how it expires, if it will reset on reserve and if there is grace time.

[metallik]

I’m guessing the crate-made (inside opto) was fluttering throughout the game, based on the earlier repair, but the game ignores it unless crate multiball is ready. But it also is a switch that validates the playfield…

[Hepatitis_B_Good]

I feel like you’re knowingly playing with fire every time you attempt some kind of plunge / drain until your desired outcome is achieved gambit. I’ve been burned on Ghostbusters and Ripley’s just off the top of my head attempting same. It’s not an amateur move and anyone attempting it has probably experienced a situation where a phantom switch hit, burned out ball save light, or any of a hundred other things has cost them the ball. I have also been DQ’d from a game by not noticing that the previous player was still up after they failed to validate the playfield and playing my opponent’s ball. In both situations I feel like it was my fault and losing a ball or a game would be the right call to make.