Use of cell phone flashlight by player to remedy poor lighting/glare situations.

[phishrace]

@philoflipper

It probably referred to something like putting an overlay down that would show you at what point on the flipper to shoot for specific targets.

Not that complicated. I believe the incident below was the inspiration for the rule. Visual aid can just be notes on a piece of paper.

NES's cheat-sheet on Pinball Magic, PPE 2010 Expert Finals

[philoflipper]

I can’t argue it if the fact of the matter is that it’s known that “visual aid” was meant to refer to notes. But I can stand by my claim that it’s a weird way to refer to notes. “Visual aid” to me says one of two things: 1) something designed to aid vision, or 2) something designed to aid comprehension pictorially. I would probably call notes an informational aid or an instructional aid (edit: or just, you know, notes, which is the word used in the next sentence, hence why I thought that sentence referred to a separate issue).

[JoeTheDragon]

@philoflipper

you can’t review notes while at the game.

But they have an delay of game rule that kind of covers that and may be an better way stop that.
All that needs to happen is to say that looking up notes / online info ect while playing the game is delay of game. But then that need to be worded in an way that it is ok to long into an game with your phone.

[phishrace]

I mentioned earlier that one of the great things about our sport is that you can continue to be competitive at an older age than most other sports. One of the downsides is that it’s a very difficult sport to officiate. New games and new formats are constantly being introduced. Sometimes you have to go by the spirit of the rule, not by the letter.

This is one of those examples IMO. Was added as a preemptive move to prevent cheat sheets, spilled over into cell phone cheats/ pin tips. Was never meant for lighting issues. Absolutely could be worded better, but most everyone gets the idea as-is.

[JoeTheDragon]

but the rules as written may also really by the by the letter of the rule have you login into the game with your phone be an DQ but that is not the spirit.

And may also give you an hole to abuse it if allowed and poorly worded.
some players may take there time and look up notes while they say they are trying to do the login.
But you also have the issue with the reader some times having an hard time picking up your code.

I say get rid of the visual aid rule and just add the cheat sheets part into the DELAY OF GAME rules.

[chuckwurt]

Yet another example of TD discretion. Use it.

[Jokton]

@philoflipper

“No player may use a camera or visual aid of any kind, other than the instructions provided by the machine, while standing at the machine. A player may review electronic or written notes in between turns of a multiplayer game or between games, but not during their own turn or between balls of a single player game.”

Oh man, I just realized that could be interpreted apply to my PinShades!
This rule could use some re-wording to make it clearer. I see all kinds of “visual aids” in use these days by all kinds of people in all kinds of situations.

Here I am playing a game with no GI in Switzerland (not in comp). Cell phone lights are so cool! You have to balance where you put the camera as to get the proper lighting whilst avoiding covering up the action too much with the phone itself.