Yes, I think this is a rule best left for each tournament to decide, hence the lack of an official IFPA rule.
In our league, each host gets to decide the EB rule. Most say just plunge EBs, but one host allowed them to be played last season. Games ran a little longer than average but it wasn’t too bad.
When I host, I’m thinking of EBs being plunge only, with the player being allowed to nudge all they want-just no flipping. You can try to bump the ball where you want, or tilt to avoid starting something prematurely.
Keep in mind that with some games in the lineup this can lead to very long game times. If your players are up for long tournaments/games, that’s fine, but plan accordingly.
You shouldn’t have drained with Monster Bash lit! I’m half joking, but players know the rules going in. This is part of the game and luck involved. I know it still hurts when it happens. Another situation I saw was a plunged extra ball on The Getaway where the kickback put the ball in burn rubber and wasted 2 videos modes.
Around me we can set up a skill shot with the flipper, but you must remove your hands from the flipper buttons before plunging.
The reason it’s silly to play extra balls if you can’t turn them off is it doesn’t add anything to TGP, makes the games play longer, and usually doesn’t affect the outcome. The typical two situations are (1) the player that’s way ahead is the one that earns an extra ball, plays it and wins by even more, and (2) extra balls are easy to earn on the game, so everyone earns one and everyone plays 4 balls.
We had a situation last night on a plunged extra ball on Iron Maiden where it wouldn’t auto-plunge up to the top so the ball would only hit the slingshots, drain and get re-auto-plunged, over and over and over…
Maybe your local rule originated in your area when Colin plunged an extra ball in Metallica and ended up getting Crank It Up. I thought I remembered some discussion of this a few years ago on this forum.
I’ve seen too many situations where I have to DQ someone for playing someone’s EB that was walked away from.
I hate that. But usually I have access to the games to turn off EBs. Usually the only games I don’t turn off EBs are older or the games play so short, playing EBs is welcomed and helps with strategy.
The local rule permitting people to tilt out extra balls before plunging 100% originated in my league with me – I wrote the rules – after reading the discussion on this forum that you’re referring to!
Interesting idea, but I think I’d vote against it. Personally, I believe EB rules should be different between league and tournaments. Leagues are meant to be more fun, lure more new folks into the sport. Tourneys want to see who the best player is. If you can’t turn them off for a tournament, no flips or flipper button touches. Plunge, go away.
BAPA has always allowed one flip. Also allows holding button to set up SS shot. You can even play video mode on STTNG before taking your one swing. It rarely makes a difference, but the ball saver is still running anyway and the player gets a last chance. I say give them a last swing. I blew up SW at league once and started lightsaber duel with my single last flip. Didn’t care. Already blew it up. I quickly walked away after the flip, but it took a while for the LS duel intro to play before the next player could play. Enjoyed that walk off. Give them a single flip (in league).
Also, on the play EB instead of later ball idea, this wouldn’t work with games with lock stealing. Would likely affect other players. If you are going to allow it, make sure lock stealing isn’t possible.
I don’t get it. This situation happens whether extra balls are to be played or plunged.
All our local TDs use the same rule, plunge extra balls, so the consistency helps. And it all falls back on the rule of look at the display and make sure it’s your turn before plunging.
I’ve seen the EB plunge to start Crank it Up multiple times. Getting from the slings to the scoop on Bash seems a real feat though, unless the game was pitched like a wood rail.
This might be an FSPA rule – we have a longstanding rule that on games set to 3 balls or less, each player may play one earned extra ball … but it does not necessarily have to be the first earned extra ball. A player can choose to plunge an extra ball any time they wish, at their own risk. The most common use of this is on a game with significant Hold Bonus, like Road Show… you finished a ball in play with 2 EB’s stacked and Hold Bonus? It may be wise to plunge the first EB, collecting your (possibly) huge bonus from the held bonus, and then play the second EB trying to re-rack the bonus X.
The philosophy of the FSPA rule is that we want to restrict the number of balls played to manage the overall flow of play – some games hand out EBs like candy and could lead to nearly infinite games – but still offer some strategic opportunities.
(FSPA rules are often mentioned in discussion – sometimes mockingly – but they have been used for pinball competitions since 1995, and have influenced many other competitive pinball rulesets, including the PAPA/IFPA rules.)
Not directly related, but an interesting quirk came up the other week while playing Ballyhoo in the UK cup.
Extra balls were meant to be plunged.
Player 1 earned an extra ball. They then drained down the side with the centre ball save post up. (The post doesn’t drop when you lose the ball, nor are there ball searches on an EM).
When they plunged the extra ball, it came to rest in the post.
The get out (rather than getting the keys and manually drain the ball) was for player 2 (me) to try and skillfully ? drain the ball scoring as few points as possible. No matter how many times I tried it proved impossible to tap pass it drain past the post. In the end i just flipped it so that the ball reset the post from the rollover target.
I play for a couple of hours a week, but I’ve played in very few tournaments. Knowing that there are some differences in league/org body rules about EBs and other things, I guess I just don’t understand why manufacturers don’t just give regular players a Game Mode option of “Competition Play” or whatever you would call it.
No extra balls awarded
Minimal time for ball return
Difficult tilt settings (if applicable) etc…
They do? Which ones? I know some of the newer Sterns have sub-menus that players can access with different modes, but I never saw a Competition Mode comparison…
