General rules for the Stockholm Open

This document may be changed without notice. Much credit for parts of the rules and the tournament system goes to the PAPA team for developing and writing them, and for permitting us to adopt them.

The Nature of Pinball

The unique charm of pinball lies, in large part, in the physical nature of the game. Unfortunately, this means that unusual events and outright malfunctions cannot be prevented. Nor can they all be perfectly compensated for. The Stockholm Open Organizing Committee attempts to strike a balance between compensating for malfunctions and accepting the physical nature of the game.

Equipment malfunctions

When a machine malfunction appears, tournament officials shall be called for ASAP.

1) Minor Malfunctions

A minor malfunction is any incident without external cause which deviates from the normal course of gameplay, without directly causing a player's loss of turn and without providing any player a significant advantage over others. A minor malfunction is considered part of normal play. Tournament officials shall determine what constitutes a significant advantage; in the event that such an advantage is obtained; refer to "Beneficial Malfunctions".

Examples of minor malfunctions include:

• One hit was not registered.
• The ball is stuck during a timed mode and isn't released until the timer has run out.
• A ball is lost in an unnatural fashion during multiball play (i.e. no compensating for major malfunctions during multiballs).

2) Major Malfunctions

A 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 machine's gameplay. After addressing a score-keeper or a tournament official, the player will most likely be compensated. If the official(s) agree that the incident is a major malfunction, the player will be provided with one additional ball of play at the beginning of a new game, after the current game has been completed. The one-ball score is added to the player's original score. In the event that two or more major malfunctions take place during the same game, the player(s)' game(s) will be terminated and replayed. The terminated scores will be temporarily recorded, and except in any case where the original score was unfairly improved by the malfunction, the higher score for each player will be recorded as his or her official score.

Examples of major malfunctions include:

• A lit kickback fails to return the ball to play, ending the player's turn. This does not apply to other ball saving devices such as timed ball savers, ball traps, gates, or "virtual" kickbacks.
• The machine loses track of how many balls are in the drain trough and starts bonus count.
• A scoop kickout throws the ball SDTM, thus ending the players turn.
• The ball falls of a habitrail and drains.

3) Catastrophic Malfunctions

A catastrophic malfunction is any event not purposely or inadvertently caused by a player, which immediately ends play for all players on the particular machine. When a catastrophic malfunction occurs, the scores of the terminated games will be temporarily recorded if possible, any player(s) whose game(s) was/were not already completed must replay their game(s) from scratch. The higher score for each player will be recorded as that player's official score.

Examples of catastrophic malfunctions include:

• The game system crashes and/or resets due to a software error or component failure.
• Power is lost or interrupted.
• A new game starts.
• A major malfunction repeatedly recurs in spite of best attempts to repair the machine.

4) Beneficial Malfunctions

Any malfunction which provides at least one player with a significant advantage over any other player competing on that machine is known as a beneficial malfunction. Tournament officials shall determine what constitutes a significant advantage. Any beneficial malfunction which results in a player being able to continue play of a ball that normally should have ended is normally allowed once per game. Examples would include an unexpected software ball save, a ball that bounces back into play without player action, or a ball that comes to rest on an unlit kickback in the outlane. Any situation which provides benefit to one or more players over any other players should be brought to the attention of the scorekeeper promptly, who will alert tournament officials. Any player who intentionally takes advantage of a significant beneficial malfunction may be given a warning and/or have his or her affected entry disqualified by tournament officials.

Stuck Balls

During the course of play, it is possible for one or more balls to become stuck on the playfield. If this happens during single ball play, the player must wait for automatic ball searches to occur. The expiration of any timed feature during this period is not considered a malfunction.

If the stuck ball has not been freed after three such searches, or if the machine is not performing searches for some reason, the player must alert the scorekeeper, and a tournament official will be brought to the machine. The player must remain alert and at the machine, as he or she is responsible for the ball if it becomes freed at any point. A tournament official may initially choose to try to free the stuck ball through judicious nudging, tapping, etc. The player must remain ready to resume play at the machine during this attempt. If actions by the official result in a Tilt, this will be treated as a major malfunction (not the fault of the player). If the official frees the ball but the player does not successfully continue play, this is normal play (the fault of the player). Loss of Tilt warnings due to tournament official nudging is considered normal play.

If the tournament official is unable to free the stuck ball or chooses not to try, the machine will be opened, and the stuck ball freed and placed either in the plunger lane, if it is manually controlled, or on the upraised right flipper, with the flipper button held by the player (if this is possible). If more than one ball is stuck, all freed balls will be placed on the right flipper before play resumes.

If the ball is inadvertently freed while the machine is open and drains without the player regaining complete control (stopped on a flipper), this will be treated as a major malfunction. If the ball is freed and the machine closed without the player's loss of ball, play continues as normal. If the game is in multiball play and one or more balls are lost as a result of freeing stuck balls, possibly ending multiball but not ending the ball in play, this will be considered normal play.

If a ball becomes stuck during a multiball mode, the player should attempt to trap the other ball(s) in play and request assistance. A stuck ball during multiball often represents a significant beneficial malfunction, and intentionally taking advantage may result in a penalty. Please note specifically that a ball ending up in the plunger lane during multiball on a machine where there is no autoplunger counts as a stuck ball. See "Beneficial Malfunctions" for further details.

Any player who chooses to shake or bump the machine in order to free a stuck ball does so at his or her own risk. No allowance will be made for a player who tilts while attempting to free a stuck ball, whether or not tournament officials are present.

Player Errors

A player error is any player action, purposeful or accidental, which affects the normal play or outcome of a game in progress. Players conducting player errors may be warned by tournament officials. A player receiving his or her second warning is disqualified for the rest of the tournament.

Any player who tilts his or her ball in play will not receive any penalty other than the normal loss of ball.

Any player who tilts the ball of another player, either through interference or by tilting his or her ball so roughly that the next player's ball is affected before play continues, will receive a score of zero for that game, unless tournament officials grant an exception based on the behavior of the machine in question. The affected player(s) will be compensated as in case of a major malfunction.

Any player who slam tilts a machine, thereby ending play for all players, will receive a score of zero for that game. The slam tilt is treated as a catastrophic failure for any other player(s) who have not completed their game(s) in progress; they will be allowed to replay a new game and choose the higher score. If a tournament official rules that the slam tilt sensor is not functioning properly, the slam tilt will be treated as a catastrophic failure for all players.

Any player who deliberately interferes with the play of another player, through distraction, touching the machine or player, or disrupting tournament procedures, will receive a score of zero for the game and a warning.

Any non-player, or tournament participant not playing in the game in progress, who deliberately interferes with the play of any tournament game, will be given one warning. On the second offense, the offender will be ejected from the facility.

Accidental interference is regrettable but can happen. Any player or non-player who accidentally interferes with the play of any tournament game may be warned. If the interference was sufficient to cause the loss of ball, this will be treated as a major malfunction. If the interference terminated play for all players (for example, tripping over a power cord and pulling it from the wall), this will be treated as a catastrophic malfunction.

A player who plays out of turn in a multiplayer game will receive a score of zero. The affected player may choose to take over the ball in play, if possible, or they may choose to have the incident treated as a major malfunction. In the event the player takes over, he or she shall be deemed "in control" after declaring his or her intent, taking his or her position at the table, and making contact with the ball via the flippers. The affected player may not change his or her mind once he or she is "in control". Any player who plays out of turn deliberately in order to employ this rule will be ejected from the tournament.

Because the tournament consists solely of singles play, coaching of any player during a game, in any round, is not allowed. If a player specifically requests advice on a game feature during play, his or her question may be addressed only by a tournament official, and answered only in terms of whether or not the machine is functioning correctly. Players are not to seek assistance from other players or spectators. Outside of play, players are of course free to discuss features and strategies as much as they like.

Tournament officials will be the sole determiners of what constitutes interference and whether or not it is accidental or deliberate.

Player conduct

All players and spectators are expected to conduct themselves in a polite and sensitive manner. Failing to do so may result in a warning from tournament officials. At the second warning the player is disqualified. The spectator is shown off the premises after the second warning.

Smoking is not allowed in the competition area (i.e. near the players). Other smoking prohibitions may apply in the premises.

Tilt sensors are employed to determine what constitutes unduly rough handling of each machine, within the parameters of normal play. Abusive handling such as punching, kicking, lifting, tipping, or rocking a machine, or hitting the glass in any way, is grounds for a warning and possible disqualification of game or ejection from the tournament, at the discretion of tournament officials.

Techniques known as "Death Saves" and "Bangbacks" are sometimes practiced by certain advanced players. Because the effectiveness of these techniques varies from machine to machine, and because of the risk of injury to either player or machine, these are banned from tournament play. In the event that a drained ball bounces back into play without deliberate or significant player action, the ball may be played. This may require a ruling from tournament officials if there appears to be abusive force employed by the player.

Machine breakdown

If a machine breaks down during game play, all affected players will be allowed an immediate replay. If the replay is on the same machine, each player's two scores will be noted and the higher one will be registered. If the replay cannot be played immediately on the broken machine, two situations may occur:

• During the qualifications: Each affected player may choose a replacement machine for his or her current entry. The chosen machine must be one available for qualification, but not one of the other two games in the player's current entry. Players may choose not to play on any replacement machine. In that case, their score from the broken down machine will be registered.
• During the finals: Tournament officials will pick a replacement machine on which the affected players shall continue the match

If a machine has a non-repairable breakdown during the first half of the qualification, all scores registered on that game will be deleted. A replacement machine will be chosen and the players affected will get a chance to register scores on that or any other of the qualification machines, free of charge. If a player has more than one score registered on the broken machine, he or she is allowed to the same number of replays as registered scores. The replacement scores will be registered in the same order as the entries on the broken machine. Players will be allowed to void these re-opened entries.

If a machine has a non-repairable breakdown during the second half of the qualification, the scores registered on that machine will stand. No replacement game will be brought in. If the machine is fixed before qualification ends, it will be reinserted to the tournament.

Software Settings

In general, the software settings of each machine will be adjusted to best accommodate tournament play. The following settings will be employed on any machine that supports them:

• Tournament Mode
• Free Play
• 3 Balls
• Extra Balls disabled
• Replays disabled
• Match awards disabled
• Buy-In or Continues disabled
• Game Restart disabled
• 2 Tilt Warnings
• Standard Factory Settings for Ball Savers, Difficulty, Timers, etc

These settings may vary according to division, at the discretion of tournament officials.

Rulings

Rulings shall be made by tournament officials firstly and secondly by tournament officials and the Organizing Committee together. Any tournament official or member of the Organizing Committee is excluded from ruling on any play situation that directly affects his or her actual or potential standing as a player.