PTP League Season 1 Tuesday, January 7th - April 1st 2025

Prizes For PTPL - Season 1

A Division

1st Place - Custom League Trophy, $60 Cash, $25 PTP Door Credit

2nd Place - Custom League Trophy, $40 Cash, $25 PTP Door Credit

3rd Place - Custom League Trophy, $20 Cash, $25 PTP Door Credit

4th Place - $25 PTP Door Credit

B Division

1st Place - Custom League Trophy, $25 PTP Door Credit

2nd Place - Custom League Trophy, $25 PTP Door Credit

3rd Place - Custom League Trophy, $25 PTP Door Credit

4th Place - $25 PTP Door Credit

Introduction

The Perfect Tilt Pinball League offers a fun and competitive environment for pinball players of all skill levels, adhering to PAPA/IFPA league play rules. PTPL is an IFPA-sanctioned event. After each league season, the results will be turned into IFPA for WPPR.

Fees

The cost of the league will be $8.00 per player each week. All games are set to free play. This cost includes a 30-minute practice session before the league start time or a 30-minute post-league completion session. Perfect Tilt Pinball operates on a pay-at-the-door basis. Please respect the business by observing and abiding by the times allotted.

Season

A season will consist of one meet per week for twelve weeks. Playoffs will be played on week thirteen. 

Start Time

Weekly matches for Season 1 will be played on Tuesday nights starting at 7:00 pm.

Unannounced Tardiness

If a player arrives late without prior notice, the league officials will try to place them in their designated group if feasible. If that is not possible and play has already started, the player may be excluded from that week's play.

Announced Tardiness

If a player gives advance notification to league officials of possible delay, it will be at their discretion to hold that player's group up for the player. Each group should start no later than fifteen minutes after the league's scheduled start time. A loss of turn or a zero for that machine could be invoked at the discretion of the league officials. 

Discretion of League Officials

The rules are to serve as a guide. Specific situations may arise that aren’t specifically covered by the rules. In these cases, the league official will decide in the spirit of the rules. This decision shall be documented for later reference, and be applied consistently should the situation arise again.

Abbreviations and Definitions

IFPA  International Flipper Pinball Association

PAPA  The Professional & Amateur Pinball Association

PTPL  Perfect Tilt Pinball League

WPPR World Pinball Player Ranking

League Play

Non-Playoff Matches

Players will be arranged in groups of four. If the number of players is not a multiple of four, players are arranged into as many groups of four as possible, with the remaining groups having three players. 

Groups for Weeks 1 through 3 will be determined randomly. 

On Week Four, the groups will be determined by the individual's current points earned through three weeks of play. Players will then be arranged into balanced groups of three or four.

After Week Six, marking the midway mark for the league season, the total number of participating players will be split into divisions consisting of an A and B division. 

The A division will designate the top half of the field. The B division will be the lower half of the field. Players will be grouped in their respective divisions by the individual's total points through six weeks of play. 

Starting in Week Seven, each player will play with their division by total adjusted points 

A match consists of four games played on four machines during a single meet. Groups shall play four separate games chosen by each player per meet. When groups consist of three players, the first player in the group will choose two games. The second game chosen by player one, shall take place after the third player's choice game has been completed. The order of play for each match will be based on current point totals with the lowest point totals going first, preceded by the next higher point total. 

Points will be awarded using IFPA-style scoring: 

4-player group - 7/5/3/1

3-player group - 7/4/1

Point totals are adjusted with a two-week drop included after week 2. A player can miss up to two meets per season without negatively affecting total points for the season.  

All games are played in multiplayer mode. At the end of each game, scores are recorded on scoresheets provided by league officials. The first player for each group is responsible for recording the score totals at the end of each game. 

It is each player's responsibility to be sure their machine scores are recorded correctly on the scoresheet as each game is finished. Any possible scoring errors should be brought to the attention of a league official as soon as possible. Once notified of an error, the official shall contact all the players in the affected group to determine their recollection of the scoring. If all players agree, then the scoring will be corrected. However, if all players in the group do not agree with the reported error, the scores as written on the scoresheet shall stand. The scoresheet shall be turned in to league officials at the finale of each weekly match. The scores are then recorded in TPL software by a league official. The league official will share the match totals for the week per the Perfect Tilt Pinball website.

Playoffs

After the 12-week season, the total adjusted point totals will determine the final position for the playoffs. The two bottom weekly total scores for each individual will be dropped from the overall point totals and the adjusted sum will be the overall point totals for the player. If a player misses a league week, that player receives a zero for that week, and that would automatically become a dropped score. If the player has more than two absences, they would receive a zero for the additional absences over two. If the player has attended all 12 weeks of play, then the two lowest scores are dropped. 

The top four in the “A” division and the top four in the “B” division will go to the playoffs. Each division will compete in a match play round to determine the winner. The highest-seeded player in each division will have their choice of starting position for the match-play event. The machines played in the finals will remain decided by each player. 

The player with the most points total at the end of the match play will be the winner of their division.

IFPA Qualifying Event

Per IFPA rules, players not participating in 50% of the qualifying portion of a season are ineligible to be included in the final results.

Machine Play 

Extra Balls

In all league matches extra balls are required to be plunged by the earning player. When a player is required to plunge an extra ball, the player may touch the machine to set up a skill shot before launching the ball. Once the ball is set into motion, the player may not shake (nudge), the machine, or touch the machine's flippers. A violation will result in a loss for that player for that machine. 

Malfunctions and Rulings

Malfunctions and rulings will be handled using the most current IFPA/PAPA unified rules under the Malfunctions and Rulings section. 

https://www.ifpapinball.com/rules/

Play Order

A league official will provide the play order for each match. If a player plays out of order, the player will be given a loss on that machine. A league official should be notified if such an event occurs and it will be a league official discretion on final ruling. Every effort will be made to rule with the least disruptive decision to all players involved. 

If too many games are started inadvertently, balls for the extra games are plunged but not played. If too few games are started, additional games are started, if possible, so that the number of games on the machine matches the number of players in the group. If the proper number of games cannot be started by the above means for some reason, the game is ended immediately and a replay of the machine by all players commences. The player responsible for the wrong number of games being credited (who pressed the credit button) pays the cost of the restart.    

Interference

Interference in another player’s game is not tolerated. Interference includes intentional slam tilts, tilting an opponent’s ball, or nudging the machine during another player’s ball, even if the action does not cause the victim to lose the ball. It also includes intentional distraction of a player during his play. Talking or coaching is not considered interference unless the player at the machine specifically requests that he not be talked to during play.

Etiquette

Basic rules of courtesy apply. Do not touch a machine when it’s someone else’s turn. Keep a fair distance from a machine being played. Refrain from distracting opponents and maintain a respectful demeanor. When your turn comes up, be ready to play. No additional gameplay shall be started during league matches. If you need to step away, let your group know where you are and when you’ll be back. Prolonged delays may be subject to a loss of turn at the league officials' discretion. 

Tilting your ball during play only results in penalties enforced by the machine.  “Slam-tilting” the machine will cause you to forfeit that game; multiple violations may cause you to forfeit the season. Abusive handling such as punching, kicking, lifting, tipping, rocking a machine, or hitting the glass in any way, is grounds for a warning and possible disqualification of the game or ejection from the league, at the discretion of league officials. Please always treat the machines with kindness. 

Any verbal or written abuse directed towards league officials or other players will not be tolerated and will result in immediate ejection from the league.

Insider Connected

Each player is allowed to scan in for play on each Insider Connected machine unless that machines login has been excluded by the league officials. All games that provide a status advantage by logging in will be excluded. League officials will define excluded machine(s) at the beginning of each league season.

This document represents the First Edition of the Perfect Tilt Pinball League Rules, issued on 12.06.24.