ABC21 in Fort Worth posted a podcast about the Wizard’s World Pinball Arcade. Click HERE to listen. Starts at the 16min mark.

1075th World Ranked pinball player Bill Lascher wrote an article for Fortune magazine on the impact of COVID-19 on competitive pinball. Click HERE to read the article.

To ensure the competitive pinball community stays safe and does all it can to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the IFPA has made the difficult decision to suspend the sanctioning of events.

This means that all IFPA events scheduled on or after Tuesday, March 17th, 2020, will not be sanctioned, approved, or result in the awarding of WPPR points. Results submitted for any event held March 16th, 2020, and prior will be approved as normal. We will revisit this decision on March 31st, 2020, and determine our continued course of action at that point.

We are also asking that Tournament Directors with pending calendar entries within that time frame please remove them via the tournament manager in order to ensure players do not think there is still a sanctioned event occurring. For TD’s worried about the 30-day advance notice rule, we will be waiving that rule once we have this situation behind us and begin sanctioning events again.

We are mindful of how difficult it has been for event organizers, directors, and small business owners to make decisions regarding current, planned, and future events. Based on the most recent information available, extreme social distancing measures are the recommended course of action in countries around the world, and any gathering for the purpose of competitive pinball is antithetical to those recommendations. 

This decision was not made lightly. While some communities may not yet, or ever, feel the full impact of this pandemic, IFPA leadership feels that the organization has an ethical responsibility to take decisive action in slowing this virus’s spread.

We deeply value the feedback and guidance we received from our IFPA Country Directors, as well as TDs and players worldwide. We appreciate your flexibility, understanding, and support during this challenging moment.

As event organizers and tournament directors around the globe are facing decisions to hold, postpone, or cancel pinball events in light of the situation with COVID-19, the IFPA would like to express our support to players and organizers. 

The decision to postpone or cancel an IFPA-sanctioned event is at the discretion of the event’s organizers in accordance with public health announcements and government regulations in each region. We are deeply appreciative of the energy and thoughtful consideration organizers are putting into these decisions amid some unprecedented circumstances. We also ask that players treat the organizers making these tough decisions with kindness and understanding.

The IFPA asks organizers and tournament directors to clearly communicate any plans to cancel or alter their events and keep their event websites as up to date as possible. We will work with organizers and tournament directors who want to cancel or reschedule events and will be flexible regarding changes to the IFPA calendar.

Given the tactile and interpersonal nature of our sport, we recommend that players take every precaution to minimize their own risk and the risk to those around them. The World Health Organization offers information and advice for the public, including basic protective measures. The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has recommendations for steps to prevent illness and other resources on their website. 

The IFPA is here to answer questions, offer guidance, and ensure that event cancellations have minimal impact on the continued enjoyment of competitive pinball.

Due to the recent developments surrounding COVID-19 and concerns for the health and safety of all our guests, players, and staff, the Stern Pro Circuit Championship will be postponed to a later date to be determined.

With the IFPA Heads-Up Championship scheduled to be part of the events that weekend, it will also be postponed to a later date.

We will refund those that have registered, and announce when registration will re-open after a new date is scheduled.

Should you have any questions, please contact the IFPA at ifpapinball@gmail.com.

Click HERE for FINALS results!

Click HERE to see qualifying results!

Click HERE to watch the stream!

Things start at 9am MST!

LIVE Brackets available HERE:

IFPA North American Pinball Championship

IFPA Women’s World Pinball Championship

Streaming available HERE at Colorado Pinball Collective on Twitch!

Game queue available HERE.

Action kicks off at 11am MST!

Stern Pinball and the International Flipper Pinball Association are teaming up to sponsor a global Stern Army High-Score Tournament on Jurassic Park Pro, Premium and LE pinball machines.  Players can enter by participating in any IFPA-sanctioned Stern Army events that include Jurassic Park in their tournament.  For full details on this exciting championship, visit – https://www.ifpapinball.com/koti/

The following apps are designed, updated and maintained especially for pinball players. They’re free, ad-free, and great resources for new and experienced players. If you like the apps, please rate & review them on the play store and share the info and links in this post.

The IFPA is excited to announce that Stern has added Stranger Things Pro to the rewards program. A reminder that the 2019 rewards earned by players expire December 31st, 2020.

Detailed rules for the $tern Rewards Program, including an updated list of qualifiers, and updated list of rewards available can be found HERE.