GENERAL

This pinball tournament consists of a target matchplay qualifier, followed by an Amazing Race playoffs. With 48 or more players, the expected TGP is 100%.

Start time is 2pm. Sign-ups begin at 1:15pm. The buy-in is $5. The IFPA fees will be paid by the Ice Box. All entry fees will be paid out as cash prizes.

Check the tournament website for more details on the target matchplay and Amazing Race formats and for any updates, which may supersede the information presented here.


QUALIFYING

The qualifying portion of the tournament will use target matchplay with a target of 24. Each game will score 7 / 5 / 3 / 1 for 4-player games or 7 / 4 / 1 for 3-player games. The target matchplay will consist of at most 6 rounds.

The number of players advancing to the playoffs will be the largest even number which is not greater than half of the total number of players. For example, if the number of players is between 44 and 47, then the number advancing will be 22. If the number of players is between 48 and 51, then 24 would advance.

The maximum number which may advance is 32, even if the field has more than 65 players.

The top qualifiers may receive byes into the semi-final round. The number of byes will be equal to the number of players who advance to the final minus 24. For example, if 32 players advance, then 8 players (32 - 24) will receive a bye. If 24 or fewer players advance, then no players will receive a bye.

#byes = #advancing - 24

If two or more players reach or exceed the target score during the same round, then the player with the higher total score will receive the higher seed. If two or more players reach or exceed the target score in the same round with the same score, then those players are tied.

Any ties for one or more of the bye positions will be broken immediately as soon as those players reach or exceed the target score. The tied players will play a complete tiebreaker game on a randomly selected machine from among those not currently in use by the tournament.

For seeding purposes, any ties among potential qualifiers who did not play in a tiebreaker will be determined by strength-of-schedule as calculated by matchplay.events.


SEMI-FINALS


Semi-finals will use the Amazing Race format. In the semi-finals, qualifiers will be split into two separate amazing races, proceeding simultaneously. Each group will play on a separate bank of machines.

Membership of each group will be determined based on seeding from the qualifying portion of the tournament. Each of the two races will have exactly half of the qualifiers.

In a semi-final with N players, the first group will contain the #1 seed and N seed. The second group receives the #2 seed and (N - 1) seed. Then, the first group receives
#3 seed and (N - 2) seed, and so on.

In the order determined by the seeds from qualifying, players will choose their initial position within their assigned queue.

For each group, the bottom seed receiving a bye will skip playing the first game in the bank. The next seed with a bye will skip the first and second games in the bank, and so on. When a player with a bye joins the queue for their first machine, they will choose their position within the queue.

The two semi-final races will continue until each queue has only 4 players remaining.

FINALS

The remaining players from the two queues will be combined into a single queue of 8 players.

In an order determined by qualifying seed, finalists will choose their initial position within the queue.

The bank of machines for the final will feature 3 machines from each of the initial arena banks.

A 7th machine not from either initial bank will be added as the final machine in the bank. This machine will be chosen randomly prior to the start of the qualifying round.

The race continues until only a single player remains. This last person standing is the winner of the tournament.

AMAZING RACE FORMAT

Games will be played in a predetermined order. All players will play single player games on the same machines and the player with the lowest score for each machine is knocked out of the tournament. As soon as the current low score for a machine is exceeded, the current player should stop playing and plunge any remaining balls. That player should then advance to the end of the queue of the next machine in the sequence. If a player creates a new low score for a machine, then the previous holder of the low score advances to the queue of the next machine. Multiple machines should be played simultaneously to the extent that it is possible.