Tournament Directors (TDs) do more than schedule tournaments. It’s literally their job to make sure that each tournament runs smoothly and is fair for all players. But what does that exactly entail? What is a ruling, and when should you ask for one? Let’s dig deeper into the role of a TD.
What does a TD do?
TDs set up tournaments, run tournaments, and finalize tournament results.
Setting up the tournament includes choosing a location, date, format, and spreading the word to get people to attend. Day of, the TD is in charge of player registration, explaining the format, answering questions, and monitoring tournament progress and potential game issues. After a tournament is finished, the TD finalizes the results and if the tournament is sanctioned, submits them to the IFPA (hopefully in a timely manner). There is a lot more that goes into each of these steps, but that’s it in a nutshell.
What is a ruling?
Under ideal circumstances, every pinball machine being used in a tournament would function perfectly all of the time. But since pinball at its core is a steel ball banging around inside of a box, that’s not always the case. Machines glitch, do weird things, and have malfunctions that can give some players an advantage and others a disadvantage. When you add humans into the mix, there can easily be chaos at pinball tournaments.
Put simply, a ruling is an action or decision that the TD makes to maintain fairness during a tournament. There is a rulebook that provides TDs guidance on how to handle certain situations, but there is a lot of nuance when it comes to making a ruling. When something runs amok, caused either by humans or machine, it is up to the TD to minimize the impact of that situation on tournament play and results.
When should I call for a ruling?
While it can sometimes feel like tattling to call a TD over and get a ruling, there are a few key times where it is critical to involve a TD:
- If you have a stuck ball – If a ball is stuck during and you only have one ball in play, don’t flip. Let the machine perform a “ball search” or two to see if the ball frees itself. If not, call over a TD. If a ball is stuck and you have more than one ball in play, do your best to “trap up” (aka catch the balls on your flippers and hold them), and have someone in your group get a TD for help.
- If someone plays out of turn – Playing out of turn happens to all of us. It’s crucial to maintain the integrity of the scores of the game. If someone plays out of turn, don’t just restart your game. Talk to a TD first.
- If a game isn’t acting as expected – If you know a game well and something isn’t working as expected, such as a switch not working, a ball not locking, or a flipper getting stuck, make sure to call a TD over. Depending on the nature of the malfunction you might play on, or you might get moved to a new game.
- If someone is bothering you – If a player or even a spectator is bothering you and it’s affecting your game, talk to a TD. It is up to the TD to make sure that the tournament environment is safe and fair for everyone.
How do I call over a TD?
If you are actively playing a game and there is an issue, don’t leave your game. It is common for players to raise their hand to get a TD’s attention. If you want, you can also ask someone in your group to go get a TD for help. If you aren’t actively playing when a malfunction occurs, you might be the one asked to go get a TD. If the TD is playing in the tournament, be mindful not to bother them while they are actively playing a game. Only when a TD is not playing a game should you ask them for assistance.
In Conclusion…
The role of a TD is critical to the success of a pinball tournament. If you have questions, concerns, or need assistance, don’t hesitate to ask a TD for help. It is quite literally their job to make sure things run smoothly and fairly.