Small Changes, Big Scores
When you first start playing pinball it can feel like improving your scores is impossible. How are people getting these massive scores? Believe it or not, with just a few small changes, your score can climb higher.
Tournament Directors are Your Friend
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.
How to Keep Your Cool: Advice from State Champions
Despite it being a hobby, competing in pinball tournaments can be a stressful experience. How do you get into the right headspace before? How do you keep your cool during the event? And how do you lock in during a critical moment without putting too much pressure on yourself? Paige Peck and Marc Jackson, Utah’s 2025 state champions, share the advice that helped them to win the biggest tournaments of the year.
Tournaments, Series, and Leagues, oh my!
When joining the world of competitive pinball, there are a few terms you might hear thrown around about types of competitions: tournaments, series, and leagues. What is the difference between them? What makes the most sense for you? Let’s dig into each to better understand them.
2025 Pinball in Review
Another year of pinball has come and gone, and 2025 had some incredible highlights in the pinball community. Let’s take a look at the proverbial highlight reel of pinball in Utah: open tournaments, women’s tournaments, and more!
Digital Pinball Tools
Technology can be a beautiful thing. Look at how things like lights, screens, and ability for deeper code have changed pinball over the years. If you’re looking to track your progress, find games, or even hunt achievements, there are plenty of digital pinball tools to help.
Pinball Streams and Channels
If you want to immerse yourself in the pinball community from the comfort of your own home, there are streams and channels aplenty for you to enjoy. Whether they are tutorials, individual streamers, or streams that focus on events and tournaments, there are tons of options available.
Talk the Talk of Pinball
Drop targets. Standup targets. Backhand. Skill shot. Soft plunge. When you ask someone for help with game strategy, it can quickly feel like they’re speaking a whole other language. Let’s define some playfield terms and shooting terms to help you talk the talk of pinball.
What is the IFPA and why should I care?
When you start getting involved in pinball competitions, you’re probably going to hear a lot of acronyms and terms that don’t make sense. What’s the IFPA? What do they have to do with tournaments? What’s the difference between sanctioned and non-sanctioned tournaments? And why are people talking about burgers?!
Fear not, these questions and more will be answered.
Less Common Tournament Formats
Decoding the language around tournament formats can be difficult for beginner players. Even more experienced players come across tournament formats they might not be as familiar with. For this month, we’ll cover some less common formats and how they work.