Monthly Masters
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Dec 9th, 2007
Nov 11th, 2007


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Tournament Rules

Monthly Masters Rules
Version 2007.5
Last Revision: Nov 10th, 2007

Monthly Masters Rule Sheet
FINAL VERSION



Please Note: These rules are subject to change at any time and each event might be slightly different. The final rule sheet will be posted during the tournament. All decisions will be at the final discretion of the tournament staff.


Detailed Overview
Monthly Masters is a team based round-robin style tournament with 3 or 4 players on a team. No players are eliminated during the tournament and as the tournament progresses, players end up playing other players with the same skill level.

The Monthly Master's Tournament is divided into 4 distinct rounds with different rules:
  • Practice / Seeding
  • Qualifying
  • Lock Down
  • Finals

We will now cover each section in full detail...

Round 1 - Practice / Seeding
During practice and seeding, most tournament games will be available for practice.

One game will be set-aside as the seed game. Players will play at least one game on the seed game and record their score. Practice is NOT ALLOWED on the seed game.

If time allows, a second game will be played on the same seed game. The higher of the two-recorded scores will be used.

When seeding is completed, players will be divided into 3 and 4 player groups based on their rank on the seed game.

Please arrive early or on time! Late arrivals will automatically be placed on the last group with no guarantee of a minimum number of rounds to advance.

Round 2 - Qualifying
Once the groups are created from seeding, qualifying will begin. Qualifying is time based. Each team will play one game per round.

After each round, the top-ranking player will move up one team letter. The bottom-ranking player will move down one team letter.

Example:

Team A____Team B___Team C
Tony______Brian_____Ted
Bob_______Todd_____Paul
George____John______Dave
Sam______Scot______Pat


After the first round the results are (T - Top scoring player, B - bottom scoring player)

Team A____Team B____Team C
Tony (+T)__Brian (B-)__Ted
Bob_______Todd (+T)__Paul
George(B-)_John______Dave (+T)
Sam_______Scot______Pat (B-)


Then the teams for the next round are (and team they came from):

Team A____Team B____Team C
Tony______John______Ted
Bob_______Scot______Paul
Sam______George (A)_Pat
Todd (B)__Dave (C)___Brian (B)


Rounds will be played as time permits. This way each round the winning players move towards team A, and the lowest scoring players move downwards towards team C (or the last team letter based on # of players).

After a few round you will be playing with players in your own skill bracket.

Game and Order Picks:
The player moving DOWN will pick the game.
The player moving UP will pick player order.

Exceptions: A group, newly joining player picks game, top ranking picks order.
Last group: Lowest scoring picks order.


The group may not select the same game until 2 rounds have passed.

Round 3 - Lock Down
When there are two rounds left before the finals, the tournament will enter lock down mode! An announcement will be made that this will be the final round. At this point the teams will play TWO separate games (without players moving between teams).

Each game will be worth 4 points. (4 for 1st place, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd, and 1 for 4th).

At the end of the two games, the lowest scoring player will move down one team and the highest scoring player will move up a team.

Teams are now finalized and the players will no longer move teams through the remainder of the tournament.

Round 4 - Finals
The final round is a battle inside the teams for ranking. Each team becomes a division (Division A, B,C) and you can no longer move out of that team.

Each game will be worth 4 points. (4 for 1st place, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd, and 1 for 4th).

When time limit is reached, your points will be added up determining the winner. Tie-breaker games will be played if required.

All players in the A Division will receive trophies. Top players in all other divisions will receive a trophy and all other players will receive a certificate.

Player Etiquette Rules
VERY IMPORTANT: Please Follow These Rules
  • NO EXTRA BALLS
    Please plunge any extra balls that you receive. You may not touch the flipper buttons or nudge the machine during this time.
  • NO DELAY OF GAME
    Maximum 5 second flipper hold time during single and multiball play.
  • NO BANGBACKS / DEATHSAVES
    Abuse of the machines will not be tolerated.
  • GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP AT ALL TIMES
    Absolutely no purposely distracting or sabotaging other players
Any players found in excessive violations will be removed from the tournament without refund.

World Pinball Player Rankings (WPPR) Points
Masters tournaments are eligible for WPPR points if listed on the event page and if the minimum number of players is met (12 players). Not all events are eligible, check the Dates and Registration Page for information on each event.

Awarded as follows: 4 Points for 1st Place, 2.5 Points for Second Place, 1.5 Points for Third Place, 1.25 Points for Fourth Place.

Side Pot
Some of the Masters Tournaments will be eligible for the side pot. These tournaments will be marked on the dates and registrations page.

Side Pot is an entirely optional cash prize pool. The cost is an additional $20 above the entry fees. Only those participants that enter the side pot are eligible to win!

At the end of the tournament, the side pot is divided as follows: 1st place gets 50% of the side pot, 2nd place gets 30% and 3rd place gets 20%. This is the based on the rankings of side pot eligible players, regardless of division of play.

Machine Settings
The following settings will be used on machines that support them:
  • Tournament Mode
  • Free Play
  • 3 Balls
  • Extra Balls disabled
  • Buy-In or Continues disabled
  • Game Restart disabled
  • 2 Tilt Warnings (may be 0 on older machines)
  • Flipper AutoLaunch disabled
  • Timed AutoLaunch disabled
  • Standard Factory Settings for Ball Savers, Difficulty, Timers, etc
  • Specific Difficulty Settings as determined by tournament officials
  • Automatic Reflexing Features disabled
  • Replays disabled (no score or Extra Ball awarded)

These settings may vary at the discretion of event staff.

Malfunctions
Known Malfunctions
Any malfunction that is determined to be minor will be posted on the affected machine (at the discretion of the tournament staff). No changes to scores already posted will be made and players will not be allowed to replay the machine.

Beneficial Malfunctions
Any malfunctions that are deemed beneficial to only one player in a multiplayer situation (or during qualifiers) shall be brought to the attention of the event staff. In most cases the scores will be voided, the problem with be fixed and the players will be allowed to replay the game.

Minor Malfunction
Any malfunctions that are minor in nature and do not cause a player loss of turn or significantly benefit another player are considered a minor malfunction. This is a normal part of pinball and no action will be taken.

Some examples: A switch fails to register (but for all players), a scoop kicks the ball out at an odd or SDTM angle.

Major Malfunction
Any malfunctions that are significant in nature and cause a player a loss of turn or a significant disadvantage are considered major malfunctions. These must be brought up immediately to the event staff that will take the necessary actions.

Ex: Ball is still in play but machine stops game play. Lit kickback fails to return ball into play. Balls are stuck and will not free themselves.

What is not a major malfunction: Any loss of balls caused by a major malfunction during multi-ball that do not end the players turn. Air ball that jumps over flippers. Scoops that do not kick the ball out where expected or SDTM.

Major malfunctions must be reported immediately. Any action taken is at the discretion of the event staff.

Player Errors
The following actions will result in a player getting a zero for their game and even possible being removed from the tournament without refund:
  • Purposely slam tilting machines
  • Performing Bang backs or Death Saves. (Once the ball travels down an out lane it is considered out of play)
  • Taunting or distracting other players
  • Playing out of turn (purposely)

Rulings
All rulings are at the discretion of the event staff. ALL RULINGS ARE FINAL and cannot be argued with. If you have a problem with any of the event staff or their rulings, you may register a formal complaint with the president of the P3Tournament. However anyone who is arguing with tournament officials will be removed from the tournament. Please be considerate and politely bring your issues to the event president.

ANYONE caught disobeying the rules deliberately will be removed from the tournament without refund. We appreciate your cooperation and honesty.
If you have any questions regarding these rules, feel free to contact us at: info :at: p3tournament.com.



Please Note: These rules are subject to change at any time. The final rule sheet will be posted during the tournament. All decisions will be at the final discretion of the tournament staff.




Also See:
  • See the Schedule page for more information regarding the schedule.



     
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