Tournament Pinball
Covering competitive pinball and the tournament scene.
The Score Card 13: Women's Championships and More March Madness
Jack Revnew takes the Texas Wizards, Sterling Mitoska picks up his first Stern Pro Circuit win at Steel Valley, and Emily Reilhan caps a historic run with the Women's North American and World Championship titles.
Matt Owen
Pinball Capital Opens as Chicago’s Largest Public Pinball Location
James Fremont covers the grand opening of The Pinball Capital in Stone Park, Ill. — Chicago's largest public pinball location at 131 games. Roger Sharpe re-enacted his famous 1976 "called shot" demonstration on its 50th anniversary, and Brian Weisberg swept both opening weekend tournaments.
James Fremont
Noah Crable on His Surprise Run to the 2026 IFPA National Championship Final
The rulesheet writer talks his path from NH States to the IFPA Nationals final, tournament strategy, and VHS tapes.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: Major Moves
Competitive pinball's spring season exploded in March with three massive events. Our recap plus a look at what's ahead on the tournament circuit.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: States & Starfighters
The 2026 competitive pinball season is officially underway. We've got the complete list of IFPA State and Provincial Championship winners — plus the first Stern Pro Circuit results of the year from the Starfighters Pinball Festival.
Matt Owen
IFPA Announces Updates to Mission Statement & Leadership Team
Three new members join the IFPA leadership team, the mission statement gets a complete rewrite, and the organization commits to new TD resources and continuing the Women's Championship series.
Colin Alsheimer
A Chat with Pinball Prodigy Sterling Mitoska
On the surface, Sterling Mitoska is your average teenager, that is, until he starts playing pinball.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: Season's Endings
On this edition of The Score Card, we're recapping the final SPC tournaments of the year, jumping from Florida's biggest arcade expo to a cozy convention in Ohio, before crossing the finish at a beloved arcade in Illinois.
Matt Owen
IFPA Outlines Early Changes After OBX Fallout
Before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, the IFPA released new statements intended to clarify its internal structure, bathroom-access expectations for sanctioned events, and its next steps following the OBX Fall Flippers incident.
Colin Alsheimer
IFPA Women's Advisory Board Resigns; Issues Statement
Last night, November 19th, in response to the ongoing controversy around the OBX Fall Flippers Tournament and the response to it by the IFPA, the remaining members of the Women's Advisory Board, Crystal Cory, Karyn Kiser, Kim Martinez, and Zoë Vrabel, officially resigned.
Colin Alsheimer
New Information and an IFPA Statement on the OBX Fall Flippers Incident
Internal IFPA Slack discussions reveal new details about the OBX Fall Flippers incident and the organization’s response.
Colin Alsheimer
An Update on the IFPA and the OBX Fall Flippers Event
Providing more information and context around the handling of the harassment incident at the OBX Fall Flippers tournament.
Colin Alsheimer
Developing: What’s Going on With the IFPA and the OBX Fall Flippers Event?
Tracking a developing story coming out of the recent OBX Fall Pinball Tournament held at Flippers Arcade in Grandy, NC.
Colin Alsheimer
The Score Card: Pro Circuit Showdowns
Approaching the end of the year, competitive pinball becomes an interesting scene. As some players wind down, many others rush to the biggest tournaments they can find, eager to claim a few final victories before the season ends.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: From Chicago to London
On this edition of The Score Card, we're looking back at three standout events of September, where players pushed their flipping to the limit in pursuit of big WPPRs and Stern Pro Circuit points.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: The Calm Before the Storm
For our seventh edition of The Score Card, we're keeping you up to date on the Stern Pro Circuit with a pair of big-time tournaments. One held at a proverbial Mecca of competitive pinball, and the other at a comfy spot in one of pinball's “super states”.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: A Beastly Summer of Competition
Summer is a season that pairs well with activities like hiking, camping, and picnics, but if you're a dedicated pinhead, it's home to some of the biggest tournaments of the year. Read our recap in the latest edition of Score Card.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: IFPA20 World Pinball Championship
Recapping IFPA20 Word Pinball Championship, one of the most prestigious major tournaments in pinball.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: Canada's Big Battle and More Majors
In this fourth edition of The Score Card, we're featuring three big-time events, including one of the largest tournaments in the Great White North, an exceptionally quirky Stern Pro Circuit event, and yet another European pinball championship.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: April Flippers Bag Big WPPRs
Europe crowns a new champion, King Kong storms Kalamazoo, and familiar faces take home trophies as the 2025 competitive pinball season heats up. This edition of The Score Card rounds up major tourney results from across the U.S. and abroad.
Matt Owen
The Score Card: Women's World Championship and More
Competitive pinball wrapped up a huge month: Miriam Nadler took home the IFPA Women’s North American title, while Keri Wing secured her third World Championship after an epic comeback. Plus, major wins at Texas Pinball Festival & Louisville Arcade Expo. Full results & highlights here!
Matt Owen
Competitive Pinball Roundup: The 2025 Season Begins
Kicking off a new regular series on tournament pinball with a look at the end of the 2024-2025 season and the start of the 2025-2026 season.
Matt Owen
Hybrid Best Game: How to Play the New IFPA Tournament Format
Learn how the new IFPA tournament format, Hybrid Best Game, works.
Matt Owen
Behind the Scenes at INDISC 2025 with Scorbit
Behind the scenes with Scorbit from the 2025 INDISC pinball tournament. See how Scorbit made a difference with the tournament's score tracking, plus some interesting data crunching from multiple days of competition.
Ron Richards
How a Pinball Newbie Qualified for the Ohio State Championship
From a wide-eyed newbie to a last-minute qualifier at the 2024 IFPA Ohio State Pinball Championship, this is the exciting story of one player’s improbable rise through countless league nights and fierce tournaments.
Matt Owen
IFPA Rookie of the Year Jaden Rich Talks Competitive Pinball Success
Jaden Rich of Louisville, Ohio, has taken the pinball world by storm, earning the prestigious IFPA Rookie of the Year title in his first season of competition. In an exclusive interview, Jaden shares how a birthday tournament with his dad sparked his passion for competitive pinball and more.
Matt Owen
The Full list of 2024-2025 IFPA NACS/WNACS Winners
Scope the full list of winners from last weekend's epic NACS/WNACS State & Provincial finals.
Colin Alsheimer
Pincinnati 2024: A Cozy Convention in the Birthplace of Pinball
Recapping the awesomeness of the 2024 Pincinnati pinball show and tournament.
Matt Owen
Pinball Preparedness: How to Get Ready for Your Next Tournament
As the summer starts to wrap up and autumn nears, the big season of competitive pinball has begun. Here are some steps to help you get your head in the game before a pinball tournament, whether you're competing locally or battling the best on the pro circuit.
Matt Owen
Sweeper City Pinball Championships 2024: Learning the Ropes of Card
In early July, I took a trip to the first-ever Sweeper City Pinball Championships, located at the Hoover Lodge in North Canton, Ohio, where dozens of talented players tackled the art of the card for the very first time.
Matt Owen
The Amazing Pinball Race: A Taste of the Stern Pro Circuit
Wonder what it's like to attend a Stern Pro Circuit event? Matt Owen checks out The Amazing Pinball Race to find out.
Matt Owen
PinBrew Fest: The Pinball and Beer Convention You Need to Visit
The fourth edition of Ohio's PinBrew fest took place recently, and Matt Owen was there to report back on all the beer-soaked pinball happenings.
Matt Owen
Past Times Mega Matchplay: Inside Ohio's Biggest Pinball Tournament
Author Matt Owen takes us for the ride as he competes in the recent Past Times Arcade Mega Matchplay tournament.
Matt Owen
Volunteers Needed: Why You Should Volunteer as a Scorekeeper for a Pinball Tournament
Top 3 Reasons Why Newcomers to Pinball Should Volunteer as Scorekeepers at Tournaments
Joe Ciaravino
Play in the First Accessible and Inclusive Pinball Tournament at Pinball Expo
Pinball is for everyone, and this year there's no better way to demonstrate that ethos than by playing in the first accessible and inclusive pinball tournament at the Project Pinball booth at the 2023 Pinball Expo.
Colin Alsheimer
Pinball Community Spotlight: Andreas Haugstrup Pedersen of Match Play
A special conversation with Andreas Haugstrup Pedersen of Match Play.
Colin Alsheimer
A New Australian Pinball Champion is Crowned
Congratulations to the new 2022/2023 IFPA Australian Championship Series! Mitch Wilkins breaks down the big win.
Mitch Wilkins
Pinball Tournament Formats: A Comprehensive Guide
Looking to take your pinball skills to the next level? Check out this comprehensive guide to pinball tournament formats! From Best Game to Card-Based Qualifying to Pingolf, this article covers the most common tournament formats as well as some wacky unsanctioned ones.
James McFatter
The Ultimate Guide to Pinball Shows & Tournaments in 2026
It's time for our annual roundup of the best pinball shows, conventions, expos, and tournaments that should be on your travel schedule for the year.
Colin Alsheimer
After the Dollar: A Review of the IFPA’s Endorsement Fee
Looking at the impact the IFPA's dollar fee had in its first year of implementation.
Dennis Kriesel