If you saw any of my other pinball posts, you probably noticed I mentioned “Competitive Pinball.” A number of people have asked me “Is competitive pinball really a thing?” The simple answer is yes - it’s a thing. The longer answer, the one this post is going to be, is:
Let me give you a glimpse into the competitive pinball scene and one of the organizations that helps to make the whole thing possible: https://www.ifpapinball.com/
The International Flipper Pinball Association, or IFPA for short, is the primary group ranking competitive pinball players.
For years now, the IFPA has tracked players and tournaments around the world. The IFPA calculates and awards Worldwide Pinball Player Ranking Points (WPPRs) for every event that qualifies. How does a tournament become eligible to be ranked? If the director submits the tournament to the IFPA Calendar 30 days ahead of time and the tournament is open to the public - it is eligible.
A player’s top 20 events (the ones that earned the most WPPRs) across the last 3 years make up their WPPR total. Players are ranked from highest WPPR total and down from there. Here are the World's current top players:
If you notice, the WPPR column is ranked in descending order. Currently Zach Sharpe is the World's number one player according to the IFPA.
Are there other rankings tracked at the IFPA? Yes. The IFPA tracks players by Country, State, Age and more. It recently added a Power 100 ranking system and that tracks how players fare against the top 250 players in the world:
If you are interested in attending a competitive pinball event near you, but have no idea where to find one, be sure to check the Tournament Calendar. First, on the main page, go into the 'Tournaments' dropdown:
Select 'IFPA Calendar'
Type in your location, decide how far you would be willing to travel and find a tournament that interests you. Make sure to let the tournament director know you are new to competitive pinball, so they can help walk you through the ins and outs of their tournament. I would be shocked if you weren't welcomed with open arms at your first event. Most players realize how important new players are to our scene. After all, the stated objective of the IFPA is to "elevate the awareness and visibility of pinball across the globe," so the expectation is that our sport will constantly be growing.
If you have never played competitive pinball, and have any interest at all in doing so - please go to https://www.ifpapinball.com/ and find an event near you. I promise you won't regret it.
I want to thank the IFPA for allowing me to use these images, every one is pulled directly from their website https://www.ifpapinball.com/.
