The Circuit Final event is operated as a coordinated effort between PAPA and IFPA, and therefore the latest version of the PAPA/IFPA unified rules apply, in terms of handling malfunctions, player behavior, official rulings, and all other guidelines. The Circuit coordinators are the designated tournament officials for the Circuit Final.

The Circuit Final will feature a group of pinball machines selected by officials. Machines outside this group may not be selected for play. Officials may make machine substitutions as they deem necessary.

1. Qualified Players

Final Circuit standings will be determined promptly after the last Circuit event. Any player in the top 40 of the rankings will be invited to the Circuit Final. The tiebreaker for the 40th position will be determined by whichever player has the highest finish in a Circuit event in that season. If a tie remains after a single event, the next highest finish will be considered. This process will proceed until the tie is broken, or a coin flip is required.

Qualified players will be notified promptly by Circuit coordinators. If a player cannot attend, their opening will be filled by the next highest seeded available player who has participated in the Circuit. Players who do not attend will not receive any prize from the Circuit Final.

2. Rounds One and Two

All players will be grouped by seed into ten groups of four players. Each group of four players will compete on four different machines, with the highest seeded player given the choice of choosing the game to be played or determining order of play. At the end of the four-game round, two players will advance out of each group into the second round, which will function similarly to the first.

Both of these rounds will function as if they were the final rounds of the PAPA World Championships, with the only differences being the number of four-player groups competing and the use of four games per round in the Circuit Final instead of the typical three used in the PAPA World Championships. Scoring will be traditional PAPA-style 4-2-1-0.

3. Ladder-Bracket

Round 3 consists of a series of four-player games. The first game is played by the four lowest-seeded players. The highest-seeded player has choice of machine or order of play. Choice proceeds through the remaining players in descending order of seeding.

The player who has the lowest score is eliminated from the Final, and receives the appropriate prize. The next lowest-seeded player, who has not yet played, is added to the group for the next game.

In each subsequent match, the highest-seeded player (who will be the player who just joined the group) has choice of machine or order of play. The next choice is given to the winner of the previous game, and choice proceeds in descending order of score on the previous game.

No player may choose the same machine more than once, but any player may choose a machine already played, including the most recent machine played. Officials may remove any machine from consideration at any time.

Players will compete until two players remain. At that point, a best-of-three match between the final two players will take place to determine the champion. The highest seeded player has the choice of machine or order of play for the first game. From that point forward, the loser of the previous game has the choice of machine or order of play.

4. Operational Details

Each player participating in the Circuit Final must provide a cellular phone number where they can be reached. Exact times for each round are not guaranteed. Any player who is missing when his or her round is set to begin will be allowed no more than 5 minutes to appear. Play will then continue, with balls being plunged for any missing player or players.

Collusion and deals are not acceptable in the Circuit Final.

5. Prizes

The Circuit Final features a guaranteed package of monetary prizes.

The winner of the Circuit Final will also receive a brand new Stern Pinball machine, the Stern Pro Circuit belt, and the title “Stern Pro Circuit Player of the Year”.

The Replay Foundation has partnered with i-Payout to allow for personalized payment options and secure document handling for all of our competition payouts. With over 10 years experience, i-Payout is a leader in the global payment industry. A United States based company with an international presence, i-Payout has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and a reputation as a trusted and respected partner which prides itself in consistent service and payment flexibility.

As a player, the benefits from a system like i-Payout include the ability to choose among available payment methods that best fit your needs, and the streamlining of the tax document process.

All prize payouts will be made through this virtual eWallet system within 60 days of the completion of the event at which your competition was held. You must have a working Replay Foundation eWallet account in order to receive your monetary prize. If you do not have an account, please fill out the form located on the eWallet tab here, and we will create your account and send you the login details.

Please see the FAQ below for further information. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us through our contact form.