Stern Army Monthly Tournaments 2020
Stern Army tournaments are held on the last Saturday each month.
The Stern Army, created by Stern Pinball and partnered with the International Flipper Pinball Association, aims to expand the pinball playing community by helping to create more pinball events at public locations.
2020 Dates:
ALL UPCOMING EVENTS ARE NOW CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19. EVENTS WILL RESUME AGAIN WHEN SAFE.
- 25th January - Pinball-Golf
- 29th February - Flip Frenzy
- 28th March - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
- 25th April - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
- 30th May - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
- 27th June - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
- 25th July - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
- 29th August - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
- 26th September - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
- 31st October - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
- 28th November - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
- 26th December - CANCELLED (COVID LOCKDOWNS)
ALL DAY UNLIMITED PLAY!
$20 entry on these tournament days provides you with unlimited games on every pinball machine at the museum!
Prizes up for grabs!
You could go home with a framed backglass art from a real pinball machine proudly donated by Stern Pinball for the Stern Army Tournaments!
Other prizes up for grabs include museum merchandise, Stern Pinball merchandise, and autographed pinball memorabilia.
FLIP FRENZY tournament format:
Tournament times: 6pm to 9pm (Feb 29, May 30, Jul 25, Sep 26, Nov 28).
Tournament fee: $5 tournament entry fee (Note: Saturday Museum Entry Fee is needed to play in the tournaments at the museum - museum entry on Saturday is $20).
- Once all players have registered, the number of players will be divided by 2.6 to determine how many machines will be used for the tournament.
- As soon as all the information is presented the start button on the stop watch is pressed and the tournament runs for THREE hours.
- The match play software will run this tournament.
- When the tournament starts each machine is randomly assigned 2 players. The remaining players are placed in a queue.
- When a game is completed: Both players are to go to the desk to report the result, without any delay. The winner scores a WIN and the loser scores a LOSS.
- The player who was Player 2 in the game stays at the desk, and goes to the back of the queue to await their next game assignment.
- The player who was Player 1 in the game returns to the same machine with the player from the front of the queue. The new player will be PLAYER 1 in the new game, and the returning player is Player 2.
- After that game, the process is repeated and results are reported, P2 goes to the rear of the queue, and P1 returns to the same game to play as Player 2 in the new game.
- Players who are absent from the queue when their name is called are to be credited with a loss, and placed at the back of the queue.
- All Frenzy games must be played in a competitive spirit. Any collusion in results (ie 1 ball games) will result in disqualification from the event.
- A player is free to end their ball if they think they have enough points to win, or plunge a ball if they want to concede. However, all balls must be played and the game must be in GAME OVER state when the players leave the game. Turning a machine on/off to end a game is not allowed.
- At the end of the 3 hours, no more games may start.
- Standings are to be based on net wins (i.e. wins - losses = your score) The best score at the end of the competition is the winner.
- Ties will be broken by head-to-head results, and if still tied, by a single game playoff on a machine chosen at random. If needed, the single game playoff will only be used to break ties for first and second places.
PINBALL-GOLF tournament format:
Tournament times: 11am to 9pm (Jan 25, Apr 25, Aug 29, Dec 26).
Tournament fee: $5 tournament entry fee (Note: Saturday Museum Entry Fee is needed to play in the tournaments at the museum - museum entry on Saturday is $20).
- 18 Hole Pingolf Qualifying & Head to Head Single Elimination Finals.
- 11am-6pm registration and 11am-8pm qualifying.
- Each player receives a score card listing the Holes (pinball machines and their objective) and the Par for that hole (What ball number you should be able to complete the objective on). - The tournament is to be played in groups of 2 to 4 players.
- Each player plays the 'hole' trying to reach the objective. When the objective has been reached, the current ball that you are playing on is you golf 'stroke' and that number is written down on your score card.
- Another person in your group needs to sign off for the score you write down.
- Some 'holes' are 'Par 3' or 'Par 5' depending on how many balls that pinball is set to use.
- If you do not complete the objective below 'Par' you score a 'Bogey' which is ONE higher than Par.
- 8pm-9pm finals for top 30% or 12 players, whichever is the lesser. (Note: Finals may start earlier than 8pm if every competitor has finished all 18 holes and are present to start the finals.)
- Top qualifiers may get a bye depending on numbers.
- Pingolf head to head finals best of 3 single elimination holes each round.
- Highest seed chooses machine and hole objective from qualifying or player position.
- A player cannot choose the same machine twice in the finals.
- In the event of a stroke tie on a finals game, the game score will be used to find the winner.
STALL-BALL tournament format:
Tournament times: 6pm to 9pm (Jun 27).
Tournament fee: $5 tournament entry fee (Note: Saturday Museum Entry Fee is needed to play in the tournaments at the museum - museum entry on Saturday is $20).
- 5 Rounds of Stall-Ball Qualifying & Head to Head Single Elimination Finals.
- Each round may be played on different pinballs.
- Players receive strikes when they are eliminated from a game.
- Players with the least amount of strikes move onto the finals.
- Strikes assigned as follows: 1st 0 strikes , 2nd & 3rd 1 strike, >4th 2 strikes.
- 6pm-8pm qualifying.
- 8pm-9pm finals for top 30% or 12 players, whichever is the lesser. (Note: Finals may start earlier than 8pm if all rounds are finished and every competitor is present to start the finals.
- Top qualifiers may get a bye depending on numbers.
- Head to head finals best of 3 single elimination each round.
- Highest seed chooses machine from qualifying or player position.
GROUP STALL-BALL tournament format:
Tournament times: 6pm to 9pm (Oct 31).
Tournament fee: $5 tournament entry fee (Note: Saturday Museum Entry Fee is needed to play in the tournaments at the museum - museum entry on Saturday is $20).
- 5 Rounds of Stall-Ball.
- Each round may be played on different pinballs.
- Players are put into groups of 4 players (some may be 3 players).
- Each group plays a game of Stall-Ball on a machine.
- Players receive strikes when they are eliminated from a game.
- Strikes assigned as follows: 1st 0 strikes , 2nd & 3rd 1 strike, 4th 2 strikes. (in a 3 player game 3rd place receives 2 strikes)
- Tournament winner is the person with the least amount of strikes.
- Ties will be broken by a single game playoff on a machine chosen at random. If needed, the single game playoff will only be used to break ties for first and second places.