Rule Update | February 19, 2018
Starting with Season 16 we will move forward with a slight, but significant, modification to how we handle tie-breaker games. In the past, if a match wound up 8 to 8, the HOME team was then given the opportunity to choose a tie-breaker format AND the machine for the subsequent tie-breaker game. Going forward, the HOME team will make only one of these decisions, while the AWAY team will make the second decision. The HOME team will have the choice of either choosing the format, choosing the machine, or deferring the first choice to the AWAY team. Whichever team makes the first choice, the other team will respond by making the second, and final choice in determining the tie-breaker game. For instance, if the HOME team chooses which machine to play on, then the AWAY team will respond by choosing the format, either split flipper or shared. Similarly, if the HOME team defers the choice, and the AWAY team chooses to play split-flipper, then the HOME team will have the opportunity to select the machine to play on. Regardless of who makes which decision first, once both decisions have been declared, the AWAY team will declare their lineup and the HOME team will then declare theirs. This modification of the rules is intended to better reward the AWAY team for a strong showing on the road. A full breakdown of the new rules are on our League Rules page under item III. G.