The Northeast Pinball Challenge is built around competition, community, and fun, and we want every participant to feel welcome, safe, and respected. This Code of Conduct establishes the standards of behavior that help create a positive environment for everyone. By following these guidelines, we can ensure that players of all backgrounds and experience levels can enjoy the game and the community that surrounds it.
Reporting Conduct Issues
If you witness any harassment or questionable behavior, please notify a site admin or a member of the NPC Conduct Board as soon as you feel safe in doing so. The current NPC Conduct Board can be reached at ConductHelp@npcpinball.org. We will respond quickly and discreetly.
The Conduct Board for NPC Season Three consists of: Courtney Bazarian, Derek Correia, Will Parks, Jess Salzman, and Chris Wachtel.
As a league, we recognize the trust our participants put in us to run high quality events and handle any and all situations with professionalism. We commit to fully hearing all concerns, not dismissing personal experiences, and treating participants with respect throughout the process. You can be as involved as you want to be in the process that follows your report.
We will respect confidentiality requests for the purpose of respecting our players. At our discretion, we may publicly name a person about whom we’ve received harassment complaints or privately warn third parties about them if we believe that doing so will increase the safety of NPC participants or the general public. We will not name reporting parties without their explicit consent.
Respect the Players: Anti-Harassment Policy
Harassment and hostility will not be tolerated at any NPC events. We strive to create an accepting environment and do not allow harassment of any kind. Harassment includes — and is not limited to — offensive verbal comments related to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, experiences, skill level, race, or religion. Harassment also includes deliberate intimidation, deliberate misgendering, stalking, harassing photography or recording, harassing electronic communication, excessive profanity and yelling, inappropriate physical contact and unwanted sexual attention. Additionally, harassment transpiring in any pinball event, regardless of whether or not it is an NPC event or site, may be subject to the same repercussions discussed below at our discretion.
If you are asked to stop doing something that makes another player uncomfortable, you are expected to comply immediately. Any harassment, expressed threats, or violent actions will result in immediate ejection and a permanent ban from current and future league seasons and events, across locations. Other possible grounds for ejection or ban include but are not limited to inappropriate physical contact, unwanted sexual attention, theft, racial slurs and other inappropriate behavior.
Respect the Machines
We fully understand that emotions run high during pinball competition, and that slaps, saves, and nudges (even ones that can go far enough to tilt the machine) are part of the game. We also understand that rage tilts, outbursts, and high emotions happen. We do ask that you be mindful of other players and control those emotions without resorting to harassment (above) or abuse of the machines beyond the course of normal play. While the exact line of what is acceptable is up to the discretion of each NPC location, abusive handling of machines, outside the parameters of normal play is unwelcome at any location and may result in removal from a league session or season.
Interactions with Site Admins and NPC Officials
Any player who behaves rudely or inappropriately toward site admins or league officials may be warned, disqualified or asked to leave the venue, at the host or official’s discretion. Site admin rulings are final and always in the best interest of fair play. Please remember that your site admins and league officials have years of experience and also have an official set of rules that they are making rulings from. You cannot win a rule argument with a site admin, as they are simply an extension of rules that were written long ago.
The people helping out or making a ruling at an NPC event are volunteers and competitors who are attempting to keep each event running smoothly, in a way that’s fun and fair for everyone. Please treat them with the utmost respect as well.
Expeditious Play and Personal Responsibility
Players are expected to arrive on time for league play. Allow for enough time to be checked in by a site admin before they begin announcements. If a player arrives late, a site admin may attempt to add the player to a group with openings, but this is not guaranteed and may result in a dropped week for the player who arrived late. If a player is checked in but not present, they will be afforded 3 minutes per IFPA rules (III.5) before receiving a score of zero for the game in question.
Being a Good Sport
Win gracefully, lose gracefully, and don’t take competition too seriously. Excessive gloating, pouting, or complaining makes you look bad and interferes with other players’ enjoyment. Being an excessively poor sport to the extent that it impacts the play or enjoyment of other players may result in warnings or disqualification.
Acceptance of Rules and Policies
By participating in league play in NPC, players are affirming that they will abide by the rules of behavioral expectations. If a player has received warning(s) for violating the player code of conduct, they may be subject to becoming barred from future participation in NPC. Likewise, location admins and staff violating the code may result in the location becoming barred from future participation in NPC.