Sosage's Extra Ball Rule
People seem to be confused about how my extra ball rule works. It's meant to add a little bit more reward for earning extra ball in competition by allowing players to earn roll over rewards and video modes without compromising the time issues "one plunge, one flip" addresses.

The basic, shorthand rule goes like this: Players playing extra ball are allowed infinite flips and infinite plunges UNTIL the ball makes contact with flipper rubber. At that point, the rule changes to infinite plunges, ONE FLIP. Video Modes and Mechanical Game States (for lack of a better name...more on MGS below) may be played at any time without counting against the player's flip.

Now for the visual aides:

Extra Ball Scenario 1:

Player plunges ball into the rollovers. The player may flip as much as he/she wants in order to move the rollovers to earn skillshots/multipliers/whatever.

The ball exits the rollovers and bounces off of the right flipper rubber. The player is now only allowed ONE FLIP for the rest of the extra ball. He/She is only allowed to touch the flipper buttons again if that one flip lands in the video mode hole. If the ball is saved when it drains, the player plunges until there is no more ball save.

Extra Ball Scenario 2-A:

Player plunges ball short and it touches the upper flipper's rubber. The player is now only allowed ONE FLIP for the rest of the extra ball.

Extra Ball Scenario 2-B:

Player plunges ball short and it touches the upper flipper's rubber.

The player utilizes his/her one flip to shoot the ball into the video mode hole.

Video Mode activates. The player is allowed to flip his/her flipper buttons to play video mode. Once video mode is over, the player is not allowed to touch the flipper buttons anymore. The player plunges the ball until there is no more ball save.

FAQ

You explained video mode, what's this "Mechanical Game State" nonsense you brought up?
Some games have mechanical states that are video mode like...in that you need to use the flipper buttons to do something to make the game progress. Examples are in the next section below.

If you're utilizing this EB rule for your event but find this part too convoluted or open to exploits, just dump it. The basics of this EB rule still works without it.

How does something like drop catch work with this rule?
If the ball has not touched flipper rubber yet, holding the flipper up for the first half of the drop catch does not count against the player. Once the ball makes contact with the flipper rubber and the player drops the flipper to slow the ball down, the player only has ONE FLIP LEFT. It's advisable to then flip in order to shoot the ball and not waste your one flip on a cradle (since you have no more flips left, a cradle would just lead to letting the ball drain).

So I can't cradle?
You can do as many flips as you want before the ball touches flipper rubber. So in theory, if the ball hasn't touched flipper rubber and you flip to perform a live catch...and the ball is caught and cradled without further flipping, you still have one flip to make a shot. So YES you CAN cradle...but it will require some skill.

On my first plunge I flipped to choose roll overs, then the ball touched flipper rubber and I flipped to make a shot. Ball saver was still on and I have another ball to plunge. Can I hold a flipper to activate a feature/flip to change roll overs?
No. Your extra ball already touched flipper rubber and you flipped before the ball saver gave you another ball. The only way you can flip now is if you somehow plunged the ball into video mode.

Game Specific FAQ

I'm playing Medieval Madness and I want to do the super skill shot. So I can hold the left flipper to activate the super skill shot and still be able to flip to make the super skill shot?
Yes. Since the ball has not touched flipper rubber when you are activating super skill shot, the activation flip does not count against you. Once the ball comes around the loop and touches the flipper rubber, you only get one more flip to do something.

I used my one flip to load the glove in Johnny Mneumonic. Did I just screw myself out of choosing my matrix reward?
You aren't screwed. This is what I consider a Mechanical Game State. You are allowed to utilize the flippers to move the glove and choose which slot on the matrix you want. In this scenario, since the ball made flipper rubber contact and you used your one flip to shoot the ball into the glove -- when ball enters play you can not flip anymore.

A List of Other Mechanical Game States that rely on flipper buttons that I feel are allowed to be treated like video mode

• Johnny Mneumonic -- The Glove Matrix
• Twilight Zone -- The Power Battle (NON-Multiball)
• Transformers LE -- IronHide In The Bath AKA IronHide Playfield
• AC/DC Premium/LE -- Hell Mode
• Street Fighter II -- Car Crush
• Congo -- Lower Playfield Monkey Spank
• Scared Stiff -- Spider Spinner
• Terminator 3 -- RPG
• NBA Fastbreak -- Free throw line
• Championship Pub -- Jump Rope
• Family Guy/Shrek -- Mini-Pinball (NON-Multiball)