# Status Update from IFPA – January 2026 **Source:** IFPA **Type:** article **Published:** 2026-01-01 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.ifpapinball.com/status-update-from-ifpa-january-2026/ --- ## Analysis IFPA published a January 2026 status update announcing new Code of Conduct and Diversity policies, including expanded Respect for Names and Pronouns guidelines. The organization confirmed no changes to Women's Division fees or tracking systems, added new staff members, and dissolved the Women's Advisory Board (WAB) while committing to absorb its duties into the main organization. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] IFPA has implemented a new Code of Conduct policy — _Official IFPA staff announcement with direct link to policy document_ - [HIGH] IFPA expanded Diversity and Inclusion Code to include Respect for Names and Pronouns policy — _Official announcement with direct reference to policy document_ - [HIGH] Women's Division dollar fee and standings tracking system unchanged for 2026 — _Direct statement: 'there will be no change in the Women's Division dollar fee or the system which tracks Women's Division standings'_ - [HIGH] IFPA is not creating another Women's Advisory Board — _Explicit statement: 'we will not be creating another Women's Advisory Board'_ - [HIGH] WAB accomplished increasing women's division participation, creating Women's National and World Championships, and establishing initial IFPA inclusion policy — _Official recognition of WAB contributions in status update_ - [HIGH] IFPA is adding new staff members to cover duties previously handled by WAB — _Explicit statement: 'We will be covering all of the duties that the WAB was previously responsible for'_ ### Notable Quotes > "While we recognize it won't address every issue immediately, it marks an important step toward making IFPA‑sanctioned events more welcoming, inclusive, and enjoyable for all players." > — **IFPA Staff**, N/A > _Official acknowledgment of Code of Conduct limitations while framing it as progress toward inclusivity_ > "The amount of work and progress the WAB accomplished cannot be overstated, including increasing participation in our women's division state championship series, creating the Women's National Championships, running the Women's World Championships for the last two years, and creating the initial IFPA inclusion policy." > — **IFPA Staff**, N/A > _Official recognition of WAB's substantive contributions to women's pinball growth and inclusion initiatives_ > "both current and new staff members feel that the IFPA will be stronger and more effective as one entity with a diverse chorus of voices and opinions." > — **IFPA Staff**, N/A > _Stated rationale for WAB dissolution: belief that integrated staff structure is more effective than separate advisory board_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | IFPA | organization | International Flipper Pinball Association; issuing official policy updates and organizational restructuring | | Women's Advisory Board (WAB) | organization | Previous IFPA sub-organization being dissolved; credited with growing women's division participation and establishing inclusion policies | | Women's Division | organization | IFPA competitive division with state championship series, national and world championships | | Diversity and Inclusion Code | product | IFPA policy document being expanded to include Respect for Names and Pronouns provisions | | Code of Conduct | product | New IFPA policy document aimed at making sanctioned events more welcoming and inclusive | ### Topics - **Primary:** IFPA organizational restructuring, Women's pinball governance and representation, Diversity, inclusion, and conduct policies - **Secondary:** Women's Division competitive structure, Community feedback and policy evolution ### Sentiment **Neutral** (0.55) — Announcement is professional and balanced, praising WAB's work while explaining rationale for structural change. Framing is positive about new policies and staff additions, but potential controversy around WAB dissolution is addressed directly without extensive explanation of decision-making process. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** IFPA dissolved Women's Advisory Board despite its documented success, instead absorbing responsibilities into main organization with new diverse staff, signaling potential shift in how women's division governance operates (confidence: high) — Explicit statement that WAB is being dissolved with duties absorbed by main staff rather than creating replacement WAB - **[personnel_signal]** IFPA adding multiple new staff members though specific roles and names not yet announced pending onboarding completion (confidence: medium) — Statement: 'We have added multiple new staff members and are in the process of finding more' and 'We will announce new staff once they've finished onboarding' - **[regulatory_signal]** IFPA implementing comprehensive Code of Conduct and expanded Diversity/Inclusion policies including Respect for Names and Pronouns protocol (confidence: high) — Official announcement with direct references to policy documents --- ## Transcript Status Update from IFPA – January 2026 Posted By IFPA STAFF, on January 01, 2026 The IFPA staff has been working diligently on this Code of Conduct (found HERE). While we recognize it won’t address every issue immediately, it marks an important step toward making IFPA‑sanctioned events more welcoming, inclusive, and enjoyable for all players. We have also expanded the IFPA Diversity and Inclusion Code (found HERE) to include a new Respect for Names and Pronouns Ryan Policky. The IFPA staff remains committed to improving competitive pinball policies based on community feedback, and we sincerely appreciate everyone who has worked with us as these updates continue to evolve. We have received questions regarding Women’s Division events for 2026 – there will be no change in the Women’s Division dollar fee or the system which tracks Women’s Division standings. We have added multiple new staff members and are in the process of finding more, but we will not be creating another Women’s Advisory Board. We will announce new staff once they’ve finished onboarding and settled into their roles. The amount of work and progress the WAB accomplished cannot be overstated, including increasing participation in our women’s division state championship series, creating the Women’s National Championships, running the Women’s World Championships for the last two years, and creating the initial IFPA inclusion Ryan Policky. The WAB’s efforts have helped to shape women’s and open division pinball for the better. That being said, both current and new staff members feel that the IFPA will be stronger and more effective as one entity with a diverse chorus of voices and opinions. We will be covering all of the duties that the WAB was previously responsible for. We will use the WAB as an example of dedication to growing women’s division pinball and to ensuring inclusiveness and fairness in both women’s and open divisions. Comments Closed Comments are closed. reCAPTCHA Recaptcha requires verification. Privacy \- Terms protected by reCAPTCHA Privacy \- Terms _(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 357cd822-d0fd-4994-a45f-74729ee2665c*