# IFPA celebrates 20th Anniversary!

**Source:** IFPA  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2026-02-24  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.ifpapinball.com/ifpa-celebrates-20th-anniversary/

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## Analysis

The IFPA celebrates its 20th anniversary on February 27, 2025, marking two decades since the organization was revived in 2006 by Steve Epstein and Roger Sharpe. The WPPR system now tracks nearly 150,000 players from 51 countries and manages nearly 95,000 sanctioned events globally. The announcement emphasizes the role of hundreds of volunteers in supporting competitive pinball worldwide.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] IFPA was revived on February 27, 2006 when AMOA assigned rights to Steve Epstein and Roger Sharpe — _Official IFPA announcement; verifiable historical fact_
- [HIGH] WPPR system now contains nearly 150,000 players from 51 countries — _Official IFPA statement; quantifiable metric_
- [HIGH] Nearly 95,000 sanctioned events are in the WPPR system — _Official IFPA statement; quantifiable metric_
- [HIGH] Hundreds of volunteers help IFPA operate competitive pinball globally 24/7 — _Official IFPA acknowledgment of volunteer workforce_

### Notable Quotes

> "On February 27th, 2006 the AMOA assigned the rights of the then defunct IFPA over to Steve Epstein and Roger Sharpe to see if they could elevate the awareness and visibility of pinball across the globe."
> — **IFPA**
> _Historical milestone defining the modern era of competitive pinball organization_

> "Thanks to everyone for the continued support, but most importantly to the hundreds of volunteers that help the IFPA truly cover the globe in competitive pinball 24/7."
> — **IFPA**
> _Emphasizes volunteer-driven infrastructure as core to IFPA operations_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| IFPA | organization | International Flipper Pinball Association; governing body for competitive pinball with global tournament sanctioning and WPPR rankings |
| Steve Epstein | person | Co-founder/reviver of modern IFPA in 2006 |
| Roger Sharpe | person | Co-founder/reviver of modern IFPA in 2006; pinball historian and industry advocate |
| AMOA | organization | Amusement and Music Operators Association; transferred IFPA rights to Epstein and Sharpe in 2006 |
| WPPR | organization | World Pinball Player Rankings; IFPA's global ranking and tournament management system |

### Topics

- **Primary:** IFPA history and milestone, Competitive pinball growth metrics
- **Secondary:** Global pinball tournament infrastructure, Volunteer-driven community operations

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Celebratory tone highlighting growth achievements and community gratitude. Forward-looking optimism about future directions.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** IFPA growth trajectory: scaled from initial revival to 150k players, 51 countries, 95k events (confidence: high) — Quantified metrics in official statement demonstrating 20-year expansion
- **[event_signal]** IFPA 20th anniversary celebration on February 27, 2025 (confidence: high) — Official announcement of anniversary date and historical milestone

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## Transcript

This upcoming Friday, February 27th marks the 20 year anniversary since the rebirth of the International Flipper Pinball Association. On February 27th, 2006 the AMOA assigned the rights of the then defunct IFPA over to Steve Epstein and Roger Sharpe to see if they could elevate the awareness and visibility of pinball across the globe. The World Pinball Player Rankings now has nearly 150,000 players from 51 countries and nearly 95,000 sanctioned events in the system. Thanks to everyone for the continued support, but most importantly to the hundreds of volunteers that help the IFPA truly cover the globe in competitive pinball 24/7. We’re looking forward to seeing where we can take things in the years ahead!

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 3d9063f5-8ebc-45dd-98a4-5e29b74f57ce*