# Can we start a pinball club?

**Source:** r/pinball  
**Type:** forum_thread  
**Published:** 2026-02-11  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.reddit.com/r/pinball/comments/1r1oz25/can_we_start_a_pinball_club/

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## Analysis

A Reddit user proposes creating an online pinball club via r/pinball to provide an alternative to in-person tournaments and leagues for players with irregular schedules or who find competitive venues intimidating. The proposal would involve setting goals, challenges, and tasks for members to earn leaderboard positions and rewards like buttons.

### Key Claims

- [MEDIUM] In-person pinball tournaments and leagues are intimidating for some players — _User states 'they are way to intimidating to me' when discussing barriers to participation_
- [MEDIUM] Work schedule irregularity prevents participation in traditional pinball leagues/tournaments — _User mentions 'my work schedule is way to irregular' as a barrier_

### Notable Quotes

> "I would love to do one of those but my work schedule is way to irregular and to be honest, they are way to intimidating to me."
> — **u/Tonyjord3**
> _Articulates dual barriers to competitive pinball participation: scheduling and intimidation factor_

> "via Reddit, we could create a pinball club where we set goals, challenges and tasks for the members to achieve in order to belong to the leaderboards or receive buttons or rewards."
> — **u/Tonyjord3**
> _Core proposal for an asynchronous, online-based pinball competition model_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| u/Tonyjord3 | person | Reddit user proposing creation of online pinball club; self-identified as intimidated by traditional tournaments and constrained by work schedule |
| r/pinball | organization | Subreddit community where the proposal was posted; potential platform for organizing the proposed club |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Accessibility and barriers to competitive pinball, Online/asynchronous pinball competition models, Alternative to traditional tournaments and leagues
- **Secondary:** Community organization and rewards systems

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.75) — User expresses optimism about the concept but with underlying self-doubt ('Am I crazy'). Tone is hopeful and exploratory rather than critical or negative.

### Signals

- **[community_signal]** Potential unmet demand for accessible, low-barrier pinball competition models that accommodate players with scheduling constraints and social anxiety around traditional tournament environments (confidence: medium) — User identifies multiple barriers (schedule, intimidation) and proposes alternative model, suggesting these may be common pain points in the community

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## Transcript

I’m looking to create an alternative to in person tournaments or leagues. I would love to do one of those but my work schedule is way to irregular and to be honest, they are way to intimidating to me. The last week, I’ve been thinking that via Reddit, we could create a pinball club where we set goals, challenges and tasks for the members to achieve in order to belong to the leaderboards or receive buttons or rewards. Am I crazy for thinking that something like this is possible?
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/u/Tonyjord3
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_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: d320c8b8-9d35-4832-9b94-d7358ed80944*