Episode 422: Michael Trepp

TL;DR

IFPA director Michael Trepp discusses tournament administration, European pinball, and competitive infrastructure.

Summary

Key Claims

• Michael Trepp is one of the primary IFPA directors responsible for verifying and validating tournament submissions and match play results

  high confidence · Jeff explicitly introduces him as 'one of the IFPA directors' whose role is critical to ensuring tournament results are submitted and validated

• The best practice for tournament result submission is to use Matchplay and include Matchplay links, which many organizers fail to do despite instructions being in red

  high confidence · Michael directly states: 'The easiest is use Matchplay and include the Matchplay links. A lot of times people don't, do they? Yes, they don't. It's written in red. But people don't read'

• The IFPA dollar fee was Michael Trepp's input/proposal, originally intended to fund European Championship Series prize pools

  high confidence · Michael states: 'I mean the IFPA dollar fee, this was before this started, was one of my inputs, you know' and explains he wanted tournaments in Europe to have pinball machine prizes

• The European Pinball Championship (EPC) predates the IFPA, starting in 1996, with the modern EPC beginning in 2005

  high confidence · Michael: 'The EPC started in 1996, I think...and then there was a break for a couple of years and then 2005 was the first new EPC and the IFPA came later'

• For many years the EPC location selection was 'first come first serve' until organizers implemented a more formal discussion and selection process

  high confidence · Michael explains: 'for many, many years was first come first serve...And now it's just...now it starts to be more discussion before, because there are some problems at past EPCs'

• The 2025 EPC in Austria had 384 players competing

  high confidence · Jeff states: 'this is the biggest tournament I'll go to all year, 384 players'

• The IFPA World Championship bidding process alternates between Europe and North America, with Sweden scheduled to host in two years (2027)

  high confidence · Michael confirms: 'it alternates always between Europe and North America...now it's in Austria in two years it will be in Sweden at the Lund Pinball Academy'

Notable Quotes

• “Without this person there's a good chance it doesn't get submitted or validated in the IFPA.”

  Jeff Teolis @ early in interview — Establishes the critical importance of Michael Trepp's role in competitive pinball infrastructure

• “I played competitively with pinball for a long time and played a lot of tournaments back in the years when there weren't so many tournaments. But life came into the way. So I didn't play so much. My hobby is pinball. So at the end, my free time I spent doing pinball stuff.”

  Michael Trepp @ mid-interview — Explains his motivation for volunteering IFPA administrative work despite reduced competitive play

• “The easiest is use Matchplay and include the Matchplay links. A lot of times people don't, do they? Yes, they don't. It's written in red. But people don't read, so yes. Suck less and read.”

  Michael Trepp / Jeff Teolis @ mid-interview — Practical advice for tournament organizers; establishes a running joke theme 'suck less'

• “I always wanted to have a tournament in Europe where you can win a new pinball machine. So I proposed, so why don't every tournament who is part of the series pay something to be in the series, so we can spend this money for the pinball machine.”

  Michael Trepp @ mid-interview — Reveals Trepp's direct role in proposing the financial mechanism (IFPA dollar fee) that funds European competitive infrastructure

• “For many, many years was first come first serve. And now it starts to be more discussion before, because there are some problems at past EPCs.”

  Michael Trepp @ mid-interview — Indicates historical challenges with EPC organization and evolution toward more formal planning

• “This is the biggest tournament I'll go to all year, 384 players. I said, this is as good as any tournament I've been to in years.”

  Jeff Teolis @ later in interview — High praise for the 2025 EPC execution and scale; validates recent organizational improvements

• “You're probably going to be back for Austria and things like that for this year's one where you volunteer your time. And it shouldn't go unnoticed because it is a hell of a commitment and the IFPA and Competitive Pinball doesn't run without people like you.”

Entities

Signals

• ?

  business_signal: IFPA World Championship hosting rotates between Europe and North America with planned expansion consideration; Sweden confirmed as 2027 host at Lund Pinball Academy

  high · Michael: 'it alternates always between Europe and North America...now it's in Austria in two years it will be in Sweden at the Lund Pinball Academy'

• ?

  community_signal: IFPA implementing formal planning and review process for EPC hosting to ensure consistent quality and address historical organizational problems

  high · Michael states: 'And now it starts to be more discussion before...to have a group who decides where the EPC will be held next year or in the next years. And to just look before the tournament to communicate with the organizers'

• ?

  community_signal: European pinball competitive infrastructure grows annually; significant volunteer labor and coordination required to sustain tournament validation and organization

  high · Jeff: 'Josh has told me this there are so many so many leagues and tournaments and events that happen in the IFPA and it grows every single year'

• ?

  event_signal: 2025 EPC in Austria was exceptionally well-executed with 384 players; viewed as one of highest-quality tournaments in recent years

  high · Jeff: 'This was my favorite EPC. I thought it was so well run...this is as good as any tournament I've been to in years'

• ?

  personnel_signal: Michael Trepp's IFPA administrative role evolved from competitive player experience; continues volunteer work despite reduced tournament participation since 2017-2018