Editing Pinball (section)

==Playing techniques==
The primary skill of pinball involves application of the proper timing and technique to the operation of the flippers, nudging the playfield when appropriate without tilting, and choosing targets for scores or features. A placard is often placed in a lower corner of the playfield with pricing information and details about game-specific rules and scoring techniques.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pinscape Build Guide |url=http://mjrnet.org/pinscape/BuildGuideV2/BuildGuide.php?sid=extras |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=mjrnet.org}}</ref>

===Nudging===
Players can influence the movement of the ball by moving or bumping the pinball machine, a technique known as "nudging" or "shaking".

There are tilt mechanisms which guard against excessive manipulation of this sort. The mechanisms generally include:
* a grounded plumb bob centered in an electrified metal ring – when the machine is jostled or shaken too far or too hard, the bob contacts the ring, completing a circuit. The bob is usually cone-shaped allowing the operator to slide it vertically, controlling the sensitivity.
* an electrified ball on a slight ramp with a grounded post at the top of the ramp – when the front of the machine is lifted (literally, tilted) too high, the ball rolls to the top of the ramp and completes the circuit.
* an impact sensor – usually located on the coin door, the playfield and/or the cabinet itself.

When any of these sensors is activated, the game registers a "tilt" and the lights go out, solenoids for the flippers no longer work, and other playfield systems become inoperative so that the ball can do nothing other than roll down the playfield directly to the drain. A tilt will usually result in forfeiting the end-of-ball bonus points that would have been earned by the player during that ball; the game is automatically over if it is the last ball and the player has no extra ball. Older games would immediately end the ball in play on a tilt.

Modern games give tilt warnings before sacrificing the ball in play. The number of tilt warnings can be adjusted by the operator of the machine. Until recently most games also had a "slam tilt" switch which guarded against kicking or slamming the [[currency detector#Coin acceptors|coin mechanism]], or for overly aggressive behavior with the machine, which could give a false indication that a coin had been inserted, thereby giving a free game or credit. This feature was taken out by default in [[Stern Pinball, Inc.|Stern]] S.A.M System games,{{citation needed|date=September 2014}} but can be added as an option. A slam tilt will typically end the current game for all players.

===Trapping===
Players can hold a ball in place with the flipper, giving them more control over where they want to place the ball when they shoot it forward. This is known as ''trapping.''