Pretty in Pinball: Women in Pinball, a Rising Scene

Women are not just arriving in pinball: they were already there. They composed the first synthesized voices, designed entire playfields, assembled machines on the production line — but rarely got their names in the credits. Today, the women's competitive scene is organizing fast: 6,191 women players ranked by the IFPA through open tournaments, a Women's World Championship that just celebrated its 8^th edition, a first Women's European Championship held in April 2026 in Sweden, and around a hundred Belles & Chimes leagues... none of which are in France. Here is the state of play, with verified numbers and no sugarcoating.

1980: a woman gives pinball its voice

Let us start with the most elegant anecdote in pinball history. In 1979, Bally contacted an electronic music composer known for her modular synthesizers: Suzanne Ciani. The result: Xenon (Bally, 1980), Bally's first talking pinball machine, and the first pinball machine with a female voice. Ciani created the music, the sound effects, and the voice herself, by running her own voice through a processing device she called her "Voice Box," using a Synclavier II and a Buchla 200.

The detail that says it all about the era: the cabinet and backglass of Xenon were painted by Paul Faris — the same artist who, two years earlier, had created the artwork for Bally's Playboy (December 1978), with Hugh Hefner and two playmates on the backglass. In other words: within a single machine, the most innovative voice ever entrusted to a woman and the most overtly masculine aesthetic in the industry coexist. Suzanne Ciani has since been inducted into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame, and her Xenon sounds have been reissued on vinyl by Finders Keepers Records.

The women artists nobody mentions

The "artists" side of this story is poorly documented, and that is itself a piece of information. Here is what can be verified:

• Margaret Hudson — the most documented. She joined Bally in the 1970s, under the art direction of Paul Faris and Dave Christensen (she is notably associated with Eight Ball Deluxe). She then moved to Data East, where she worked on virtually every title from 1987 to 1991, and later to Stern. An honest caveat, raised by industry veterans themselves: on many projects, her work involved art production (lettering, inserts, finalization) more than primary illustration — which is precisely how a career is made invisible.
• Jeanine Mitchell, who worked as a duo with Constantino Mitchell, is credited on a long series of Gottlieb/Premier titles: Victory (1987), Arena (1987), Excalibur (1988), Big House (1989), Hot Shots (1989), Tee'd Off (1993), Barb Wire (1996).
• Pam Erickson — art on Williams machines (Sorcerer, Laser Cue, Pennant Fever, Rat Race) and on the Gottlieb Big House.
• Linda Deal — art at Williams in the 1990s.
• Zofia Ryan (born Bil) — mechanical engineer at Williams, then appointed Senior Mechanical Engineer at American Pinball in January 2021. This is the most solidly sourced modern name on this list.

And now the uncomfortable admission: we were unable to verify the existence of a single woman currently holding a lead game designer or lead artist position at Stern, Jersey Jack, American Pinball, Spooky, or Multimorphic. Every recent credit we checked goes to a man. This is not a provocation: it is a fact, and it is more interesting than any name we could have invented to fill the gap. Women, however, were massively present on the assembly lines at Williams, Bally, and Data East. On the line, yes. In the credits, no.

The artwork: what the 1970s-80s showed

There is no point beating around the bush. Pinball machines of the 1970s-80s sold images of women drawn for a male audience. Two documented examples, both released in the fall of 1978:

Machine	Manufacturer / date	Credits	Production
Playboy	Bally, December 1978	Design: Jim Patla — Art: Paul Faris	approx. 18,250 units
Charlie's Angels	D. Gottlieb & Co., November 1978	Design: Allen Edwall — Art: Gordon Morison	approx. 7,600 units

The Playboy figure is the real story: 18,250 machines, one of Bally's biggest hits. The sexualized imagery did not merely exist — it sold extremely well. Ten years later, Gottlieb was still releasing Diamond Lady (1988) and Bad Girls (1988) on its System 80B. The titles speak for themselves.

This subject has been studied seriously, which saves us from guesswork: the thesis by Melissa A. Fanton, "Pinups and Pinball: The Sexualized Female Image in Pinball Artwork" (Rochester Institute of Technology, May 2016), methodically analyzes the imagery of the 1970-1979 decade using the collections of the Strong National Museum of Play. More recently, Ryan Banfi, "Feminist Pinball" (American Journal of Play, vol. 18 no. 1, April 2026), makes a clear argument: if women are absent from the top of the rankings, it is not a matter of biology but of social environment and representation — and the problem is not solved.

On "and today?" — let us be rigorous: we found no official statement from any manufacturer about a deliberate evolution of its illustration policy. What has changed is mainly the mix of licensed themes. To claim that the industry has undergone a reckoning would be an assertion without a source.

The competitive scene: the real numbers

This is where "a rising scene" stops being a slogan. Data taken from the official IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association) rankings on July 13, 2026:

• 6,191 women players ranked by the IFPA through open tournaments.
• 9,541 women players ranked through women's tournaments (WWPPR ranking).

However, the IFPA does not publish an official percentage of women among its ranked players: any such figure you encounter elsewhere is likely fabricated. We will therefore not provide one.

Here is the women's top 5 in the open ranking, with the overall world rank — the most telling column:

Women's rank	Player	City	World rank (overall)
1	Leslie Ruckman	Seattle (USA)	146th
2	Kaylee Campbell	Charlotte (USA)	169th
3	Jane Verwys	Chicago (USA)	208th
4	Keri Wing	St. Louis (USA)	224th
5	Ashley Weaver	Renton (USA)	260th

No woman is currently in the world top 100. The highest-ranked is 146^th. This is the most important fact in this entire article, and it is not explained by any physical difference: pinball requires neither strength nor height. It is explained by the player pool — and the pool is changing.

The Women's World Championship

The IFPA Women's World Pinball Championship is a real event. The 2025 edition, the 8^th, was held at Port City Pinball in Portsmouth (New Hampshire) with 32 players: 16 qualified through the open ranking, 16 through the women's ranking, $100 entry fee. The winner takes home a brand-new Stern pinball machine and an automatic berth at the IFPA World Championship (the open world championship).

Verified results: Zoe Vrabel (2016, inaugural edition), Helena Walter Higgins (2017, Sweden), Karyn Kiser (2018), Keri Wing (2019), the 2020 edition was played but we were unable to confirm the winner (we would rather say so than guess), no edition in 2021 or 2022, then Keri Wing (2023), Danielle Peck (2024, New Zealand), and Keri Wing again in 2025 — her third title, snatched from Kaylee Campbell after coming back from 0-3 in the final, decided in the seventh game on an Iron Maiden. The 2026 edition is scheduled for March 28-29, 2026 at Lyons Classic Pinball in Lyons, Colorado.

Belles & Chimes: self-organization

Belles & Chimes was founded in 2013 in Oakland, California, by Echa Schneider. It is the first women-only pinball league, and it has grown into an international network: we counted approximately 120 chapters on the official website in July 2026 (the overwhelming majority in the United States, plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Mexico). Fun fact: the Adelaide chapter in Australia is literally called Pretty in Pin.

And the point that should give every French reader pause: there is no Belles & Chimes chapter in France.

Europe gets in the game — and it is very recent

The IFPA launched a Women's European Championship Series (WECS), whose inaugural season drew on European women's tournaments held in 2025. The first IFPA Women's European Pinball Championship was played in April 2026 at the Lund Pinball Academy (Lund, Sweden). Result: victory for Kate Rothwell-Jackson (United Kingdom) over Karyn Kiser (Sweden) 4-2 in the final, Claire Lickman (UK) 3^rd, Nora Sommerfeldt (Norway) 4^th; €500 to the winner. This is an event barely three months old, with virtually no coverage in French. That is the "rising scene," in concrete terms.

Two clarifications while we are at it: the "Women's International Pinball Tour" does not exist — it is a confusion with the WIPT (Women's International Pinball Tournament), a satellite tournament of Pinburgh ($100 entry fee). And on the French side: 1,224 French players are ranked by the IFPA, but no structured women's circuit exists in France to our knowledge. If you start one, you will be the first.

The debate over women's divisions: both sides, honestly

This is a genuine debate within the community, and it deserves better than a caricature.

For: Echa Schneider, when asked in the Washington Post (2017) why a separate league would be necessary, replied: "That's exactly why — because part of this community can be tone-deaf and unwelcoming." In the same article, player Robin Lassonde recounts being asked at a tournament whether she was playing or had "come as a supporter." Zoe Vrabel sums up the problem: for a man, being asked "do you know what you're doing?" is an isolated incident; for a woman player, it is the default. The operational argument is more prosaic: a women's event allows a beginner to play her first tournaments without immediately facing a room full of veterans.

Against: the equality objection is serious. Pinball has no physical basis for separation — unlike most sports. Segmenting, opponents say, amounts to institutionalizing the idea that women are not full competitors, and deprives the best players of the matchups that would help them improve. Some add a symmetry argument borrowed from poker: we would not accept a men-only tournament; why the reverse? It should be noted that the IFPA only counts open divisions toward the overall world ranking — a win in a women's or novice division does not count toward the Open ranking.

Our reading, as a stated opinion: the women's format clearly functions as a gateway, not a ceiling — the strongest evidence being that the players who win the Women's World (Keri Wing, Kaylee Campbell, Leslie Ruckman) are exactly the ones also climbing the open ranking. The IFPA also publishes a Diversity and Inclusion Code that applies to all sanctioned tournaments.

Where to start, practically

1. Just play. There is no membership fee to be ranked by the IFPA: play a sanctioned tournament, the tournament director submits the results, and you receive an IFPA number and a profile.
2. Find a tournament on the IFPA calendar (filterable by country, including France) — see our dedicated guide on pinball tournaments.
3. Start with a local league rather than a major: it is cheaper, less intimidating, and you will learn ball control much faster than playing solo.
4. And if you want your own machine at home, first read How to choose and buy your first pinball machine and How much does a pinball machine cost?.

FAQ

Is there a Women's World Pinball Championship?

Yes. The IFPA Women's World Pinball Championship brings together 32 players (16 qualified through the open world ranking, 16 through the women's ranking). The 2025 edition, the 8^th, was held in Portsmouth (New Hampshire) and was won by Keri Wing, earning her third title. The 2026 edition takes place in Lyons, Colorado.

Who is the best female pinball player in the world?

In the IFPA open ranking as of July 13, 2026, the highest-ranked woman is Leslie Ruckman (Seattle), 146^th in the world across all categories. No woman is currently in the world top 100. In the women's ranking (WWPPR), Jane Verwys leads.

What is Belles & Chimes?

It is the first network of women's pinball leagues, founded in 2013 in Oakland, California, by Echa Schneider. It now has approximately 120 chapters worldwide (United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Mexico). There is currently no chapter in France.

Are there women's pinball tournaments in Europe?

Yes, and it is very recent: the IFPA created a Women's European Championship Series and the first IFPA Women's European Pinball Championship was held in April 2026 in Lund, Sweden, won by Britain's Kate Rothwell-Jackson. In France, however, no structured women's circuit exists yet.

Why are so few women at the top of the world ranking?

There is no physical reason: pinball requires neither strength nor height. Recent academic work (Ryan Banfi, American Journal of Play, April 2026) points to social environment and representation, not biology. In practical terms, the women's player pool remains much smaller than the men's — but it is growing fast.

Have women created pinball machines?

Yes, but rarely as lead designers. The best-documented cases: Suzanne Ciani (music, sound effects, and voice of Xenon, Bally 1980), artists Margaret Hudson (Bally, Data East, Stern), Jeanine Mitchell (Gottlieb/Premier), Pam Erickson and Linda Deal (Williams), and mechanical engineer Zofia Ryan (Williams, then American Pinball since 2021). We were, however, unable to identify any woman in a lead game designer position at a major current manufacturer.

Sources & further reading

• IFPA — Women's rankings (WPPR / WWPPR)
• IFPA — Women's World Pinball Championship and the 2025 edition recap
• IFPA — Women's European Pinball Championship (Lund, April 2026)
• Belles & Chimes — official website and chapter list
• IFPA — Diversity and Inclusion Code
• Tilt Forums — "Women who made pinball" (industry veteran testimonies)
• Melissa A. Fanton, "Pinups and Pinball: The Sexualized Female Image in Pinball Artwork," RIT, 2016
• Ryan Banfi, "Feminist Pinball," American Journal of Play, vol. 18 no. 1, April 2026
• Pinball News — Zofia Ryan joins American Pinball (2021)
• Xenon (Bally, 1980) — Suzanne Ciani · IPDB — Playboy (Bally, 1978)
• Washington Post (2017) — "Women find sexism in male-dominated pinball"