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- Three [[gameplay-feature:messenger-balls]] arranged in a line — a [[gameplay-feature:captive-ball]] assembly in which the ball-in-play strikes the first captive ball, which relays its momentum through a second to reach a third. IPDB catalogs a single machine with this configuration: *[[title:combination-rotation]]* by [[manufacturer:gottlieb]]. The three-ball chain extended the Newton's cradle principle, demanding an even firmer shot than the [[gameplay-feature:2-in-line-messenger-balls]] variant to transmit enough force through two intermediaries to register the final scoring switch.