I'm thinking it's the Display Digit Enable address lines.
How's about if J1 pin 4 and 5 are swapped or more likely shorted together?
Theory...
1) all 6 digits of display 5 are used in test mode, but only signals 4 (digit 1 - ball in play) and 7,8 (digits 4 and 5 - credits) are used in play mode
2) if addresses are swapped or shorted, you wouldn't see it in test mode, all digits would still turn on, just in wrong order or at the same time, which we can't see fast enough, especially since they are sweeping the same number through all the displays.
3) since digits 2,3 and 6 (signals 5,6 and 9) always need to be blank in play mode, the MPU needs to blank them every time it sweeps around all the digits
4) if signals are swapped or shorted, then when the MPU is telling digit 2 (J1 pin 5) to go blank, it's telling digit 1 to go blank instead or at the same time.
5) if the signals are actually swapped, then I'd think the ball number should show up in the second digit, not the first digit. If they are shorted together, then the MPU tells digit 1 (and 2) to display ball number, but then immediately tells them both to blank when it tries to blank only the second digit.
Other possible symptoms
a) if the signals are swapped at the MPU connector, then you should see digit 2 data showing up in digit 1 data for all of the scores... do you only see zero's in the first digit on the displays or are you getting other numbers? 10, 20, 30, 40... would be 01, 02, 03, 04..... If they are only swapped on display 5 connector then the other score displays would be OK, and you would only get blanks in digit 1 (although, I think you should see the ball number in digit 2)
b) if the signals are shorted at either the MPU or display connector, then it should affect all score displays... 10, 20, 30 may show up as 11, 22, 33, or 00, 00, 00 depending on the order of updating the digits. Poke a few targets that give you 10 points (or are there any?) and see if it increases or stays at 00
.... back to you emulator guys....
Survey says...?