Amateur pool competitions in America are managed by the American Poolplayers Association. The organization administers leagues and tournaments that are open to eight and nine-ball players and follows a set of standard rules. The APA offers a wheelchair championship for handicapped players. These tournaments are a great way to meet other pool players and compete against the best.
Standard Rules for APA
The APA Standard Rules for pool tournaments include a number of helpful resources for players. These include an Official Team Manual as well as a Rule Booklet. These rules contain information on how to keep score as well as handicap information. These rules can also be downloaded to many devices. There are many videos available online to assist you with the game.
APA nine-ball differs from Texas Express rules 9-ball in several ways. First, balls 1 through 8 count as one point; nine balls count as two points. Likewise, pockets made on the break count as two points. The rules require that objects are considered dead balls. After a rack is played, the player with the most points wins.
APA's handicapping system
The APA's handicapping algorithm for pool championships is based a formula which attempts to balance skill level. To win a game, a player that plays 6 balls must hit 46 balls. A player who plays 9 balls must hit 19 balls. The formula, which is based on win/loss statistics, has been quite reliable.
NAPA handicapping is different from national pool leagues. It assigns a skill-level to individual matches, and not a theoretical maximum. The highest-skill players in 8-ball and nine-ball are rated 115 and 149, respectively, while the vast majority of players fall between the 30s and 70s.
APA's Sportsmanship Award
World Pool Championships recognizes the winners of APA's Sportsmanship Award in Pool Tournaments. The nomination process is used to determine the winner. To be considered for this award, you must be a player in pool. APA staff can nominate you. Winners will be recognized at the tournament and their names published in the tournament's programme.
The host location of an APA tournament cannot switch leagues. The franchisee has no authority to switch leagues. The League Operator was not authorized to establish an in house division. The APA then contacted another local competitive pool league and arranged an in-house division.
APA's Wheelchair Championships for players in wheelchairs
The APA Wheelchair Championship caters to those who have physical limitations. There are five skill tiers. The Blue Tier caters to players with SL2/3 capabilities, the Yellow Tier for players with SL4+ and the Red Tier for players of SL5 and higher abilities. To qualify, players must be APA members and have at least 10 League match scores from the past two years.
APA Junior Championships
Each year, the American Poolplayers Association (APA) hosts several major pool tournaments. The APA Junior Championships is a popular event for teens and juniors. The event takes place in Lake St. Louis (Missouri) and is open to all ages. The U.S. Amateur Championships and the Amateur Championships are held at the APA. The APA also hosts two major amateur competitions, the U.S. Amateur Championships in late April/early May and the World Championships in late August. Guinness World Records ranked APA's World Championships as having the largest pool tournament in the world in 2010. The APA's junior championships allow young players to participate. Each division is separated into different skill levels.
Each year, there are two major competitions at the APA Junior Championships. The nine-ball World Championship draws more than 500 teams. The event features APA members representing different countries. International affiliates of APA are the Canadian Poolplayers Association or the Japanese Poolplayers Association. WPBA Tour is North America’s most popular televised swimming competition.