The American Poolplayers Association oversees all amateur pool competitions within the United States. The organization administers leagues and tournaments that are open to eight and nine-ball players and follows a set of standard rules. The APA also has a handicapped champion in wheel chairs. These tournaments allow you to meet pool players from all over the world and to compete against the best.
APA's Standard Rules
There are many resources in the APA Standard Rules for Pool Tournaments. These include the Official Team Manual and Rule Booklet. These rules provide information on keeping score and handicap information. You can also download the rules to a variety devices. Many online videos can be accessed to help you learn the rules.
APA nineball is different than Texas Express rules 9 ball in many ways. First, balls 1-8 count for one point, while nine balls count for two. Likewise, pockets made on the break count as two points. Rules stipulate that object balls are treated as dead balls. The player who has the most points wins after a rack is played.
APA's handicapping system
The APA's handicapping system for pool championships is based on a formula that attempts to balance skill levels. To win a pool championship, a player with 6 balls must play 46 balls, while a player with 9 balls must play 19 balls. The formula, which is based on win/loss statistics, has been quite reliable.
NAPA handicapping assigns skill levels to individual matches rather than a theoretical cap, which is unlike national pool leagues. 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. Nominations are required to receive the award. To be considered for this award, you must be a player in pool. APA staff can nominate you. The tournament recognizes the winners, and the tournament's program will publish the names of the winners.
The tournament host can not switch leagues. The franchisee doesn't have the authority. The League Operator refused to allow the host location to create an in-house division. This was because it was their business. The APA then contacted another local competitive pool league and arranged an in-house division.
APA Wheelchair Championship for players with wheelchairs
The APA Wheelchair Championship, a tournament for those with physical limitations, is the APA's Wheelchair Championship. It offers five skill tiers. The Blue Tier can be used by players with SL2 or 3 abilities. The Yellow Tier can be used by players with SL4 or up. And the Red Tier will only work for players with SL5 abilities and above. To qualify players must be APA Members and have at most 10 League match scores in the last two year.
APA Junior Championships
The American Poolplayers Association hosts many major pool tournaments each year. The APA Junior Championships is a popular event for teens and juniors. The event is open all ages, and it is held in Lake St. Louis. The U.S. Amateur Championships and the Amateur Championships are held at the APA. Amateur Championships (in the late April/early could) and World Championshipss (in the late August). Guinness World Records has rated the APA's world championships as the world's biggest pool tournament in 2010. The APA junior championships are open for young players. Each division is broken down into 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 is attended by APA members from different countries. The APA has two international affiliates, Canadian Poolplayers Association as well as Japanese Poolplayers Association. The APA is also an active sponsor of the WPBA Tour, the most widely televised pool competition in North America.