The American Poolplayers Association (APA), the world's largest pool association, is headquartered in New York. Nearly 270,000 people are members of the APA in Japan, Canada and the United States. Franchise Business Review named them one of the top small businesses opportunities.
The sanctioning body of amateur pool competitions in Canada, the United States, and the United States is APA. They organize numerous major pool tournaments annually, including APA World Pool Championships. Guinness World Records proclaimed APA World Pool Championships 2010 as the "World's Largest Pool Tournament."
APA also runs eight-ball, nine-ball tournaments. Each member of an APA team must have a membership. Other pool associations members are also eligible. To join APA, submit a membership application at your local APA League Operator. The President of APA will interview you.
APA hosts three other annual championships. These include APA Junior Championships that are open to kids and teens between 7-18 years.
The APA Poolplayer Championships is held in Las Vegas Nevada. They usually take place in late April and early May. This tournament gives qualified players the opportunity to compete against poolplayers from around the world.
APA organizes many other international tournaments including the APA World Pool Championships. These tournaments can be organized by APA League Operator franchisees. Those who do not qualify to compete at a national level can still take part in qualifying tournaments. Some players refer to the "Equalizer" handicapping system at APA as the "Equalizer". APA's handicapping system, unlike other tournaments is not based upon A-D rankings. Rather, it uses a proprietary system that rates the best 3 scores. It is possible to get more than three ratings.
There are also some APA franchisees who have a conflict of interest. One franchisee has been accused, for example, of kick-out players. APA is allowed to make the decision. However, the franchisee posted in several ** groups and had recruited players to his place. He claimed that APA had kicked out a lot of his players.
Many APA League operators have been awarded the coveted APA League operator of the year award. Five of these operators were recognized during the APA Annual Convention in Las Vegas. One of them was also the only APA site to receive the award twice.
Another reason to join APA is the network of franchise locations. APA has more than 270 League Operators throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, and other countries. Some of these venues offer in-house leagues. APA is the largest pool league worldwide, but a local League Operator cannot switch to another league.
APA boasts a strong network with more than 270,000 members. But there are over 270 League Operators that organize pool tournaments. These locations may be associated with APA and may incur additional costs. Depending on the market and the APA franchisee, the franchise fee may include licensing fees, equipment, and marketing expenses.