The American Poolplayers Association is the world's largest pool league. It has almost 270,000 members in Japan, Canada, the United States and Japan. Franchise Business Review also ranked them as one the top small-business opportunities.
The sanctioning body for amateur pool competitions in Canada and the United States is APA. They organize numerous major pool tournaments annually, including APA World Pool Championships. Guinness World Records proclaimed 2010 the APA World Pool Championships "World's Largest Pool Tournament".
APA also hosts nine-ball or eight-ball tournaments. Each member of an APA team must have a membership. Participants from other pool associations are also eligible. You can apply to join APA by submitting a membership request to your local APA League Operator. The President will interview you.
APA hosts three other annual championships. These include the APA Junior Championships for children and teens aged 7-18.
The APA Poolplayer Championships are held in Las Vegas, Nevada. They typically take place in the late April or early mai. This tournament allows players who are qualified to compete against poolplayers across the globe.
Several other international tournaments are conducted by APA, including the APA World Pool Championships in Singapore. These tournaments are organized by APA local League Operator franchisees. Qualifying tournaments can be taken part by those who don't qualify to compete at the national stage. Some players call the "Equalizer", APA's handicapping system. APA's handicapping method is not based on A/D rankings, as in other tournaments. It uses a proprietary system to rate the top 3 scores. It is possible to get more than three ratings.
Some APA franchisees have conflicts of interests. One franchisee, for instance, has been accused in some cases of sending players home. APA can make this decision. However, the franchisee had posted in many ** groups and recruited players to the location. He tried to claim APA had removed a number of players from his territory.
Numerous APA League Operators have won the coveted APA League Owner of the Year award. Five of these operators received recognition at the APA Annual Convention held in Las Vegas. One of the winners was the only APA area in the world that received the award twice.
Another reason to consider joining APA is its network of franchise locations. APA boasts a network of over 270 League Operators located in the United States and Canada. 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 is home to more than 270,000 active members. There are however more than 270 League Operators who organize pool tourneys. These locations are often affiliated with APA. Additional costs may apply. Depending on where the franchisee is located, it may also include equipment and licensing fees.