The American Poolplayers Association oversees all amateur pool competitions within the United States. The organization runs leagues and tournaments for eight and nine-ball competitions and uses a standard set of rules. The APA also offers a wheel chair championship for handicapped players. These tournaments are a great way to meet other pool players and compete against the best.
Standard Rules of APA
There are many resources in the APA Standard Rules for Pool Tournaments. These include an Official Team Manual (or Rule Booklet) and a Team Manual. The rules also include information on how to keep score and handicap information. In addition, you can download these rules to a variety of devices. There are many online videos that can help you with the game.
APA nineball is different than Texas Express rules 9 ball in many ways. First, balls 1-8 count as one point and the nine-ball counts as two. Likewise, pockets made on the break count as two points. The rules require that objects are considered dead balls. The rack is finished and the player with most points wins.
The handicapping system for APA
The APA's pool championship handicapping system relies on a formula to balance skill levels. 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 uses win/loss statistics over time and has been proven fairly accurate.
The NAPA handicapping system, unlike national pool leagues assigns a skill level for individual matches and not a theoretical limit. The highest-skill 8-ball players and the best in nine-ball are rated respectively at 115 & 149. While the majority of players are between the 30s & 70s,
APA's Sportsmanship Award
World Pool Championships recognizes the winners of APA's Sportsmanship Award in Pool Tournaments. The award is based on a nomination process. The award is open to pool players only. APA staff will nominate. The tournament will recognize the winners and publish their names in the program.
A tournament's host cannot change leagues. The franchisee has no authority to switch leagues. The League Operator was unable to grant the request of the host location. It was their business. The APA then contacted a nearby competitive pool league and arranged for an in-house section.
APA's Wheelchair Championship: For players in wheelchairs
The APA Wheelchair Championship is a tournament that caters to players with physical limitations. There are five skill levels. 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 most 10 League match scores in the last two year.
APA Junior Championships
The American Poolplayers Association host several major pool tournaments each season. The APA's Junior Championships serve as a major event both for teenagers 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. 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 being the largest pool tournament worldwide in 2010. The APA's junior championships allow young players to participate. Each division is separated into different skill levels.
The APA's Junior Championships have two major competitions each year. The nine ball World Championship attracts more 500 teams. The event features APA members representing different countries. The APA also has two international affiliates: the Canadian Poolplayers Association, and the Japanese Poolplayers Association. WPBA Tour, North America's most widely televised and televised pool tournament, is sponsored by the APA.