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 offers a wheelchair championship for handicapped players. These tournaments are great for meeting other pool players and competing 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 (or Rule Booklet) and a Team Manual. These rules provide information on keeping score and handicap information. In addition, you can download these rules to a variety of devices. You can also find a number of videos online that will help you play the game.
APA nine-ball differs from Texas Express rules 9-ball in several ways. First, balls one through eight count as one point while the nine ball counts as two points. Likewise, pockets made on the break count as two points. Rules stipulate that object balls are treated as dead balls. The rack is finished and the player with most points wins.
The handicapping system by APA
The APA's handicapping system to win pool championships is based a formula that attempts balancing skill levels. For example, a player who plays 6 balls needs to shoot 46 balls to win a game, while a player who plays 9 balls needs to shoot 19 balls to win. The formula relies on win/loss statistics that has been proven to be very accurate.
Unlike national pool leagues, the NAPA handicapping system assigns a skill level to individual matches, rather than a theoretical cap. 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 nomination process determines who is eligible for the award. To be considered for this award, you must be a player in pool. APA staff will submit nominations. Winners will be recognized at the tournament and their names published in the tournament's programme.
The host of an APA tournament can't switch leagues. The franchisee cannot do this. The host location asked the League Operator to start an in-house division, but the League Operator denied the request because 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 caters to those who have physical limitations. The tournament offers 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. Players must be APA members with at least 10 League match score from the last two years to qualify.
APA Junior Championships
The American Poolplayers Association hosts many major pool tournaments each year. APA's Junior Championships are a major event for juniors, as well as teenagers. The event is open all ages, and it is held in Lake St. Louis. The APA also holds two major amateur competitions, the U.S. 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 open to all players. Each division is divided into skill levels.
Each year, the APA's Junior Championships host two major competitions. The nine-ball World Championship attracts over 500 teams. The event attracts APA members of different countries. The APA has two international affiliates, Canadian Poolplayers Association as well as Japanese Poolplayers Association. WPBA Tour, North America's most widely televised and televised pool tournament, is sponsored by the APA.