The American Poolplayers Association is responsible for overseeing amateur pool competitions across the United States. The organization has tournaments and leagues for 8 and 9-ball competitions. The APA offers a handicapped championship in a wheel chair. These tournaments offer a great opportunity to meet pool players and challenge the best.
Standard Rules for APA
The APA Standard Rules for pool tournaments include a number of helpful resources for players. These include the Official Team Manual and Rule Booklet. These rules contain information on how to keep score as well as handicap information. You can also download the rules to a variety 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. Pockets made during the break are also counted as two points. The rules also require that object balls are counted as dead balls. The winner of a rack will be the one with the most points.
The handicapping system of APA
The APA's pool championship handicapping system is based upon a formula that attempts balance skill levels. For example, a 6 ball player must shoot 46 balls to win the game. A 9-ball player must shoot 19 balls to win. The formula relies on win/loss statistics that has been proven to be very accurate.
NAPA handicapping is different from national pool leagues. It assigns a skill-level to individual matches, and not a theoretical maximum. 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 Sportsmanship Award
World Pool Championships recognizes those who won the APA Sportsmanship Award For Pool Tournaments. The nomination process determines who is eligible for the award. You must be a pool player to be eligible for this award. APA staff will make the nominations. The tournament will recognize the winners and publish their names in the program.
A tournament's host cannot change 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. The tournament offers five skill levels. The Blue Tier is for players with SL2 and 3 abilities, Yellow Tier is for players with SL4 and up, and the Red Tier is for players with SL5 or higher abilities. To be eligible, players must have at least 10 League matches scores from the previous two years.
APA Junior Championships
The American Poolplayers Association host several major pool tournaments each season. The APA Junior Championships is a popular event for teens and juniors. The event takes place in Lake St. Louis (Missouri) and is open to all ages. The U.S. Amateur Championships is another major event held by APA. Amateur Championships are held in late April/early mai and the World Championships take place in late august. Guinness World Records ranked the APA's World Championships as the World's Largest Pool Tournament in 2010. The APA's junior championships open to all players. Each division is divided into skill levels.
Two major competitions are held each year at the APA Junior Championships. The nine-ball World Championship attracts over 500 teams. The event features APA members representing different countries. The APA has international affiliates, the Canadian Poolplayers Association and the Japanese Poolplayers Association. The APA is also an active sponsor of the WPBA Tour, the most widely televised pool competition in North America.