The American Poolplayers Association is the world's largest pool league. It is home to nearly 270,000 members from the United States, Canada, Japan and other countries. Franchise Business Review ranked them as one of the best small business opportunities.
The sanctioning body in America and Canada for amateur pool competition is the APA. They organize numerous major pool tournaments annually, including APA World Pool Championships. Guinness World Records proclaimed the APA World Pool Championships the "World's Largest Pool Tournament" for 2010.
APA also hosts nine-ball or eight-ball tournaments. Each member of an APA APA team must hold a membership. Members of other pools associations are also eligible to participate. To apply for membership in APA, please contact your local APA League Operator. The President of APA will then interview you.
APA has three additional annual championships. These include the APA Junior Championships which are open to teenagers and children aged 7-18 years.
The APA Poolplayer Championships take place in Las Vegas, Nevada. They typically occur in the latter half of April or early May. This tournament gives qualified players the opportunity to compete against poolplayers from around the world.
APA hosts several international tournaments, including the APA World Pool Championships. These tournaments were organized by APA League Operator franchisees. Qualifying tournaments may be offered to those who aren't eligible to compete at the National level. APA is known for its handicapping system, which is called the "Equalizer" by some players. Unlike other tournaments, APA's handicapping system is not based on A-D rankings. It uses a proprietary system to rate the top 3 scores. But, an individual can receive more than one rating.
There are also APA franchisees with conflicts of interest. One franchisee has been accused, for example, of kick-out players. APA can make this decision. However, the franchisee had posted in many ** groups and recruited players to the location. He tried to claim that APA had evicted a number players from his territory.
Several APA League Operators have won the coveted APA League Operator of the Year award. Five of these operators were honored at the APA Annual Convention, Las Vegas. One of the winners was the only APA area in the world that received the award twice.
Another reason to join APA is the network of franchise locations. APA boasts a network of over 270 League Operators located in the United States and Canada. Some of these locations have in-house divisions. Although APA is the largest pool league in the world, a local League Operator does not have the authority to switch to a different 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 associated with APA, and may have additional fees. Depending upon the market, the fees for franchisees may include licensing fees, equipment, marketing expenses, and other costs.