Amateur pool competitions are overseen by the American Poolplayers Association (APA). 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 allow you to meet pool players from all over the world and to compete against the best.
Standard Rules of APA
The APA Standard Rules of Pool Tournaments provide a variety of resources for players. 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. These rules can be downloaded to a variety od devices. A number of online videos are available to assist you in the game.
APA nine ball differs from Texas Express rules 9,-ball in many ways. First, balls 1-8 count as one point and the nine-ball counts as two. The break also counts pocket money as two points. Rules stipulate that object balls are treated as dead balls. After a rack is played, the player with the most points wins.
The handicapping system by APA
The APA's handicapping system for pool championships is based on a formula that attempts to balance 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.
NAPA handicapping is different from national pool leagues. It assigns a skill-level to individual matches, and not a theoretical maximum. The highest-skill players in 8-ball and nine-ball are rated 115 and 149, respectively, while the vast majority of players fall between the 30s and 70s.
APA's Sportsmanship Award
Winners of APA's Sportsmanship Award for Pool Tournaments are recognized at World Pool Championships. The award is awarded based on nominations. You must be a pool player to be eligible for this award. APA staff will submit nominations. The tournament honors its winners. Their names will be published in its program.
The tournament host can not switch leagues. The franchisee doesn't have the authority. The League Operator declined to establish an in-house league for the host site. 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 tournament is for players with disabilities. 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 qualify, players must be APA members and have at least 10 League match scores from the past two years.
APA's Junior Championships
The American Poolplayers Association (APA), hosts many important pool tournaments every year. The APA's Junior Championships serve as a major event both for teenagers and juniors. This event is open for all ages and takes place at Lake St. Louis in Missouri. The U.S. Championships and Amateur Championships are two other major competitions held by 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 having the largest pool tournament in the world in 2010. The APA's junior championships allow young players to participate. Each division is separated into different skill levels.
The APA Junior Championships offer two major competitions every year. The nine-ball World Championship attracts more than 500 teams. The event is attended by APA members from different countries. The APA has international affiliates, the Canadian Poolplayers Association and the Japanese Poolplayers Association. WPBA Tour is North America’s most popular televised swimming competition.