The American Poolplayers Association is the world's largest pool league. Nearly 270,000 people are members of the APA in Japan, Canada and the United States. They have also been ranked as one of the top small business opportunities by Franchise Business Review.
Amateur pool competition in Canada and the United States are sanctioned by the APA. They organize major pool tournaments throughout the year, including APA World Pool Championships. Guinness World Records proclaimed the APA World Pool Championships the "World's Largest Pool Tournament" for 2010.
APA also conducts eight-ball and nine-ball tournaments. Every player on an APA team must be a member of APA. Eligible to participate are members of other pool associations. If you are interested in joining APA, you can submit a Membership Application to your local APA League Operator. The President of APA will then interview you.
Aside from the APA Poolplayer Championships, APA has three other annual championships. These include the APA Junior Championships, which are open to children and teenagers aged 7 to 18 years.
The APA Poolplayer Championships takes place in Las Vegas (Nevada). They usually take place in late April and early May. These tournaments allow qualified poolplayers to play against poolplayers around the globe.
Several other international tournaments are conducted by APA, including the APA World Pool Championships in Singapore. These tournaments were organized by APA League Operator franchisees. Those who do not qualify to compete at a national level can still take part in qualifying tournaments. Some players refer to the "Equalizer" handicapping system at APA as the "Equalizer". APA's handicapping is different from other tournaments. It does not use A/D rankings. It uses a proprietary rating system that rates the three best scores. However, an individual can get more than 3 ratings.
Some APA franchisees may have conflicts of interest. One franchisee was accused by kicking out players. APA is entitled to make this determination, but the franchisee has posted in multiple ** groups and recruited players to his area. He claimed that APA had kicked out a lot of his players.
Many APA League Operators have received the coveted APA League Operating of the Year Award. Five of these operators were recognized during the APA Annual Convention in Las Vegas. One of them was also the only APA site to receive the award twice.
Another reason you should consider joining APA, is the extensive network of franchises. APA's active network includes more than 270 League Operators across the United States, Canada and Japan. Some of these locations offer in-house divisions. APA is the largest pool league worldwide, but a local League Operator cannot switch to another league.
While APA has an active network of more than 270,000 members, there are more than 270 League Operators who organize pool tournaments. These locations can be affiliated with APA. They may also have additional costs. Depending on the market and the APA franchisee, the franchise fee may include licensing fees, equipment, and marketing expenses.