The American Poolplayers Association or APA is the largest pool league anywhere in the world. It has almost 270,000 members in Japan, Canada, the United States and Japan. Franchise Business Review named them one of the top small businesses opportunities.
The sanctioning body for amateur pool competitions in Canada and the United States is APA. They organize major pool tournaments throughout the year, including APA World Pool Championships. Guinness World Records proclaimed APA World Pool Championships 2010 as the "World's Largest Pool Tournament."
APA also conducts eight-ball and nine-ball tournaments. Each player in an APA-affiliated team must have a APA membership. Other pool associations members are also eligible. If you are interested in joining APA, you can submit a Membership Application to your local APA League Operator. The President will interview you.
Aside from the APA Poolplayer Championships, APA has three other annual championships. These include the APA Junior Championships for children and teens aged 7-18.
The APA Poolplayer Championships takes place in Las Vegas (Nevada). They typically take place in the late April or early mai. This tournament allows players who are qualified to compete against poolplayers across the globe.
APA also hosts many international tournaments. These tournaments are organized by APA local League Operator franchisees. Qualifying tournaments may be offered to those who aren't eligible to compete at the National level. Some players refer to APA's handicapping system as the "Equalizer". APA's handicapping system, unlike other tournaments is not based upon A-D rankings. Instead, it uses a proprietary system which rates the 3 best scores. However, an individual can get more than 3 ratings.
There are also APA franchisees with 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 tried to claim APA had removed a number of players from his territory.
Several APA League Operators have won the coveted APA League Operator of the Year award. Five of these five operators were recognized at the APA Annual Convention in Las Vegas. One of them was recognized as the only APA office in the world to have won the award twice.
Another reason to consider joining APA is its network of franchise locations. APA's active network includes more than 270 League Operators across the United States, Canada and Japan. 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 has a more than 270,000 strong network, but there are also more than 270 League operators who organize pool tournaments. These locations can be affiliated with APA. They may also have additional costs. Depending upon the market, the fees for franchisees may include licensing fees, equipment, marketing expenses, and other costs.