The American Poolplayers Association is the world's largest pool league. It has nearly 270,000 members in the United States, Canada, and Japan. They have also been ranked as one of the top small business opportunities by Franchise Business Review.
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 conducts eight-ball and nine-ball tournaments. Each player in an APA team is required to have a membership in APA. Members of other pools associations are also eligible to participate. If you are interested in joining APA, you can submit a Membership Application to your local APA League Operator. The President will interview you.
APA holds three other annual championships in addition to the APA Poolplayer Championships. These include the APA Junior Championships for children and teens aged 7-18.
The APA Poolplayer Championships are held in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are usually held in May or April. The tournament allows qualified poolplayers the chance to compete against poolplayers all over the world.
Several other international tournaments are conducted by APA, including the APA World Pool Championships in Singapore. These tournaments will be 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. Rather, it uses a proprietary system that rates the best 3 scores. However, it is possible for an individual to receive more than 3 ratings.
Some APA franchisees also have conflict of interest. One franchisee, for instance, has been accused in some cases of sending players home. APA can make this decision. However, the franchisee had posted in many ** groups and recruited players to the location. The franchisee tried to claim that APA had thrown out a few players from his territory.
Numerous APA League Operators have won the coveted APA League Owner of the Year award. Five of these operators received recognition at the APA Annual Convention held in Las Vegas. One of them was also the only APA site to receive the award twice.
Another reason to consider joining APA are its franchise locations. APA has more than 270 League Operators throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, and other countries. Some of these areas 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 are associated with APA, and may have additional fees. Depending on the market and the APA franchisee, the franchise fee may include licensing fees, equipment, and marketing expenses.