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 in America and Canada for amateur pool competition is the APA. They organize major pool tournaments throughout the year, including APA World Pool Championships. Guinness World Records certified the APA World Pool Championships as the "World's Largest Pool Tournament" in 2010.
APA also conducts eight-ball and nine-ball tournaments. Each member of an APA team must have a membership. Other pool associations members are also eligible. To join APA, submit a membership application at your local APA League Operator. The President of APA will interview you.
APA has three additional annual championships. These include the APA Junior Championships for children and teens aged 7-18.
The APA Poolplayer Championships will be held in Las Vegas Nevada. They typically take place in the late April or early mai. These tournaments allow qualified poolplayers to play against poolplayers around the globe.
APA organizes many other international tournaments including the APA World Pool Championships. These tournaments are organized by APA local League Operator franchisees. Qualifying tournaments are open to anyone who does not qualify for national competition. Some players refer to APA's handicapping system as the "Equalizer". APA's handicapping system does not use A-D rankings like other tournaments. It uses a proprietary rating system that rates the three best scores. However, an individual can get more than 3 ratings.
Some APA franchisees also have conflict of interest. One franchisee has been accused, for example, of kick-out players. APA is allowed to make the decision. However, the franchisee posted in several ** groups and had recruited players to his place. 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 received recognition at the APA Annual Convention held in Las Vegas. One of the winners was the only APA area in the world that received the award twice.
Another reason to consider joining APA is its network of franchise locations. APA has an active network of more than 270 League Operators in the United States, Canada, and Japan. Some of these locations offer in-house divisions. APA is the biggest pool league in the globe, but a local League Operator doesn't have the authority or the right to switch to a new 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 may be associated with APA and may incur additional costs. Depending on which market the franchisee is in, the franchise fee could include licensing fees as well as equipment and marketing expenses.