The American Poolplayers Association (APA) was founded by professional poolplayers Terry Bell and Larry Hubbart in 1979 as the National Pool League, which became the American Poolplayers Association in 1981. The two realized the popularity of the sport, but knew that, different from other sports, there was no existing recreational league system.
The APA hosts an 8-Ball and 9-Ball League system. The APA 8-Ball League and APA 9-Ball League are offered throughout the country and each year teams have the opportunity to advance to the APA National Team Championships.
At the national level, the APA guarantees more than $1 million in national tournament prize money. This consists of the $500,00 APA 8-Ball National Team Championships, the $250,000 APA 8-Ball Classic, the $100,000 APA 9-Ball National Team Championship, the $100,000 APA 9-Ball Shootout, and the MiniMania tournaments, which paid nearly $220,000 during the 2007 National Team Championships.
The APA conducts the U.S. Amateur Championship, the pool world's most prestigious amateur tournament, which is the only competition open to APA members and nonmembers alike. The tournament began in 1994 and has grown more than 35 percent during the past year, as players across North America battle for one of the 128 spots in the tournament.
One of the keys to the success of the American Poolplayers Association is The Equalizer®, the unique handicapping and scoring system that makes it possible for players of different playing abilities -- especially novices and beginners -- to compete on an equal basis, much like they do in golf and bowling. The Equalizer® uses a formula that measures a player's ability. The result is a handicap of how many games a player must win to capture a match in 8-Ball or the number of points a player must earn to win a match in the 9-Ball format
Pool League Schedule