Membership Terms and Conditions

By becoming a member of the American Poolplayers Association, Inc. (“APA”), Canadian Poolplayers Association (“CPA”), Japanese Poolplayers Association or APA of Singapore (“Member”) or renewing your memberships with these associations, you are accepting the following terms and conditions, and agreeing to act consistently with these terms and conditions, throughout your time as a Member. Further you are accepting and agreeing to act consistent with any changes or revisions later made to these terms and conditions applicable during your time as a Member.

APA Leagues in the United States, Japan and Singapore, and all tournaments and events organized by, or sanctioned by, those Leagues are operated by Local League Operators under the authority of, and a license from, APA. CPA Leagues in Canada, and all tournaments and events organized by, or sanctioned by, those Leagues are operated by Local League Operators under the authority of, and under a license from, the Canadian Pool League, Inc. d/b/a the Canadian Poolplayers Association acting pursuant to a Master Licensing Agreement with APA. (APA and CPA are collectively referred to here as “APA”). Unless it is operated by APA or CPA, your local League is independently owned and operated by the Local League Operator.
APA League and tournament play is conducted under APA’s rules, including the rules stated in APA’s Official Team Manual (“Official Team Manual”). As a Member of APA you accept and agree to abide by APA’s rules.
All participants in local APA League play, tournaments and events must be valid Members of APA’s association of amateur pool players in good standing.
Members are assigned an APA Membership Number by APA and are given access to an APA Member Services Account. Through their APA Member Services Account, each Member can access a digital membership card, and other statistics and information available through the APA Online Member Services app and website. Members with a current APA membership are entitled to participate in available APA League play as well as APA tournaments and events for which they qualify. Members also receive a subscription to the digital The American Poolplayer® magazine, and member discounts on goods and services offered by APA sponsors and marketing partners.
The APA membership fee is the amount stated in the current version of the Official Team Manual. Copies of the Official Team Manual are available on our website and from your Local League Operator. APA memberships are effective for a calendar year and expire on December 31 of the membership year. (Members joining after August 15 are entitled to a discounted membership renewal for the following year. Members joining after December 1 receive a membership good for the next calendar year. APA reserves the right, at its discretion, to offer memberships at a promotional rate to new, or renewing Members in some, or all, areas served by APA.)
Applicants seeking membership in APA must fill in all required fields on the APA online or paper membership application. Information must be true and correct. The name you provide on your membership application must match the name stated on your state-issued driver’s license, photo identification card, or military ID (collectively referred to here as a “Photo ID”). Members must be able to present their digital APA membership card and their Photo ID upon request at APA League play, tournaments and events.
APA may choose to communicate with Members using the Member’s mailing address, telephone number and/or email address. It is important that your contact information be correct and current throughout your time as an APA Member. APA and the APA Local League Operators are not responsible for mailings or communications not received because of incorrect or out-of-date contact information.
You must be at least 18 years of age to be an APA Member. Please note that participation in some APA League areas may be restricted to those 21 years of age or older by state and local laws that restrict access by those under 21 to bars and other locations that host League play (each a “Host Location”). Check your local League’s bylaws for age requirements in your APA League area.
Individuals associated with a Local League Operator, or with the operation of a League, are restricted from engaging in some, or all, League activities. By submitting a membership application, you are acknowledging that you are aware of these restrictions. The restrictions are as follows:
1. Local League Operators, their spouses, and significant others, and individuals living in a Local League Operator’s household, are not allowed to participate in any post-season play, which includes Division Playoffs, Tri-Annual Tournaments and all APA Higher Level Tournaments, including World Qualifiers and APA’s Championship Tournaments. If a League is owned by a corporation, limited liability company or partnership, then all directors, shareholders, members, and partners, and their respective spouses or significant others, are prohibited from participating in any post-season play.
  1. We consider a “significant other” to be a person who may, or may not, live with a Local League Operator with whom a Local League Operator has a close relationship. A significant other may be, but is not limited to, a spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, fiancé, person with whom the Local League Operator is committed to through a civil union, or a life partner.
2. Any individual with access to a Local League Operator’s computer system, or who is otherwise in a position to manipulate team rosters, or APA Members’ handicaps, is not allowed to participate in Higher Level Tournaments.
3. Local League Operators have the discretion to make their spouses, or significant others, and individuals living in their household, ineligible from participating in any and all League activities.
All applications for membership are subject to the approval of APA. APA shall have the sole discretion to accept or reject an individual’s membership application. If your application is not accepted, APA will refund your membership fee. All membership fees are non-refundable under any other circumstance other than the one described here.Teams participating in APA League activity pay a weekly fee established by the Local League Operator. Weekly fees must be paid when due.
APA is a pool league for people who want to enjoy the fun and excitement of recreational pool. Members must be amateurs. Persons who have the characteristics of a professional pool player are not allowed to play in APA Leagues or events, including local, regional, national or international tournaments. APA has the sole discretion to determine whether an individual is eligible to be an APA Member, including whether an individual has the characteristics of a professional pool player.
If you believe you have characteristics of a professional pool player, and that you may therefore be ineligible for an APA membership, please consult your Local League Operator or APA before submitting your APA membership application or participating in any APA League activity. If you are currently an APA Member and APA determines, in its sole judgment and discretion, that you have characteristics of a professional pool player, APA may disqualify you from further participation in APA Leagues or events including any local, regional, national or international tournaments at any time. If APA determines you have characteristics of a professional pool player after you have become an APA Member and disqualifies you from further participation in APA Leagues or events, you will not be entitled to a refund of your membership fee or any other fees you have paid to APA or a Local League Operator.
Each Local League Operator has the full authority to operate their local APA League, and has the discretion to make rulings and decisions related to the League’s activity, including decisions relating to the skill levels of APA Members participating in the local APA League, and disciplinary actions for inappropriate conduct, including, but not limited, deciding whether a Member’s membership should be suspended. Decisions of the Local League Operator may be appealed to the APA Appeals Committee using the appeal process set out in the Official Team Manual.
Your membership may be suspended or terminated by APA, or the Local League Operator in whose League you play or who is running a tournament in which you participate, for unsportsmanlike or disruptive conduct, unpaid weekly fees, rule violations or any other reason authorized by the Official Team Manual. Additionally, APA in its sole judgment and discretion, may decline to accept your membership or renew your membership. If you are suspended, or if your membership is terminated, or not accepted, you will no longer be eligible to participate in any APA tournaments and events you previously qualified for, including, without limitation, your local APA League’s World Qualifiers, the APA World Pool Championships, any Showdown Series Championships, any Singles Regional events, the APA Poolplayer Championships, or the U.S. Amateur Championship®. Local League Operators have the right to refuse to do service with any APA Member. APA cannot require a Local League Operator to permit an APA Member to play in his, her or their League. If a Local League Operator refuses to do service with you, you will not be allowed to play in that League, but you will be permitted to play in any other APA League in which the Local League Operator will permit you to play.
By becoming an APA Member, you acknowledge and agree that if you wish to contest a ruling or determination of the Local League Operator, your sole remedy is to appeal to the APA Appeals Committee, and all determinations of the APA Appeals Committee are final. Further, you agree not to sue or assert any claim (including any claim for damages, declaratory and/or injunctive relief) against the Local League Operator, APA, or any individual affiliated with the Local League Operator and/or APA in any court, forum or proceeding related to the contested ruling or determination. Finally, you agree that if you bring any such suit or claim in violation of these terms and conditions, you will reimburse APA and/or the Local League Operator for the costs and reasonable attorney fees it, or they, incur in defending and/or obtaining dismissal of the claim.
You understand that League play may be conducted in bars, pool rooms and other locations that serve and/or permit consumption of alcohol. The choice to consume alcohol before, during or after League play is solely your own. You are responsible for understanding the risks of excessive consumption of alcohol by you and others. If you drink, please drink responsibly. Consumption of alcohol by APA Members under the legal drinking age is never allowed before, during or after APA League play or at any APA events.
If you are planning to drink, arrange for a designated driver. If you think you might be impaired or over the legal limit, take a cab, use rideshare service or get a ride with a sober driver. It is better to be safe than sorry.APA and the Local League Operator are not responsible for onsite supervision of League play or for monitoring consumption of alcohol by you or any other APA Member. APA is not responsible for determining whether the Host Location should serve alcohol to any individual or for determining whether an individual is intoxicated. APA is also not responsible for preventing anyone from leaving the Host Location or from operating a motor vehicle. APA and the APA Local League Operator will not be liable for acts, conduct or consequences that might result from a Member being intoxicated. APA is not responsible for the condition, maintenance or upkeep of any Host Locations. If there is a condition on the premises that you consider unsafe or dangerous, please notify the Host Location’s staff, management or ownership immediately.
By submitting an application for membership, or renewing your APA membership, you agree to waive and release APA (including APA’s officers, directors, employees, independent contractors and agents) and all Local League Operators (including any Local League Operator’s officers, directors, employees, independent contractors and agents) from any claim, cause of action, loss and/or damages, arising from, or relating to, APA League play, tournament play or any APA related event, whether such claim occurred in the past, or occurs in the future, including, without limitation, any claim, damage or loss relating to or arising from (a) any ruling, judgment or decision of APA, the APA Appeals Committee or any Local League Operator, (b) any bodily or personal injury sustained by you, or (c) damage to or loss of property.
We expect excellent sportsmanship during APA League play, tournament play and all APA events. Physical altercations and verbal abuse are strictly prohibited by APA’s rules and any Member engaging in such misconduct is subject to being suspended from the League or having their membership terminated.
While physical altercations and verbal abuse rarely occur during APA League play, tournament play or APA events, such misconduct can happen on occasion. You understand that APA and Local League Operators are not responsible for the onsite supervision of League play. If someone engages in harassing, threatening, abusive or violent behavior during League play, immediately notify the Host Location’s staff or call the police. Do not engage in or try to break up a dispute, conflict or physical altercation yourself.
Generally, you may play in any Host Location where APA League play is offered. When you are participating in APA League play, you are also a patron of the Host Location where League play is conducted. All APA Members are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times that they are in a Host Location. Like any private business, a Host Location has the right to remove and exclude from their premises any customer whose conduct or behavior is determined to be unacceptable by the Host Location. APA has no control over, or responsibility for, Host Locations’ decisions on who to permit, or exclude, from their premises.
You agree to pay for any injury, damage or loss to any person or property caused by your conduct, actions or inactions while participating in APA League play, tournaments and events. If any loss is incurred or any charge or claim is made against APA or any Local League Operator for any injury, damage or loss to person or property resulting from your conduct, actions or inaction, you agree to reimburse and indemnify APA and the Local League Operator for all amounts incurred as a result of the charge or claim.
Members may play in any APA League, in any country, regardless of whether the Member resides in that country. APA does not guarantee that APA League play is available in a particular locale. You may play in as many APA Leagues as you wish as long as you are on a team roster in each of the Leagues. Memberships may not be transferred or assigned to any other person. Members are responsible for locating or organizing a team to join in the League or Leagues in which they wish to play.
If you need assistance identifying a team to join, the Local League Operator may be able to assist you. However, neither APA nor the Local League Operator can guarantee that a roster spot will be available nor can they require a team to include you on their roster. Further, neither APA nor the Local League Operator can guarantee how often you will be asked to play for your team, or teams. It is generally up to the team’s captain, or team members, to decide the team’s line-up for each League or tournament match in which the team participates, and to decide which team members will play, and who they will face, during the match.
By submitting your APA membership application, or renewing your APA membership, you agree to the terms of APA’s Privacy Policy. Click here to review our Privacy Policy.
You understand that APA, its staff, contractors, designees, or vendors, a Local League Operator, or the staff, contractors, designees, or vendors of a Local League Operator (collectively referred to herein as the “Content Creators” or individually referred to herein as a “Content Creator”), may take or make photographs, sound recordings and/or video recordings during, or in connection with, any APA League activity or event, including, but not limited to, APA League play and tournaments. By acknowledging that you have reviewed these Terms and Conditions, and/or by submitting your application to become an APA Member, you are granting the Content Creators, or any one of them, the right to:
(1) film, photograph, tape, record and edit you and to use your personal biographic information, including without limitation, your appearance, likeness, identity, name, nickname, behavior, actions, voice, and conversations by use of any means, media or technology (collectively “Appearance”);
(2) use, broadcast, reproduce, distribute and exhibit your Appearance freely in any media or for any purpose, including for any and all advertising, promotional and commercial purposes; and
(3) edit, modify, adapt, make derivative works from, copyright and, otherwise, use your Appearance as the Content Creators choose.

Further, you waive any claim of any right or interest in the photographs and recordings, and to any compensation or other benefits relating to your appearance in any images or recordings, and acknowledge that the content of your Appearance (including how the content is edited or how you may be depicted or portrayed) may be viewed as favorable, positive, humorous, embarrassing, unfavorable, or negative. You further waive any claim that you may have against APA or any employee, representative, agent, assign or licensee relating to how your Appearance is edited, depicted or portrayed in any work that may be created. You also expressly waive any claim of any right or interest in any Appearance, and any compensation or other benefits for your Appearance in any media or distribution outlet. You acknowledge and agree that APA shall be the exclusive owner of all copyrights and other rights to and in connection with any Appearance, and APA shall have full rights to license others to use them in any manner at APA’s discretion.