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Rules For Participation

APA’s Championship Tournaments are operated and administered by American Poolplayers Association, Inc. and its affiliated Leagues in Canada, Japan and Singapore (collectively “APA”). APA, acting through its designated officials, including, but not limited to, the Handicap Review Committee (HRC), is the Tournament Director of all APA Championship Tournaments. As the Tournament Director, APA has the full, absolute and final authority to make all rulings, decisions and judgments, in its sole discretion, on all issues and matters related to all APA Championship Tournaments.
This is a handicapped tournament.  Skill levels are calculated using The Equalizer® Handicapping System.  For more information regarding The Equalizer®, refer to the APA Official Team Manual (“OTM”).
Tournament slots are obtained from your Local League Operator.

The following are rules applicable to this Tournament:

  1. You must have submitted an Entry Form and entry fee prior to July 1, 2024.
  2. The Rules contained in the Team Captains Championship Rules, published in the Event Program. The Official APA/CPA 8-Ball & 9-Ball Game Rules Booklet and the OTM also apply to all Tournament matches and are applicable except to the extent they conflict with these Rules For Participation, the Team Captains Championship Rules, or the Certification Statement.
  3. You must be at least 18 years of age to participate.
  4. Roster changes will not be accepted at the Tournament site in Las Vegas.
  5. The Tournament Entry Fee is $150 per team. There will be no refunds issued to no-shows or to entrants who are disqualified.
  6. There is an enforced casual dress code described in the Event Program. Any player that the Tournament Director considers inappropriately dressed will be asked to change.
  7. Matches will not be postponed due to a player’s participation in multiple events.
  8. A “Games Must Win” chart will be used. A copy of the chart will be provided at the Tournament.
  9. Ladies may participate at their assigned skill level, even if that assigned skill level is lower than a skill level 3. All other players must participate at a skill level 3 or higher. To be eligible to participate at a skill level lower than a skill level 3, the player’s State/Province issued picture ID, Military ID or passport photo ID must identify her as female.
  10. Every member of the team’s roster must be from the same League area and may only participate on one team competing in this Team Captains Championship.
  11. Any player entering the Tournament under fraudulent or false pretenses or participating in the Tournament under fraudulent or false pretenses will be disqualified. Players may also be disqualified for excessive skill level movement, irregularities or falsification of any scoresheet or Certification Statement, or for sportsmanship violations affecting the integrity of the Tournament, APA or the sport.
  12. APA has the absolute and final authority to make all rulings relating to, or having an effect on, the Tournament and APA Members’ participation in the Tournament, including, but not limited to, rulings regarding player ability, skill level assignment, adjustments of a player’s skill levels and disqualifications. If a player is disqualified from this Tournament for any reason, that player will forfeit all titles, awards, and prize money they would otherwise be entitled to, and receive a minimum two-year suspension of their membership in APA.  Disqualification can occur prior to, during, or after the Tournament.
  13. APA reserves the authority, at its sole discretion, to make modifications to the rules, format or any other aspect of the Tournament.
  14. The maximum number of teams that can enter this Modified Single Elimination tournament is 384. The size of the board and the breakdown of prize money will be based on the number of entries.
  15. If this Tournament is cancelled for any reason, you understand that your only remedy is a refund of your entry fee.
  16. Players must have completed two (2) sessions as a Team Captain of a standard 8-Ball, 9-Ball, or Ladies team in the 2024/2025 League year, Summer 2024 – Spring 2025, in the area the team represents. Teams must be in separate sessions. Players are not allowed to captain two teams in the same session and still be eligible for this event. Yearly Schedule Divisions with 20 or more matches scheduled for play over the course of the division’s qualifying year will be considered equivalent to (2) sessions of standard 8-Ball, 9-Ball, or Ladies, thus their Team Captains will be eligible.
  17. Players must have at least twenty (20) 8-Ball scores or twenty (20) 9-Ball scores within the last two years by the entry deadline of July 1, 2024. A combination of scores from the two formats is not allowed.
  18. Players must have played at least four (4) times in the Spring Session in the League area the team represents. Matches played can be in either the standard 8-Ball, 9-Ball or Ladies formats.
  19. Players must be on an active (Summer Session) APA roster.
  20. Preregistration is required.
  21. 100% Payback of entry fees.
  22. Dates, times, format and tournament rules are tentative and subject to change.

Updated 03/16/2023 (rule 16, replaced Alternate Divisions with Yearly Schedule Divisions)

Updated 09/12/24 (rule 16, bolded verbiage)

 

Game Rules

(in addition to the APA Championship Rules and the APA Official Team Manual)

  1. Maximum of 5 players allowed on roster.
  2. A player’s highest skill level (SL) in this tournament will be the highest of either the player’s skill level in 8-Ball or 9-Ball, unless the player is a SL8 or a SL9 in either format in which case their skill level in this tournament will be a SL7.
  3. Teams choose 3 of the 5 team members to participate in each match. The total of the skill levels of the 3 players fielded cannot exceed 15. Only one player of skill level 6 or higher, sometimes referred to as a Senior Skill Level Player, can be fielded.
  4. It is permissible for a team to count the skill level of an eligible player who is on the roster but not present at the match site towards the Team Skill Level Limit.
  5. An ineligible player’s skill level may not be used towards the Team Skill Level Limit.
  6. Teams that cannot comply with the Team Skill Level Limit of 15, will play two players whose combined skill levels do not exceed 11, and forfeit the vacant match.
  7. Team Captains flip a coin to decide who must declare their three players for the match first. Winner of the flip has the choice of declaring first or having the opposing Team Captain choose first.
  8. The players are listed in ascending order (lowest to highest). That list determines the player rotation, and is locked for the match. Once both teams in a match have declared their players, the players cannot be changed unless the combined skill levels of the three players declared by a team exceed the maximum permitted combined skill level in which case the team will be allowed to declare three different players prior to first rack being struck.
  9. Players of same skill level may be placed in order of preference.
  10. If a team only has two eligible players for a match, the player with the highest skill level must be in Player Spot 3. The remaining player must be in Spot 2.
  11. Teams with only two eligible players will play a race to 5.
  12. Teams with only one eligible player will forfeit the team match.
  13. Players lag to see who wins the first break.
  14. Alternate between 8-Ball & 9-Ball racks, starting with 8-Ball.
  15. Each individual rack is worth one team point.
  16. Once the first two players have completed their rack of 8-Ball, the second two players in the rotation will play a rack of 9-Ball. Upon that rack’s completion, the next two players in the rotation will play a rack of 8-Ball. Once set, the player rotation continues until a team reaches the required points necessary to win the match.
  17. If a player is not present for any game in the rotation, they forfeit all subsequent games in their rotation spot.
  18. For a 9-Ball game, the individual rack is over when the 9-ball is legally pocketed.
  19. The winning team breaks with the next player in the rotation after each rack.
  20. Each team is limited to one coaching time-out per game.
  21. It is a loss of game to shoot out of rotation. Although it is sportsmanlike for the non-offending team to remind the other team that they are about to play a player out of rotation, they are not required to do so. However, before any infraction has occurred, the team that has posted a player out of rotation may avoid penalty by asking the non-offending team which player’s turn it is in the rotation. In that circumstance, the team must tell them the truth, and the correct player in the rotation will assume their rightful spot in the game. Once the offending team has taken a shot out of rotation, the infraction has occurred, the game is over, and the sitting team will receive one point for the rack. Both teams will then move to the next game in the match, with players in the correct rotation. However, if the game is completed without the non-offending team calling the infraction, and the next rack is broken, the results of previous rack will stand, and the team that shot out of rotation will assume the new rotation for the remainder of the match.

Updated: 07/20/2022 (reorder bullet points and clarified roster eligibility & player spot posting)
Updated: 03/16/2023 (update rules 10 & 11 and added rule 12)

 

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