These are short answers to common questions about Sacramento APA. Additional info can be found elsewhere so if you want more details, they’re probably available. If can’t find them, don’t hesitate to ask!
What is the APA? The American Poolplayer’s Association (APA) is the largest amateur pool league in the world with over 250,000 players. It was founded in 1979 by pro players and Billiard Hall of Famers Terry Bell and Larry Hubbart who recognized the need for an organized recreational league system.
What is Sacramento APA’s relationship with the national organization? The APA is a franchise organization, and Sacramento APA is the franchisee serving Sacramento County, CA. Similar to well-known franchises like McDonald’s or Jiffy Lube; the franchisee has some leeway in how they operate, but the goal is to provide a consistent brand experience across the country and around the world.
What nights do we play? Sacramento APA can and will create divisions to play any night of the week as long as sufficient demand exists for that period of play within a given area. The typical start time will be 7pm, but we’re not limited to that. Earlier hours on weekends or even weekdays are possible for people who are retired or work night shifts.
Does Sacramento APA have different nights for men and women? The majority of APA play is coed. This allows couples to spend a fun night out together and gives singles the opportunity to meet new people. APA’s Equalizer® handicapping system ensures that all players, regardless of their playing ability, can be competitive. Alternate formats, such as ladies-only or Masters divisions are available as well… so if you’re interested in something like that, please let us know.
What formats are available? Numerous formats are available in the APA in general, but Sacramento APA will be focusing on our most popular 8-ball and 9-ball formats initially. Once we have several divisions running in those formats, we’ll check interest for other formats such as Jack & Jill Mixed Scotch Doubles and the Masters format.
What if my schedule doesn't allow me to get there on time or stay all night?Work late or have to get up early? Need to get the babysitter home at a certain time? Usually these things can be worked out through good communication with the team captain. The format is such that you play all of your games at once in a single match against a single opponent (race of the match depends on the skill levels of the opponents). It's often possible for you to play the first match and go home early or play a later match once you're able to get to the host location. Again, the key to situations like this is good communication! It's a team effort, everything goes better if all members of the team are working together.
How many people are on a team? Five people play on a given league night but there can be up to eight on a roster so it’s a good idea to have at least six or seven people on a team to make sure you can cover people traveling, sick, or whatever. Obviously a full roster of eight will give maximum flexibility.
How does the handicapping work? Players are assigned skill levels based on their playing ability. This is primarily calculated by performance over time by the APA’s software, but the League Operator has other tools at his disposal to help ensure players are rated as fairly as possible. In 8-ball, the Skill Level (SL) range is 2-7 (with 7 being the most advanced player) and in 9-ball, the range is 1-9 (with 9 being the most advanced level).
What makes up a good team? People who get along well and have fun together make up the best teams! Friends, family, co-workers, etc. With the APA you don’t have to be a ‘good pool player’ to contribute to the team! Teams should also consist of players with differing levels of pool playing ability. Since APA is a handicapped league, players at different ability levels can be competitive and there will in fact be times when it may be advantageous to play a beginner instead of a more advanced player. APA’s handicapping system and skill level cap prevents teams from consisting of only higher-level players… so be sure to have a mix of better players and beginners on your team so you can have multiple options for meeting the skill level cap.
Skill level cap? Please explain.Tired of being in leagues where a "stacked" team wins year after year after year? The APA skill level cap prevents this from happening, ensuring that teams are more balanced and competitive throughout the league. The skill level cap is 23, meaning the aggregate total of skill levels you play on a given night must be 23 or less. Remember five people play each night so, for example, all five players cannot be SL 5 players because 5+5+5+5+5=25 which is greater than 23. You could play three SL 5’s and two SL 4’s, however: 5+5+5+4+4=23 or two SL 6’s, two SL 4’s, and a SL 3: 6+6+4+4+3=23. The SL total of your participating players can add up to anything less than 23 as well, you just can’t go over 23. Keep in mind that skill levels of team members will change over time, and they’ll generally go up since players improve over time. Make sure you have flexibility and room for improvement built into your roster!
How much does it cost? The annual membership fee for the APA is $25. The weekly team fee for Sacramento APA is $40. It’s up to the team how this fee gets paid, but it’s common for each player who actually plays on a given night to pay their share of the team fee, which would be $8 (five players per night X $8 = $40). It’s important to note that the full team fee is due even if one or more matches are forfeited due to fewer than five players being available on a given night. Captains, make sure you have plenty of people on your rosters to cover contingencies, and make sure your players understand that league play is a commitment!
What do I get for my money? For the annual APA membership fee you get a membership ‘welcome’ packet, a subscription to the APA’s quarterly publication The American Poolplayer® magazine, as well as discounts from numerous national and local retailers. The weekly team fees cover the costs of bringing you the best league experience possible, including awards and prizes, as well as travel assistance to Las Vegas if you or your team qualify to compete there. Think there's 'no money' in the APA? Think again. The annual purse at the national level is $1.5 million (and we've never failed to pay in full and on time). Individual players - even beginners - can win over $15,000 in cash and prizes at APA Singles Nationals. And remember - if you earn your way to the Nationals in Las Vegas, you'll receive travel assistance to get there!
What is “Double Jeopardy”? This is a popular arrangement where two divisions of different formats play in parallel at the same time and location. This gives teams the ability to play both 8-ball and 9-ball on the same night. Team rosters for each format are typically the same or similar, but don’t have to be identical. Players enjoy numerous benefits, for example: (1) only one night out of their weekly schedule qualifies them in both 8-ball and 9-ball formats (2) generally, everyone on the team can play on league night since there will be ten matches (five 8-ball and five 9-ball) to be divided up amongst eight players instead of the usual five matches for eight players (assuming the 8-ball and 9-ball rosters are the same) (3) save on things like gas, childcare, etc – one trip to the pool hall for both 8-ball and 9-ball instead of separate trips (4) being on two teams doubles the chances of qualifying for Vegas!!!