Would Pool be better off like many sports with just

CocoboloCowboy · Mar 18, 2010

One Sanctioning Organizations? Just one Sanctioning Organization Set of Stand Rules? Just Sanctioning organizations sanctioning, ALL Youth, Novice, Amateur, Leagues, and last Professional Pool Events in the USA. I say USA as it would be a place to start.

I see a lot of sport that have now starting bring youth programs under the sanctioning umbrella lie both the NFL, and MLB are doing with their Flag football Programs, and Youth Baseball programs. I think this give the organization both stretch, more identity, and last a following of future fans and players.

NASCAR has pretty much put most 4 wheel motor sport under their umbrella, and NASCAR have sponsors lining up to sponsor car & trucks.

The rich & Powerful Vincent Kennedy Mc Mahon has done with his WWE what could be called an America Success Story, taking WWE Wrestling Worldwide, with both the WWE, and a Farm TYPE League System where young wrestlers are made ready for the WWE. Yes I believe WWE is not a True Sport, rather it is Sports Entertainment, but it is on TV 4 - 6 nights a week with a legions of fans world wide. Think the upcoming Wrestle Mania 26 in Phoenix will be the most watched PPV Event, and only small in some ways than the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Pro Football, the NFL emerge out of combining the AFL, and NFL into one very successful NFL.

Could pool be a whole better with just ONE One Sanctioning Organizations? Just one Sanctioning Organization Set of Stand Rules? Just Sanctioning organizations sanctioning, ALL Youth, Novice, Amateur, Leagues, and last Professional Pool Events in the USA.??

Duffman · Mar 18, 2010

First, the NFL may have a flag football league. But all around the country there are many, many different leagues of football. I played in a league called Midget Football, there is Small Fry, Pop Warner, etc. Even college football plays by different rules than the pros do.The thing football has going for it, is that when it all boils down, its the same game for everyone. The D stops the O from scoring, and little guys with big legs kick the ball.

In baseball, there is Knothole, Little League, Babe Ruth, Legion, AAABA, etc. In baseball, the rules are pretty much set in stone. Everyone knows how runs are scored, and baring a few differences like wood bats, metal spikes, stealing bases etc, its all the same game. Batters hit the ball, pitchers and fielders stop them from scoring runs.

Sure, it would be nice to have ONE main body for pool, but as you can see baseball, and football have many more leagues with many small variations of rules.

What these other sports have is a clear and defined TOP level. Where all the players at the top level always play by the same set of rules. No matter what country, state, or city they play in.

Pool needs a clear and defined pro level that people can shoot to obtain.

cajunfats · Mar 18, 2010

Sanctioning

CocoboloCowboy said:
One Sanctioning Organizations? Just one Sanctioning Organization Set of Stand Rules? Just Sanctioning organizations sanctioning, ALL Youth, Novice, Amateur, Leagues, and last Professional Pool Events in the USA. I say USA as it would be a place to start.

I see a lot of sport that have now starting bring youth programs under the sanctioning umbrella lie both the NFL, and MLB are doing with their Flag football Programs, and Youth Baseball programs. I think this give the organization both stretch, more identity, and last a following of future fans and players.

NASCAR has pretty much put most 4 wheel motor sport under their umbrella, and NASCAR have sponsors lining up to sponsor car & trucks.

The rich & Powerful Vincent Kennedy Mc Mahon has done with his WWE what could be called an America Success Story, taking WWE Wrestling Worldwide, with both the WWE, and a Farm TYPE League System where young wrestlers are made ready for the WWE. Yes I believe WWE is not a True Sport, rather it is Sports Entertainment, but it is on TV 4 - 6 nights a week with a legions of fans world wide. Think the upcoming Wrestle Mania 26 in Phoenix will be the most watched PPV Event, and only small in some ways than the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Pro Football, the NFL emerge out of combining the AFL, and NFL into one very successful NFL.

Could pool be a whole better with just ONE One Sanctioning Organizations? Just one Sanctioning Organization Set of Stand Rules? Just Sanctioning organizations sanctioning, ALL Youth, Novice, Amateur, Leagues, and last Professional Pool Events in the USA.??

Cowboy,I also read this on the APA Thread,but am glad you posted here. You and Duffman make some very good points. They show examples of organizations with structure. Without breaking down each form of entertainment you listed,each has an inherent structure flaw that doesn't allow One Sanctioning Body. Independence. In all of the examples you listed the chain is broken due to the control mechanisms in place to have final say in matters of adjudication. The NFL can only control the NFL and entities developed by the NFL. NASCAR doesn't control Dirt Track Racing and so forth. Sanctioning isn't Control,it is a Voluntary Affiliation/Membership with an organization that has an interest in whatever you undertake. That sanctioning body may have a singular purpose,or a multitude of purposes,yet it must offer you something in return...because you pay for that membership. There is no singular body that can dictate to all pool organizations,"You Must Belong!". I doubt seriously that the APA would give up the authority over the 250,000 players it has,much less the local pool league operator with 60 players. This has been a discussion for many years before AZBilliards ever hit the web. It is a situation that merits looking at from time to time as pool continues to change with the times. Thank You for posting this question here.

tucson9ball · Mar 18, 2010

Here is the problem I can see. There are different organizations, the BCA, VNEA, APA, and the newest in the bunch now is the ACS. There are many others, just not as big as the these. Each organization has a President, vice-President, Treasurer and so on, so forth.
To get everything under one set of rules and one organization would be great. But, that would mean we only need 1 President, vice-President, 1 Treasurer, and so on down the line. That would mean, many of these people would lose their positions at the top of theie respective leagues. Which ones would step down voluntarily for the good of pool? Which ones would give up the money they make from their position for the good of pool?
Just my opinion, but I don't see this happening any time soon. It is a very good topic though. If we had 1 governing body and one set of rules, it would much easier to go from place to place and know what the local rules would be.
As in many industries, we have too many chiefs and not enough indians. If we all united under 1 organization it would prosper and the others would fold up and blow away. So.......which one do we all join so the others go away?

justadub · Mar 18, 2010

I don't think it has to be a problem. All the existing leagues don't have to "go away", and their heirarchies don't have to go away. It would be good to have one governing body to regulate how the very basics of "official" play was considered in this country. That doesn't mean that each league would have to change their rule structure, either. Say the "official" rule set was the equivalent of the BCA rules. The APA could continue to use their rule structure within their own league and/or championship play, but anyone from that league going on to play in say, a US Open qualifier or some theoretcial higher-level tournament would have to play by the "official" rules at that time.

It would give some structure, and it would greatly aid the cause of international play.

It would also eventually give the professionals a better shot of having some sort of regular tour schedule. And it woudl also gretaly enhance sponsorship chances. The lack of such a governing body is what is holding back those opportunities now. IMHO

pool101 · Mar 18, 2010

I would see it more like a joining of forces.
We have 5 military commands each with their own structure and chain of command.
We have one President in charge of them all, yet they each are seperate with seperate goals and missions.
I think it would work and be better for pool in the long run, but how to make it happen is beyond me and with all the different groups already established and I am sure not wanting to give up any of the profit - power they already have???

tucson9ball said:
Here is the problem I can see. There are different organizations, the BCA, VNEA, APA, and the newest in the bunch now is the ACS. There are many others, just not as big as the these. Each organization has a President, vice-President, Treasurer and so on, so forth.
To get everything under one set of rules and one organization would be great. But, that would mean we only need 1 President, vice-President, 1 Treasurer, and so on down the line. That would mean, many of these people would lose their positions at the top of theie respective leagues. Which ones would step down voluntarily for the good of pool? Which ones would give up the money they make from their position for the good of pool?
Just my opinion, but I don't see this happening any time soon. It is a very good topic though. If we had 1 governing body and one set of rules, it would much easier to go from place to place and know what the local rules would be.
As in many industries, we have too many chiefs and not enough indians. If we all united under 1 organization it would prosper and the others would fold up and blow away. So.......which one do we all join so the others go away?

alstl · Mar 18, 2010

CocoboloCowboy said:
One Sanctioning Organizations? Just one Sanctioning Organization Set of Stand Rules? Just Sanctioning organizations sanctioning, ALL Youth, Novice, Amateur, Leagues, and last Professional Pool Events in the USA. I say USA as it would be a place to start.

I see a lot of sport that have now starting bring youth programs under the sanctioning umbrella lie both the NFL, and MLB are doing with their Flag football Programs, and Youth Baseball programs. I think this give the organization both stretch, more identity, and last a following of future fans and players.

NASCAR has pretty much put most 4 wheel motor sport under their umbrella, and NASCAR have sponsors lining up to sponsor car & trucks.

The rich & Powerful Vincent Kennedy Mc Mahon has done with his WWE what could be called an America Success Story, taking WWE Wrestling Worldwide, with both the WWE, and a Farm TYPE League System where young wrestlers are made ready for the WWE. Yes I believe WWE is not a True Sport, rather it is Sports Entertainment, but it is on TV 4 - 6 nights a week with a legions of fans world wide. Think the upcoming Wrestle Mania 26 in Phoenix will be the most watched PPV Event, and only small in some ways than the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Pro Football, the NFL emerge out of combining the AFL, and NFL into one very successful NFL.

Could pool be a whole better with just ONE One Sanctioning Organizations? Just one Sanctioning Organization Set of Stand Rules? Just Sanctioning organizations sanctioning, ALL Youth, Novice, Amateur, Leagues, and last Professional Pool Events in the USA.??

Yes.

.........

MitchAlsup · Mar 18, 2010

CocoboloCowboy said:
One Sanctioning Organizations? Just one Sanctioning Organization Set of Stand Rules? Just Sanctioning organizations sanctioning, ALL Youth, Novice, Amateur, Leagues, and last Professional Pool Events in the USA. I say USA as it would be a place to start.

I agree with the general principle, and I think pool would be better off--but only if the sanctioning body were able to adequately sanction all of the current sanctioned tournements. That is you cannot shrink the number of sanctioned events--just enforce a single set of rules/game, and a single code-of-conduct for all games.

NASCAR has pretty much put most 4 wheel motor sport under their umbrella, and NASCAR have sponsors lining up to sponsor car & trucks.

Really? Sprint Cars, Drag Racing, Open Wheel racing, Formula Racing {F1, F2, Formula Mozda, Formula Ford, Formula Atlantics}, not to mention NASA, SCCA, FIA, ... none of which fall under the NASCAR umbrella.

And, BTW many many NASCAR teams are at the ($$$) breaking point in the current economy.

The only thing NASCAR has put under one umbrella is TV coverage--much to the shagrin of real race fans everywhere.

danquixote · Mar 18, 2010

Would it be good for all pool players to use a formalized set of rules, yes in some aspects it would be a unifying action and make our sport less subject to criticism from outsiders and newcommers, but is it really necessary or essential for our continued growth? Probably not! You are going to have room owners with house rules limiting jump/masse shots even though they may be legal under standardized rules. You will still have league operators who "tweak" the rules to help with handicapping, and we will continue to face those bangers that want to play only by some fabricated set of rules they believe will give them an advantage.....last pocket, sort of thing. In the end I think it will remain as it is now....The players responsibility to know rules in place prior to playing in any game, and a willingness to abide by same. Game strategy may be forced to change with variance in rules......but the ability to play well is not contingent upon rules in place......but rather on the ability to adapt to the situation and overcome the opposition, who by the way.....is saddled with the same constraints as you........Dan

CreeDo · Mar 18, 2010

There doesn't have to be just one, but one that's big and successful enough that everyone has heard of it and respects it... that's good enough. I would love to see pool's version of the PGA or NFL.

CocoboloCowboy · Mar 21, 2010

So let just say the PGA cover all of Golf, and look at the folloing the PGA be it LPGA, PGA, or Sr. PGA has, and the sponsor are linking up to be part of it.

In Pool were have many SMALL PONDS, with each pond have a BIG FISH over it. don't work real well. IMHO.

Would Pool be better off like many sports with just

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