BCA vs APA

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maxeypad2007

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So what are the big differences in playing in these leagues? I play APA right now. I don't mean rules, just overall playing experience.

The one obvious difference I see is more clearly spelled out rules vs APA which are vague as hell in some areas.
 
In the area I live in BCA is better players, you cant miss more than 1 or 2 shots and still win, APA, you get to many chances. Second, APA you play games back to back which some like but in BCA you play one game and then wait to play another player so you get a chance to recover from bad games. Talking about eight ball here.
 
NateSchoepf said:
In the area I live in BCA is better players, you cant miss more than 1 or 2 shots and still win, APA, you get to many chances. Second, APA you play games back to back which some like but in BCA you play one game and then wait to play another player so you get a chance to recover from bad games. Talking about eight ball here.
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Interesting, Nate. I played BCA 9 Ball, and while we also had to play each opponent twice...we had the option of playing the games back to back or breaking it up.

I would have to say that I cannot think of a time when the rules ever came into question...as the BCA's rules are pretty clear, and generally well known amongst players. Our local BCA league runs smoothly, and with little, if any, hiccups. Most of the players are amongst the better players in the area. Since there is no handicapping, there is no sandbagging. You bring you best game, and live or die by it, on any given league night. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Lisa
 
I'm definitely attracted to the idea of no handicapping. I mean I get why its done in APA, but this guarantees top players playing top players more often, which is my main issue with APA.

Plus as people on my team go up in skill level it makes it difficult if not impossible to stay on that team, which kind of sucks.
 
I have heard the BCA Leagues have better pay outs. Recently I have seen ACA League operator in the Valley of the Sun make an effort to get player into their league with a bombardment of brochures popping up on the West Side.

BCA as I understand it is strictly 8 Ball, and ACA offer both 8 & 9 Ball.

Personally have been in a League, and do not se the attraction of have to be some where for sure for 20 weeks.
 
Everything depends on location. APA is a franchise, BCA is a sanction. The APA league format and rules are set by the APA national office, and the local league operator is only able to make certain minor changes to those rules in the local league's bylaws. In APA, a player on one team will match up with a player on the other team. The number of games each player must win in order to win the match is determined by the players' skill level. In order to qualify to play in the APA nationals in Las Vegas, a team has to win their local championship.

The BCA league format is completely up to the local league operator. Most BCA leagues play a round robin format where each player on one team plays one game with each player on the other team (2 games in 9-ball). In order to play in BCA nationals, also in Las Vegas, players only have to qualify by playing a certain number of matches in local league play.

In different locations, the different leagues will have completely different payout structures. The size of the local league will have quite a bit to do with the amount of the payouts. While BCA may offer better pickings in some locations, it will be quite the opposite in others.
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
I have heard the BCA Leagues have better pay outs. Recently I have seen ACA League operator in the Valley of the Sun make an effort to get player into their league with a bombardment of brochures popping up on the West Side.

BCA as I understand it is strictly 8 Ball, and ACA offer both 8 & 9 Ball.

Personally have been in a League, and do not se the attraction of have to be some where for sure for 20 weeks.
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BCA is 8-ball, 9-ball, 14.1, 10-ball. It's whatever the league chooses....randyg
 
maxeypad2007 said:
So what are the big differences in playing in these leagues? I play APA right now. I don't mean rules, just overall playing experience.

The one obvious difference I see is more clearly spelled out rules vs APA which are vague as hell in some areas.
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The APA has lots and lots and lots of rules and they change all the time. Sandbagging is rampant in the APA. The APA has lots of tournaments for its members to play in outside of just league play.

One of the bad things about the APA's match format as opposed to the round robin (everybody plays everybody 1 or 2 games per team match) is that often times you have to sit around for a few hours before you get to play your APA match, if you play at all. In the BCA, you play one game, wait a few minutes, play another game, .... In the APA you wait for hours sometimes before you get to play.
 
blueridge said:
The APA has lots and lots and lots of rules and they change all the time. Sandbagging is rampant in the APA. The APA has lots of tournaments for its members to play in outside of just league play.

One of the bad things about the APA's match format as opposed to the round robin (everybody plays everybody 1 or 2 games per team match) is that often times you have to sit around for a few hours before you get to play your APA match, if you play at all. In the BCA, you play one game, wait a few minutes, play another game, .... In the APA you wait for hours sometimes before you get to play.
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I gotta agree with this one. I was playing this past Monday and my first match was at 8:30PM, which I won. My next match started at 12:30AM(!) and I was already on my 3rd red bull just to stay up and needless to say, my arms weren't loosened up and I couldn't make a ball 2 ft away from the pocket. I lost pretty handily.

I might have to switch over to BCA next season...
 
You can play with a handicap in BCA as well. as RandyG alluded to in an earlier post, all the games can be played with "BCA" rules. In my area we have both handicapped and Open divisions in 8 ball and 9ball. The wednesday night handicapped league is really for average, begginner, social players eventhough we have MANY A and B players that play in his leage. There is a point system in place that gives the Lower ranked players a chance to win (it happens quite often) but it's not so heavy that the good players can't win. We also have an Open leage on thursday's that has no handicap, just a race to 13 (like nationals) and it's filled with great players. Between the two, players have options... if you want to bring your best game and see how it stacks up, you play on thursday. Otherwise, you play in the Wed. leage where everyone has a chance without all the silly little APA rules.
 
i just started playing bca 8 ball in duluth ga two weeks ago. here there are handicaps but the way it works is the higher team spots the lower team a certain number of points that go into the over all match. every player on team a plays each player on team b once in a round robin format with no individual spot. i think the biggest difference i could note is - apa is like a party with your friends. you're drinking, kinda loud, maybe you show your ass a little. bca is like a party with you boss. you're reserved, kinda quiet and if you show your ass - you're finished :) it really is a higher level of competition. but that's why i belong to both, one for fun, one to play the best players i can.
 
I have played in several leagues, with years sometimes in between. I started in the APA in Virginia years ago in 1992, but became frustrated as my skills increased. It was tough being a woman at a SL6-7 as I soon found in the APA most teams needed SL 3-5. I respect and understood the situation, but it left me out on APA obsolete island.

So...I started playing more open weekly and monthly tournaments. I honestly didn't play in leagues for several years, just tournaments or not at all sometimes. Then I started playing in the BCA and yes that is where the more seasoned, serious players gravitate. That is widely known...and while I must share that I am bias to the organization as I work for Mark Griffin and CueSports International, purely as a player I loved every experience with the BCA from the local level in Arizona, to the National event in May at the Riviera.

The BCA National Championships at the Riv. in May is like Mecca to the family of hard core players around the country. There is a reason why the BCA Pool League has developed like it has, because it is operated by someone who has chalk running through his veins and has dedicated 40+ years on multiple levels to the sport.

It is more than a business to those of us at the office in Henderson - it is part of our cellular structure.
 
I prefer independant in-house leagues... no travel... no skimming of fees to pay directors... little or no green fees... room pays director(s)... all equate to more money back to the players. :thumbup2:
 
cigardave said:
I prefer independant in-house leagues... no travel... no skimming of fees to pay directors... little or no green fees... room pays director(s)... all equate to more money back to the players. :thumbup2:
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Also no set rules, no regional or national tournaments. Unless you sanction with the BCA or VNEA and then the league operator gets and deserves a share
 
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The main difference is in the handicap system.

The BCA handicapping system generaly favors the higher skill level player thereby possibly giving incentive to improve a players skill level.BCA regional and national tournaments are not handicapped,instead the players are grouped in 2 or 3 open or masters divisions.

The APA gives a chance for a player of any skill level to compete.The APA national tourneys use a players league handicap.
 
same here

cigardave said:
I prefer independant in-house leagues... no travel... no skimming of fees to pay directors... little or no green fees... room pays director(s)... all equate to more money back to the players. :thumbup2:
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I find myself leaning the same way more and more,although a sanctioned in house league is ideal for me as long as there are no high extra fees.
 
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