It is a common misconception that new APA male players start at SL four (new females at SL 3). WRONG! For both males and females.
They (lets refer to males, for purposes of this post) start as a "non-rated player" on that first night, which means they count as a SL 4 for purposes of the 23 rule. And they are in the SL 4 column on the SL chart in the upper left corner of the scoresheet, which will determine how many games they have to win vs the various opposing SLs they might face. New players also receive two time outs per game (page 25, para b), not the ONE TIME OUT alloted to established SL 4s.
Starting as a "non-rated player" and counting as SL 4 for 23 rule purposes IS NOT THE SAME THING as actually earning a SL 4 based on your actual play. Maybe a small distinction, but important.
New players DO NOT START as an established actual SL 4. When you say "I started as a SL 4 and that damn LO raised me to SL 6 after only one match" that's not true. You started as a non-rated player (counting as a SL 4 on first night) and played ONE MATCH at the level (innings, safes, games won, etc) of a SL 6. THAT is why you would be rated at SL 6 going into your week two match.
If you play well that first night and show up for week two to find you are now listed as a SL 6 (for instance) - this does not mean the LO raised you from SL 4 to SL 6. You were never an established SL 4 in the first place. It means the APA has only that ONE SCORE FROM ONE MATCH to rate you skill. From there on your SL is based on an average of your best 50% of your matches played. There are some other math factors that eventually are figured in once you accumulate more matches. But basically YOU determine your skill level, based on YOUR pool shooting. This is why it is not uncommon for new players (LOs define "new players" as having 10 total matches or less) to easily move their SL one or two categories (up or down) sometimes after every week - until they establish a minimum base of scores.
The point is new players DO NOT start with an assigned SL of 4, as many think. That is just your APA starting point for that one night. For the rest of your APA career your SL is determined by the scores you turn in, after processing by the league operator into the software.
Careful reading of page 54, para 2 explains it fairly well. Especially the sentence "As a result of your first match, a skill level is established ... for you."
And YES, we all know if you show signs of sandbagging the LO is supposed to do his/her job and raise your SL up to where the LOs feels it is fair to you AND your opponent. It's not that the LO "gets to do this", as many suspect. It's that the LO "is supposed to do this" to protect the interests of the vast majority of APA members, who are honest. Those honest players have no problem with this. The rest of you will be posting below to tell the world how horrible the APA has treated you. LOL.
FULL DISCLOSURE - as you may have guessed I am an APA LO. Since 1980. So there's a chance I have processed a few APA scoresheets, and dealt with a few sandbaggers, over the decades.
OK. Let the flames begin. LOL.
