Rehashing an old subject APA ratings

News to me and re-checked APA's website which still lists SL 4 for men and SL 3 for women.

Obviously, new players do not have a skill level established, so a standard starting method has been devised for new players. Statistics show that 73% of male players are SL4s and higher while 73% of female players are SL3s and below. Gentlemen will play their first match as a SL4; ladies will play their first match as a SL3. A League Operator is authorized to assign skill levels and lowest attainables to new players who are known highly skilled players or to players who have previously established skill levels in another format. If a player has previously established a skill level in the APA 9-Ball format, then he will begin play in 8-Ball with his current 9-Ball skill level.

https://poolplayers.com/faq-handicaps-calculated/

Can you cite your source?

It was on a national league published flyer we got months ago, and it was just re-sent out by our LO. The recent reminder was sent to me was on Facebook, and I can't access that on my work PC, so I can't copy it here.

I remember getting the bulletin months ago, and it was referring to the rules changes for the year, around when the new rulebook was released. At that time, it also talked about this change, and that it was taking effect in December, rather than back when the rule book was released. If I can find it, I'll try and take a photo of it. We were just reminded locally, yesterday...
 
According to the citation from their website, eventually 73% end up as SL4/SL3 or below. I wonder if average player skill levels has dropped in APA 8-ball, or stronger players moved onto higher skilled league products such as 9-ball, Masters.

It was on a national league published flyer we got months ago, and it was just re-sent out by our LO. The recent reminder was sent to me was on Facebook, and I can't access that on my work PC, so I can't copy it here.

I remember getting the bulletin months ago, and it was referring to the rules changes for the year, around when the new rulebook was released. At that time, it also talked about this change, and that it was taking effect in December, rather than back when the rule book was released. If I can find it, I'll try and take a photo of it. We were just reminded locally, yesterday...
 
News to me and re-checked APA's website which still lists SL 4 for men and SL 3 for women.

Obviously, new players do not have a skill level established, so a standard starting method has been devised for new players. Statistics show that 73% of male players are SL4s and higher while 73% of female players are SL3s and below. Gentlemen will play their first match as a SL4; ladies will play their first match as a SL3. A League Operator is authorized to assign skill levels and lowest attainables to new players who are known highly skilled players or to players who have previously established skill levels in another format. If a player has previously established a skill level in the APA 9-Ball format, then he will begin play in 8-Ball with his current 9-Ball skill level.

https://poolplayers.com/faq-handicaps-calculated/

Can you cite your source?

Page 23, newest team manual
http://media.poolplayers.com/TMRB/Team-Manual-English.pdf
 
this thread has produced the type of response that I had hoped for, with opinions on both sides of the subject matter and also pointing out by a few that there shouldn't be ay handicapping at all. I understand why it was created many years ago and that was in part to encourage new players to seek out and play in handicap tournaments, however it has also led to a lot of sandbagging and or favoritism by operators. Now I am going to interject here that the comment made is going to bring more arguments, but I firmly believe that it does. The down side to this I feel is that it does not lead to advancement of the true sport, there will always be sandbaggers and LO's that go along with it. I did go and read in the rules that are going to take affect come December and I know that like in my case where read the LO's will need to provide updates on a regular basis, so like when I asked this past Sunday if he would look at my numbers and said he wouldn't and that he wouldn't change my handicap, he is not going to like it very much if he then has to do just that.

But I guess I have an option, I either live with it. or not play, as there is not much option!
 
There was a local handicapped event that was handicapped, it was 3-6. My son and I played in it as 6s, won it a bunch of times. It was changed to 2-5. Again most of the time one of us or both were in the finals. Eventually no D or C players would play anymore even with the handicap. Players need to try to learn to play better to win, it's simple as that. If you spend your time at the tables drinking, complaining about good players playing, talking about who is what handicap, playing the wrong shots over and over, practicing the wrong way over and over, that player will not win unless it gets so stupidly easy that they may as well say "hit this ball to the rail and you win."

One day I looked around, all the best players were practicing, playing with each other, talking about how to shoot shots, etc... The 2s and 3s that lost all the time where on the other side of the room talking about how unfair it was that the good players were allowed to play with them. Handicapping among most players is needed, at the same time it's a curse for most players that are serious. The league lifers use handicaps to cheat the system to win against good players and crush weaker ones by managing the system, the good honest players have to sit and watch the a-holes that cheat get away with getting spots from them.

When I lived in St Louis there was a weekly handicapped 9 ball tournament with the handicap being games on the wire. A couple high level players were in it weekly. Bergman played in it sometimes as an unknown kid - known in St Louis but not nationally. The highest handicap I remember was 13 the lowest was 3 and the people with 3 had next to zero chance of beating the 13.
 
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