What is the best league system?

You could look into this: http://www.usppa.com/

I've gone back and forth with Tony Annigoni about this a few times and wanted to start it here, but the room owner in question balked, I won't get into why. Had nothing to do with the league format. I've heard good things about the handicapping and little tolerance for sandbagging.
 
Best League System

Since you are revamping your pool room I recommend the APA but not as a League Operator. Just form a team there. The biggest advantage to APA is that a person who can't hit the end rail can have fun playing in the APA since they will generally be playing another player who can't hit the end rail. It doesn't matter what skill level they are. This will eventually bring in non players into your room (NEW CUSTOMERS!). Other teams from other Room/Taverns will come into your room. These other teams my like your room better and again NEW CUSTOMERS! After awhile you may have 4 or 5 teams playing out of your room on slow nights (Monday thru Thursday for example).

I have been playing in the APA now for about ten years. The only reason I choose the APA over the BCA is because I wanted my wife to play in a league with me and she couldn't hit the end rail. She is now a SL5 and can play a little. As you know as long as two people play each other with the same skills pool is a fun game. Also around 85% of the pool players are C players or less (MORE CUSTOMERS!).
 
ForumGhost516 said:
Hey guys I am helping in the revamping of a pool room in NY and I am wondering what the best league system to offer would be.
USAPL, APA, CSI, VNEA, In House League etc.
Please let me know what the best is from the league operator perspective and the player perspective.
Thanks so much in advance for the answers.
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For the people that frequent your room and actually spend money, what leagues do they play?
What leagues are prominent in your area?
How many nights are you slow?

Leagues with better players will typically be better on your equipment, but it's likely they will spend less $$$ on food and beer.

IMHO, diversify on your slow nights.....if you have 4 slower nights, like Mon-Thursday, try to get league teams from the 2 most prominent leagues in your area.....one on Mon and Wed, the other on Tues and Thurs.....it's better to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket, support more than one league....

In-house league can be a good and bad idea.....maybe try it one night a week, but you might just end up having people donate their normal beer tab on money to join the league.....
 
I think it depends on your friend's business plan and how he wants to make his money. If table time is the primary goal, then a league might not be the best choice, especially an in-house league or even a tournament. League and tournament players don't mind paying a small green fee, but they would most certainly balk at paying full rates. In-house leagues and tournaments would tend to take up too many tables that could be used for customers who pay the full rate. On the other hand, if he can host a couple of teams in a traveling league, they would only use a few tables, and would generate more walk-in traffic by putting cars in the parking lot.

If the business plan says use the tables to generate profits from food and beverage sales, then the idea would be to put as many people around each table as possible. An in-house league with big team sizes would work nicely. The format doesn't really matter in that regard, as long as you can get lots of people to sign up and show up on league night. Of course, the format MAY affect the kind of players the league attracts and their propensity to spend money on food and beverage, so choose wisely.
 
Not to stoke the fires, but .... I am currently playing BCA. But, I miss the 'coaching' allowed by the APA (and some others, I think). Coaching, IMHO, allows a player to grow faster then without coaching.

IMHO, of course.
 
You are best off to support 2 leagues and try to get them to play on 2 nights each on Monday thru Thursday. For business purposes I would stick to the BCA and the APA. They are both well known and some of the other leagues may not be as well known in your area ex. ACS or TAP.

The BCA will likely cater to the higher skilled players while the APA will cater to the lower skilled players. You will also find the APA will generate more new players and if you run both leagues, you may find as people feel that they are too good for the APA, then they will join a BCA team still in your lacation.

Try to get 4-6 teams out of your location per night and give discounts on practice tables but you don't have to give them away for free.

Definitly talk to the local BCA and APA league operators and they will both gladly help you get started.
 
TheMadScientist said:
Just do an in house league or a BCA league. It will let players play the way the game was meant to be played.
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From a business perspective, that might not be the best factor to consider when making the decision. And by the way, are you sure you are fully up to speed on the history of the rules of the game?
 
The best league for an operator to make money - APA.

The largest, most popular league - APA.

The most friendly to bangers and drunks, while still being large - APA.

The best for real players, while still being large and having options (nationals) - BCA.

The league with the best rules - BCA.

The best for those who want the ultimate in fair handicapping - NPL system by Bob Jewett.

The best league league for pay outs to the players - an IN HOUSE league.
 
As a player I would not want to play much other then the BCA. I have gone to the BCA and VNEA both in Vegas for many years and every year the BCA gets bigger, better, and more fun and the VNEA gets smaller with less players, less payout, and few vendors. The VNEA every year in Vegas is a big letdown after the BCA.

Not to mention the Diamond bar boxes are light years beyond a Valley bar table and make the matches abit more challenging and less of a runout coin flip breaking contest that the VNEA becomes for the better players.

The BCA also seems to be aiming to promote both a strong amateur scene AND incorperate a strong professional scene as well, and with time they could merge the two to create a strong amateur qualifying league/events leading to the professional tour.
 
justadub...You know, you're probably right. The OP's first post didn't indicate whether there were any kind of league opportunities available, so I ASSUMED there weren't! LOL You know what happens when you ASSUME! LMAO

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

justadub said:
I went back and re-read the original post, and from what I read, the OP was asking about what to have his friend offer for leagues in his pool room. I didn't see the thread as a question of an opportunity to become an LO. I could be wrong, I often am. :o
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8Ball48043...I agree with you. That was one of the things that originally drew me to the APA as a franchisee. However, there is no coaching in VNEA or BCAPL leagues...not sure about TAP.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

8Ball48043 said:
I miss the 'coaching' allowed by the APA (and some others, I think). Coaching, IMHO, allows a player to grow faster then without coaching.

IMHO, of course.
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jdxprs said:
TAP is a great choice. with the 25 rule, and the fact that it's harder to be raised to higher skill, you will keep the interest of higher skill level players, as well as keeping beginners interested.

TAP is easily the best league out there that supports a wide range of tallent.

MikeM said:
You've got to determine your priorities based on what you want out of your league. Each has it's strengths and weaknesses. One thing a national (or regiional) league has over In-house is the opportunity to play people from different areas every so often. It can get real boring playing the same people week after week, year after year.

Also, are you looking for a money payback or just a fun night out and maybe a trip to Vegas?

What type of support will you need to run the league? A website with everyone's stats posted every week or a hand done spreadsheet?

I personally play TAP to play a pretty solid level of competition weekly and the opportunity to test myself a few times a year against the best from our region. And most importantly, the TAP "Rally in the Valley" where we make up 144 "Dream Teams" and compete in Valley Forge every year for four days. That alone makes TAP my favorite.

Mike
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TAP and/or BCA FTW.

And TAP now offers a spot to Las Vegas, 2 time-outs (regardless of rating) and IMHO, a great system for players of all skill levels.
 
For payouts and fair handicapping, I like in-house leagues.

I've enjoyed VNEA league if in-house isn't available, but I'll agree that I miss coaching.
I think it adds to the experience and helps improve everyone.
 
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