About the APA

The APA is the world’s largest amateur pool league with more than 250,000 members competing in 8-Ball and 9-Ball Leagues throughout North America.   Click Here  for more information about the history of the APA.  We locally operate billiard leagues in the Asheville, Arden, Marion, Hendersonville and Brevard area.

The Blue Ridge APA

The Blue Ridge APA is based in Asheville and the surrounding communities. Our league started in December 2006 and is growing quickly thanks to the number of people in the area who are interested in the sport of pool. We offer amateur 8-Ball & 9-Ball Leagues using the APA's Equalizer Handicap System where everyone has an equal chance to win.  We also offer a Masters Division for highly skilled players and a once-a-month ladies-only division on Sunday afternoons. 

Players sign-up to play on teams of 5 to 8 people. These teams compete in local divisions where the APA Host Locations are grouped geographically to minimize traveling distance. The year is divided into 3 sessions, with each session running approximately 14 weeks, followed by two weeks of play-offs, which determine the Division Champions for each session.

The Blue Ridge APA is owned by League Operator Shonte "Shyne" Barnes.   
 

Play Locally to Compete Nationally 

While the Blue Ridge APA is a local league, all the teams that win their Division Tournaments from across the region come together once a year for our regional finals, The World Qualifier Tournament. In addition to bragging rights as the best 8-ball or 9-ball team in Western North Carolina, these teams compete for an opportunity to represent the Asheville region at the World Pool Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada!


At the national level, the APA guarantees more than $1.5 Million in national tournament prize money. This consists of the APA World Pool Championships, the $600,000 APA 8-Ball Classic, the $300,000 APA 9-Ball Shootout, and the MiniMania Tournaments, which paid out over $200,000 during the 2023 World Pool Championships.