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This letter petains to ALL QUALIFIED TEAMS in the 2024 World Qualifier Event. This includes 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Masters, and Ladies 8-Ball. Please read the following:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Your team has qualified for the Blue Ridge APA World Qualifier Tournament, scheduled to take place at Fat Cat’s Billiards. The 9-Ball event will take place Friday, May 17th, 2024 (6:30pm) – Sunday, May 19th, 2024. Ladies will take place Saturday, June 8th Masters will take place Sunday, June 9th, 2024. The 8-Ball event will take place from Friday May 31st, 2024 – Sunday June 2nd, 2024.

I. CAPTAIN’S MEETING

To play in the open 8-Ball and/or 9-Ball tournament, the team captain or a team representative must attend the mandatory captain’s meeting at Fat Cat’s Billiards on Thursday, May 16th, 2024. The brackets will be drawn at this meeting, so please arrive on time or you will be charged a $20 fee for being late.

• Captains meeting for both 8-Ball and 9-Ball at 6:00pm.
• Ladies and Masters team captains will need to be at this meeting. Brackets will be drawn ahead of the tournament this year

Each 8-Ball and 9-Ball team is required to submit their Team Certification Form at the Captain’s Meeting. Please have each member of the team sign this form prior to the Captain’s Meeting.

Before your team’s first round in the tournament, the team captain must check-in at the control table at least 30 minutes before your match is scheduled to begin. Teams that do not arrive on time may be charged a fine or forfeit their first round.

II. ENTRY FEES

There will be an entry fee of $45 per team for each 8-Ball and 9-Ball team. Entry fees must be paid to BLUE RIDGE APA at the mandatory captain’s meeting.

Ladies teams and Masters teams will pay a reduced entry fee of $20 per team to BLUE RIDGE APA.

III. FORMAT

The 8-Ball brackets and the 9-Ball bracket are modified single elimination tournaments to determine the two local 8-Ball championship teams and the 9-Ball championship team that will qualify to compete in the APA World Pool Championships (WPC) in Las Vegas later this year.

ALL PLAYERS are responsible for knowing and understanding the higher level tournament info outlined in Section 7 on pages 78-80 of the Official Team Manual. Local bylaws do not apply during The World Qualifier. All teams that qualify for The World Qualifier must have players who remain active on a team of the same format throughout the summer to maintain eligibility for WPC in Las Vegas. If you have a player who is not active in the same format at the tournament, they will not be permitted to play.

IV. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

Teams are permitted to play only those members who are currently listed on the spring roster, up to date on all fees and dues, and have played at least 10 matches in the relevant format within the last two years of actual League play. Players should bring with them to the tournament one form of legal identification.

V. 50% RULE

Teams that qualified in either the Summer 2023 or Fall 2023 sessions are required to place in the top half of their division during the spring session. If your team does fall under the 50% rule, then your team's skill levels will be reviewed under heavy scrutiny and League staff will determine whether disqualification of a player or an entire team is necessary.

VI. SKILL LEVEL REVIEW

All players will advance to The World Qualifier with the highest session‐ending handicap they had from the time that the team qualified through the end of the spring session. Highest session-ending handicaps must also be based on 10 actual league match scores in the format in which the player is advancing.

Due to the fact that many rounds will be played during this higher level tournament, skill levels could fluctuate more often than during regular league play. Skill levels are reviewed in between each match. League staff will not accept challenges about skill levels at any time during this event.

Please note that if 2 people on your team go up in skill level

during The World Qualifier – or one person goes up 2 skill levels – then your

team could possibly face disqualification if League staff

suspects any skill level manipulation. The National Office will review any questionable skill level movement prior to a final decision being made.

VII. COMMON PLAYERS

If a player competes on two teams in the same format and those teams must play against each other, then the player can choose to either sit out that round to advance with either team or declare one team for the remainder of the tournament and advance only with that team and not the other team.

VIII. TRANSFER OF ELIGIBILITY

In the event that a qualified team cannot go to Las Vegas to compete in WPC for any reason, the next eligible team in that format will be awarded the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for WPC, if ample advance notice is provided. Teams that forfeit their trip to Vegas must surrender/reimburse any and all prizes associated with travel to Vegas for WPC.

IX. HOST LOCATION INFORMATION

All World Qualifier events will take place at Fat Cat’s Billiards, located at 2345 Hendersonville Road. Parking is limited, so we encourage carpooling. Additional parking is located at the bank 2 doors down from Fat Cat’s. Do NOT park across the street at 12 Bones, as they WILL tow you. Also, do not park at Judd Builders next door, which is reserved for staff only.

Doors will open at 8:00am. No outside food or beverages allowed on the premises, including coffee or personal water bottles.

X. PRIZES AND AWARDS

Teams that place second will receive a runner’s up prize of $400 entry fee paid and the opportunity to attend the Carolina Classic Invitational Tournament.

Teams that place first will receive a trophy for each team member, $300 entry and green fees paid into the World Pool Championship, and a travel stipend for each team member attending WPC.