Rule of the Week - New Players Skill Levels

September 9, 2024 4:37 PM

by San Diego APA

Rule of the Week - New Players Skill Levels

September 9, 2024 4:37 PM

by San Diego APA


Situation: My new player who started as a skill level 3 but after 1 match is now a skill level 5. Is this correct?

Yes, it is not unusual for a new player's skill level to fluctuate during the first few weeks. A player’s skill level is not considered established until they have 10 actual match scores in that format on their record. Penalties may be assessed at the discretion of Local League Management for starting a player of known ability as a new player.

To add based on Bylaw and MVP rules we strongly encourage teams to start players who are better higher than the starting SL3. This is to be fair and avoid potential penalties for both the player and/or team.

Rule: Official Team Manual (OTM) page 21-22 “New Players”: https://media.poolplayers.com/TMRB/Team-Manual-English.pdf

Addition information
MVP: https://sandiego.apaleagues.com/CustomPage.aspx?q=3049 
Bylaws (under "Adding Players"): https://apa-by-laws.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/921_bylaws_2024.pdf 

You can submit a "Rule of the Week" to the league office:

  • Email to sandiego@apaleagues.com.
  • Email Subject Line must read “SDAPA Rule of the Week”
  • Clearly state the rule/situation and if you know where the answer is found please provide those details.


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