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.


Summer Session 2026 is Around the Corner
4/8/26 - 5:00 pm
Be(e) On The Lookout Summer Session is Starting April 29th ALL NIGHTS HAVE BEEN RELEASED This is NOT the final release - see dates below Sunday–Thursday divisions will be released twice before the session begins. First, we will do an early release for preview, followed by the official start-of-session release. The purpose of posting early divisions is to give teams a chance to review and request
USAm Preliminary Sign-Up by June 15th--Women's in San Diego!
4/20/26 - 6:26 pm
🏆 2026 US Amateur Preliminary Rounds The road to the championships in Las Vegas starts here. Whether you are aiming for the Women’s or the Open division, the pressure and the prestige are at an all-time high. 🚺 Women’s Division (San Diego Exclusive) For the first time ever, San Diego APA is hosting the Southern California preliminary round for the ladies. Goal: Send 2 women to represent San Die
Switching Coaches During a Timeout - Rule of the Week
4/20/26 - 5:00 pm
Situation: My opponents team calls a timeout and one of the players on the team starts to give the timeout. After the coach has already talked to the player at the table they switch coaches to someone else on the team. Is this allowed? No, during their turn at the table, the shooter may discuss strategy only with the coach designated for that time-out. A coach may get a group consensus from othe