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TAP FORMAT

THE TAP LEAGUES PLAY 3 SESSIONS A YEAR. TEAMS CONSIST OF 5 TO 8 SHOOTERS WITH 5 SHOOTERS PLAYING IN A WEEKLY MATCH TO THEIR INDIVIDUALHANDICAP RATING WHICH IS UPDATED WEEKLY BY THE CORPORATE COMPUTER IN VIRGINIA. HANDICAPS ARE RATED FROM 2-7 WITH 7 BEING THE HIGHEST SKILL LEVEL POSSIBLE. A 5 PLAYER TEAM HANDICAP TOTAL CAN NOT EXCEED 25 POINTS. THIS FORMAT BALANCES THE LEAGUE BY EQUALIZING THE TEAMS AND NOT ALLOWING A TEAM TO HAVE ALL THE VERY BEST SHOOTERS. AT THE END OF EVERY SESSION THE TOP TEAMS (# DEPENDS ON THE SIZE OF THE LEAGUE) PLAY IN A WEEKEND TOURNAMENT CALLED "TITLEHOLDERS" . THESE TITLEHOLDERS HAVE A CASH PURSE OF AT LEAST $10,500 WITH $4000 AS FIRST PRISE IN THE FIRST PLACE BRACKET. THE MATCHES ARE PLAYED BY RULES ESTABLISHED BY TAP THAT INCLUDE A "CALL YOUR POCKET" RULE THAT STOPS A PLAYERS TURN AT THE TABLE WHEN HE "SLOPS" IN A BALL. TO GET MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE FORMAT AND TITLEHOLDERS CONTACT BUDDY WINWARD 1-717-484-2037.

BUDDY'S VIEW OF

THE ASSOCIATION FOR POOL

I HAVE PLAYED IN MANY LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS INCLUDING POOL, DARTS, SHUFFLEBOARD, FOOSBALL, AND GOLF AND HELD SEVERAL POSITIONS IN MANAGING AND COMMITTES IN SOME OF THESE LEAGUES INCLUDING REGIONAL MANAGER OF CHESTER COUNTYS APA LEAGUE. I AM NOT BY ANY MEANS AN EXPERT BUT I KNOW WHAT I LIKE.

I LIKE

OPERATORS DO NOT HAVE ABSOLUTE POWER IN DETERMINING A PLAYERS HANDICAP. ALTOUGH OPERATORS CAN MAKE SUGGESTION ABOUT PLAYERS THAT ARE NOT PLAYING FAIR AND ASK FOR AUDITS ON PLAYERS THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO GET A WIN. OPERATORS CAN NOT MOVE HANDICAPS TO FORCE A TEAM OVER THE TEAM HANDICAP LIMIT MAKING THEM SPLIT UP THEIR TEAM AND FORCING FRIENDS TO PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER.

HANDICAPS ARE NOT REVIEWED ON YOUR WIN PERCENTAGE PUNISHING PLAYERS BECAUSE THEY SHOT A GOOD SESSION. IN TAP YOUR WIN PERCENTAGE IS A VERY SMALL PART OF DETERMINING YOUR HANDICAP. YOU ARE SCORED ON HOW YOU PLAYED NOT IF YOU WON OR IF YOU WON OVER 70% IN YOUR LAST SESSION.

MORE TEAMS QUAILIFY FOR BIG TOURNAMENTS 1ST, 2ND & 3RD PLACE TEAMS EACH SESSION CAN QUALIFY TO PLAY A BIG TOURAMENT EVEN MORE IF THE LEAGUE HAS A LOT OF TEAMS.

MORE TOURAMENTS

ALL LEAGUES PLAY IN A BIG TOURAMENT AFTER EACH SESSION NOT ONCE A YEAR.

SANDBAGING DOES NOT HELP

IN ORDER TO PLAY IN A BIG TOURAMENT ALL PLAYERS MUST WIN. LOSING IN ONE SESSION ON PURPOSE WILL NOT HELP YOU IN THE NEXT SESSION BECAUSE YOUR SCORES IN THE FIRST SESSION ARE DEFLATED AND HAVE VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH YOUR HANDICAPS IN THE NEXT SESSION.

CALL YOUR POCKET

NO MORE GETTING BEAT IN THE BIG GAME BECAUSE SOMEONE GOT LUCKY AND SLOPPED IN A BALL.

25 RULE

YOU CAN PUT TOGETHER A TEAM OF YOUR BUDDIES THAT CAN STAY TOGETHER, AND NOT BE FORCED TO DROP SOMEONE EVERY SESSION. THE IDEAL TEAM IS 5-5'S AND 3-4'S ALLOWING AVERAGE AND A LITTLE ABOVE AVERAGE PLAYERS TO HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN BIG. IT ALSO ALLOWS VERY GOOD PLAYERS TO PLAY WITH PLAYERS THEY CAN TEACH BUT NOT ALLOWING THEM TO PUT TOGETHER AN ALL STAR TEAM.

LEAGUES CAN MAKE DECISIONS

LEAGUE PLAYERS CAN DESIGN THEIR LEAGUE TO FIT THEIR NEEDS BY VOTING ON THINGS LIKE NON-TAP RULES, EXTRA MONEY FROM LARGE TEAM COUNTS. (IF YOU PLAY IN A LARGE LEAGUE YOU PAY MORE MONEY INTO IT THAN A SMALL LEAGUE DOES) MONEY STAYS WITH YOUR LEAGUE NOT THE OPERATORS POCKET. TEAMS VOTE TO ADD MORE TEAMS TO BE QUAILFIED FOR TOURAMENTS, TRAVEL EXPENSES, $$ PRIZES AT LEAGUE LEVEL,& TROPHIES. TEAMS ALSO VOTE ON SCHEDULING HOLIDAYS AND HUNTING SEASONS.

TITLEHOLDERS FORMAT

THERE ARE 3 MAIN TOURNAMENTS RAN AT TITTLEHOLDER EVENTS ALL 1ST PLACE TEAMS FROM ABOUT 16 LEAGUES PLAY TOGETHER UNTIL THEY GET A CHAMPION. THE TOP TEAMS WIN MONEY FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. ALL 2ND PLACE TEAMS DO THE SAME PLAYING ONLY 2ND PLACE TEAMS. ALSO THE 3RD PLACE TEAMS ONLY PLAY OTHER 3RD PLACE TEAMS. THIS BREAKDOWN OF THE TEAMS KEEPS EVERYONE ON AN EQUAL ABILITY AND MAKES FOR FAIR AND COMPETIVE MATCHES.

THE ASSOCIATION for POOL- HISTORY

THE ASSOCIATION FOR POOL NICKNAMED TAP WAS STARTED IN THE FAIRFAX, VA AREA IN 1994 WITH APPROXIMATELY 35 PLAYERS. IT IS NOW IN TWENTYONE STATES AND HAS BECOME THE FORTH LARGEST AND FASTEST GROWING POOL LEAGUE IN THE COUNTRY.

THE HISTORY OF TAP IN PA.

SAM RULLO STARTED HIS LEAGUES IN WESTERN PA IN 1997. HE ALSO STARTED THE CONCEPT OF PUTTING HANDICAPS ON A WEBSITE INSTEAD OF MAILING AND DROP OF POINTS. SAM NOW HAS ABOUT 100 TEAMS PLAYING IN THIS AREA. IN 1998 STEVE WARNECKI BROUGHT TAP TO EASTERN PA AND HAD 3 LEAGUES (CHESTER CO., PHOENIXVILLE, AND BERKS CO.) AFTER 2 SESSION STEVE ENCOUNTERED VERY SERIOUS PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND QUIT AS OPERATOR. THE CHESTER CO. LEAGUE CONTINUED TO PLAY WITHOUT AN OPERATOR. BUDDY WINWARD WAS ASSIGNED AS MANAGER. IN OCT. 1999 BUDDY SOLD HIS TAVERN BUT CONTINUED TO MANAGE THE CHESTER CO. LEAGUE. IN APRIL 2000 THE TAP CORPORATE OFFICE OFFERED BUDDY A LEAGUE FRANCHISE AND IN ONE YEAR BUDDY'S AREA HAS BECOME THE FASTEST GROWING AREA IN TAP HISTORY. BUDDY NOW HAS ABOUT 40 TEAMS IN SIX LEAGUES.

PA NOW HAS MANY LEAGUE OPERATORS AND HAS BECOME A MAJOR AREA IN THE GROWTH OF TAP. PA ALSO HOST THE ONCE A YEAR TOURNAMENT IN VALLEY FORGE CALLED "THE RALLY IN THE VALLEY" WHICH HAS TURNED INTO THE PREMIER POOL TOURNAMENT. TAP HAS A WEEKEND ALLSTAR TOURNAMENT. (SINGLES AND TEAMS). ALLEN HOPKIN'S RUNS HIS SOLD OUT 9-BALL TOURNAMENT AND THE (WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL BILLIARDS TOUR) PLAY THEIR ESPN TELEVISED EVENT. TAP ALSO HOLDS THEIR NATIONAL TOURNAMENT EVERY OCTOBER.