SPORTSMANSHIP GUIDELINES
Summer 2011
APA leagues are about camaraderie, the love of the game, and the fun of earning patches,
trophies, & other prizes along the road to Vegas. Good sportsmanship means winning & losing
with dignity. Often, it means agreeing to disagree while showing respect for yourself & your
opponents. Good sportsmanship is controlling your emotions instead of letting them control you!
APA holds players accountable to the higher standards of an APA league member no matter how remotely league related
an incident appears to be. Sportsmanship expectations apply not only to members, but also to their guests & anyone who is
“with” the team. It is important that ladies and gentlemen, who cannot act as such, adjust their behavior appropriately or risk
being removed from the League.
This League Office has adopted the following guidelines to handle verbal abuse, inappropriate language (profanity,
improper suggestions, sharking, etc), physical contact, and other sportsmanship issues (breaking cue sticks, throwing
objects, threats, etc). Please Note: These guidelines are minimum suggested penalties and are not limited to the
options below. Based on specific circumstances, the League Office has the option to impose other sanctions and
even stronger penalties at its discretion.
Verbal abuse may consist of name calling, threats, profanity, or any other language that could be considered as
harassment, or that could cause embarrassment to other League members or non-members.
Inappropriate physical contact is the hostile physical contact between two players or player and non-member(s) (ie.
bumping, shoving, pushing, or hitting).
Infraction
First Offense
Repeat Offenses
Inappropriate Language
Warning Letter
2 wks - 30 day
Suspension
Arguing Rules & Policies
Warning Letter
Verbal Abuse
Warning Letter to a
30-60 Day Suspension
Threatening Remarks
Threatening Behavior
Warning Letter to a
1-Year Suspension
30 Day Suspension to
Indefinite
Suspension
Throwing Objects
Breaking Objects
60-90 Day Suspension
1 Year Suspension to
Indefinite Suspension
Inappropriate
Physical Contact
Indefinite Suspension to a Termination of Membership
by the American Poolplayers Association
2 wks - 30 Day
Suspension
60-90 Day Suspension