Tournaments

All USBA Tournaments will be placed on the USBA Calendar and an email will be sent to everyone on our email list informing them of the upcoming event. Results will be posted and emailed to all. Results will be included in the USBA Newsletter and Professor-Q-Ball publication. The USBA does not use membership dues money to finance tournaments other than the USBA National Championship Tournament. Individual sponsors have donated money to the USBA specifically for the purpose of financing USBA Tournaments and the USBA TOUR in particular.

Types of USBA Tournaments:

USBA TOUR EVENTS

USBA TOUR EVENTS are special tournaments held throughout the year in select locations throughout the country. The venues are selected and approved by the USBA TOUR Committee. The venue must be a USBA Premium Room Member to hold a TOUR Event. Premium Room Members are NOT guaranteed to hold a TOUR EVENT since it all depends on the availability of funds. The owner of the venue agrees to add money to the prize fund based on TOUR Packages that are created annually by the TOUR Committee. In return, the TOUR Sponsors will add additional money to the prize fund and the venue receives various benefits such as free or discounted cloth, a Tiger cue and trophies. All participants must be a USBA Member or pay a $25 tournament participation fee. Those that only pay the $25 fee will not receive ranking points. A $10 sanction fee per player is also charged. Other than the Nationals, which offer the highest amount of ranking points, "Open" Tour events offer a high amount of player ranking points, with "B+" TOUR events having less and "B" TOUR events having even less, etc. No table time is allowed to be charged to the players during the tournament.

USBA Rankings Bonus: For "Open" TOUR events, the top 6 nationally-ranked "A" players will each receive $300 expense money when they arrive and play at the event, assuming they are eligible to participate. This extra bonus money is coming directly from individual sponsors. In order to qualify for the bonus, a player must reside in the United States and must not play in a foreign National Championship. The Rankings Bonus qualifications for each event will be based on the USBA Rankings that is in effect at the time that the tournament is officially announced. Those players' names will be posted in the tournament announcement and will not change regardless of any in-between rankings changes.

For more details on hosting a TOUR EVENT, click here.

USBA SANCTIONED EVENTS

Any USBA Tournament that requires the participants to be a USBA Member or pay a $25 tournament participation fee is a USBA Sanctioned Event. Those that only pay the $25 fee will not receive ranking points. A $10 sanction fee per player is also charged. Any room can hold a USBA sanctioned event. Premium or Standard Room Members receive a free Tiger Carom Cue ($419 MSRP). Table time is permitted to be charged to the players, however, any money that is added to the prize fund by the room or other sponsors will be matched 50% by USBA Sponsors provided that there is no table time charged to the players. USBA Sanctioned Events have higher player ranking points than "Endorsed" events, as mentioned below.
For more details on hosting a Sanctioned Event, click here.

USBA ENDORSED EVENTS

USBA Endorsed Events are USBA Tournaments that do NOT require the participants to be a USBA Member or pay a $25 tournament participation fee. Instead, each participant is only required to pay a $10 endorsement fee. Any room may hold a USBA Endorsed event. Table time is permitted to be charged to the players, however, any money that is added to the prize fund by the room or other sponsors will be matched 50% by USBA Sponsors provided that there is no table time charged to the players. Endorsed events have fewer player ranking points than sanctioned events.

For more details on hosting an Endorsed Event, click here.

USBA HANDICAP TOURNAMENTS

USBA Handicap Tournaments can be either a Sanctioned or an Endorsed Tournament at the discretion of the Tournament Director. Only Official USBA Handicaps and Player Levels may be used.

For more details on hosting a Handicapped Event, click here.

POOL PLAYER 3-CUSHION SHOT CONTESTS

Pool Player 3-Cushion Shot Contests: A method for getting pool players onto the 3-cushion table. Room owner adds $100 and USBA Sponsors add $255. Between 8 and 16 players can participate with a mere $5 entry fee per player. Room owner keeps the entry fees. A lot of fun!

For more details on hosting a Shot Contest, click here.

NATIONAL QUALIFIERS

Participants must be a USBA Member or pay a $25 tournament participation fee. A $10 sanction fee per player is also charged. The venue is NOT required to be a USBA Premium or Standard Room Member, however, cloth and carom ball reimbursements are only given to Room Members. Ranking points are the same as any USBA Sanctioned Tournament. Table time is permitted to be charged to the players, however, any money that is added to the prize fund by the room or other sponsors will be matched 50% by USBA Sponsors provided that there is no table time charged to the players.

National Qualifier Rules:

1) With 5 players, 1 player can qualify for the Nationals.
2) With 10 players, 2 can qualify.
3) Thereafter, for every additional 5 players, 1 more can qualify.
4) $300 per player who qualifies is sent to the USBA which represents the $300 Nationals entry fee and any other money is paid out to the players in prize money as the tournament director sees fit. All other eligible participants in the Qualifier are entitled to submit their Nationals' entry fee to the USBA if there are available spots in the Nationals. The normal entry fee is $500 but all Qualifier participants receive the discounted rate of $300.
5) A player who is not eligible to participate in the Nationals may be permitted to play in a Qualifier at the discretion of the Tournament Director. An ineligible player may NOT win a qualifying position (which requires a $300 payment to the USBA). However, an ineligible player is permitted to win prize money if it is available. Prize money payouts are determined by the Tournament Director.
6) If a "Qualifying" player cannot attend the Nationals, then the USBA will use 50% ($150) of the $300 entry fee towards the running of the Nationals and will give the remaining 50% ($150) to the next-in-line player from that Qualifier that attends the Nationals up to a total of 2 more positions of finish.

Example: 5-Player Qualifier with One Player Qualifying to the Nationals:

a) 1st Place Finisher of Qualifier wins and Qualifies for the Nationals but cannot attend.
b) 2nd Place finisher of Qualifier did not qualify for the Nationals but DOES attend the Nationals.
c) The 2nd place finisher of the Qualifier will receive $150 at the Nationals.
d) If the 2nd place finisher does not attend, then the benefit will go to the 3rd place finisher of the Qualifier if the player attends the Nationals. The fourth-place finisher of the Qualifier would not be entitled to the benefit.
e) With 2 Qualifying spots, the benefit is available up to the 4th place finisher of the Qualifier.
f) With 3 Qualifying spots, the benefit is available up to the 5th place finisher of the Qualifier, and so on.
g) The order of finish does not change regardless if ineligible players participated or not.

Cloth Reimbursement for Qualifiers:

The USBA reimburses Premium and Standard Room Members for up to ½ the cost of their cloth for a USBA Qualifier assuming that the room has recovered the tables specifically for the Qualifier and that all of those tables are used for the Qualifier. Five (5) players per table need to play in the event. Example: If a Premium or Standard Room Member has a Qualifier and re-covers its 3 tables at a cost of $236 per cloth ($708 total not including shipping or tax), the Qualifier must use all 3 tables for the event and the event must have a minimum of 15 (fifteen) players. If so, the USBA will reimburse the Premium or Standard Room Member a total of $354, or half the cost. If there are 14 players, then the USBA reimburses ½ the cost of just 2 cloths ($236). The tables need to be re-covered with Simonis 300 and purchase through Simonis specifically for the event. A copy of the cloth purchase receipt must be submitted to the USBA Secretary.

Carom Ball Reimbursement for Qualifiers:

The USBA will also reimburse Premium and Standard Room Members (instead of the cloth reimbursement) with one free set of Super Aramith Pro-Cup carom balls for each eligible carom table that is used at the Qualifier. Five (5) players per table need to play in the event. Example: If a Premium or Standard Room Member has a Qualifier and purchases 3 sets of carom balls for its 3 tables at a cost of $90 per set ($270 total not including shipping or tax), the Qualifier must use all 3 sets for the event and the event must have a minimum of 15 (fifteen) players. If so, the USBA will reimburse the Premium or Standard Room Member for 3 sets or a total of $270 which is 100% of the cost. If there are 14 players, then the USBA reimburses for just 2 sets ($180). The sets need to be purchased through the USBA specifically for the event.

For more details on hosting a National Qualifier, click here.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

National Championship Tournament: The United States national carom championships shall be conducted under the authority and auspices of the United States Billiard Association and the winner of such competition shall be granted the sole title of National Champion until the next National Championship is held or unless "stripped" of the title by action of the Board.
Participation in USBA national carom championships shall be limited to persons who are members in good standing of the USBA and who are citizens of the United States or who are legal resident aliens that have a valid green card.
The Board of Directors shall determine the site and the date of all USBA National Championships. Such site and date shall be published to the membership at least four (4) months prior to the start of the competition.

The Board of Directors, or a committee appointed by the Board of Directors will:

a) Have total authority over all aspects of the tournament which shall include the location, the format, the rules, the dress, the designation as to any prize fund and the overall running of the tournament.
b) Appoint the "Tournament Director".
c) Define the qualifications not otherwise addressed in this document for competing in the National Championship.
d) Have final determination as to a player's qualifications to compete.

The top 4 finishers from the previous year's National Championship are automatically seeded into current year's National Championship. They shall not pay an entry fee and will be given $300 each in expense money when they arrive at the Nationals.

The next priority will be given to the players that Qualify at National Qualifiers. After that, spots will be offered, if available, in the following order of priority:
1) Players who have played in a National Qualifier. Entry fee is $300.00 on a first paid/first served basis.
2) Players who have played in a USBA Tournament within 12 months of the current year's National Championship. Entry fee is $500.00 on a first paid/first served basis.
3) All other members. Entry fee is $500.00 on a first paid/first served basis.

Waiver of Rights: Any player competing in a USBA tournament agrees to hold harmless the USBA for any act the player or agent may deem harmful or injurious. The player also agrees that all receipts from photographic or video images that result from a player competing in a tournament belong to the USBA and that it is up to the discretion of the USBA as to whether such photographs or video recordings may be taken.

The USBA, its members or its Board shall not endorse, publicize, or promote other billiard events that are in competition with or in conflict with the purposes and goals of the USBA without the prior approval by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.