Official League Guide

Player eligibilityAmateur players only
(Fargo 680 or lower)

Membership$49 per year
(waived for first season)

Room minimum4 teams per room
(5-player teams)

Weekly play$14 per player
(per league night)

Pay before play

Teams must pay before they play. If a team is not paid by the start of the second week, the team is disqualified. Teams that are not paid in full at the end of a session are not eligible for session playoffs or payouts.

Start Here

League Format Players, teams, sessions, match formats, weekly point tables, late joins, and attendance rules.

8-Ball Rules Rack, break, open table, called shots, 8-ball finish rules, fouls, and dispute handling.

Handicaps How placements work, how handicaps move, and how 4+ handicap protection works.

Room Owners Minimum teams, league-night operations, payment responsibilities, tables, and app-supported workflow.

Playoffs Session playoffs, video requirements, playoff scoring, tiebreakers, and year-end finals.

FAQ Short answers to common questions about teams, cost, finals, prize money, and rooms.

What ABL Members Should Know

Players

Players must be at least 16 years old, must be league members, and must be legal residents of the country where they live. Professional players are not allowed in the league.

Teams

ABL supports five-player teams with rosters up to six and three-player teams with rosters up to four. Every team must have one captain.

Sessions

The first league year may include four sessions. Standard league years have three 15-16 week sessions. Each session starts fresh for points, while established player handicaps carry forward.

App scoring

The ABL app handles secure payments, schedules, live score tracking, random matchups, and automatic handicap updates every two weeks.

Weekly Flow

1. Captains confirm players and payment. Captains are responsible for their team’s weekly player fees, even when fewer players show up.
2. The app generates matchups. Player matchups are random and are not based on skill, ranking, or handicap.
3. Players complete their matches. Five-player teams play five player matches. Three-player teams play two race-to-three sets per player.
4. Team points are posted. Weekly points come from the team match result, with special point rules during the first four weeks of a session.

For Room Owners

Room owners do not need a large in-house league to get started. A pool room needs 4 teams to sign up for ABL league play. The league can use 3.5 x 7 ft bar tables, 4 x 8 ft tables, or 4.5 x 9 ft tables during regular league play; the main event finals are played on 3.5 x 7 ft bar tables.

Room owner focus

A room owner’s main job is to provide a reliable place for teams to play, support the weekly league-night rhythm, and make sure teams can follow ABL scoring, payment, witness, and playoff video requirements. The app handles the operational heavy lifting for schedules, score tracking, payments, live updates, random matchups, and handicap updates.

Common Questions

How many players can be on a team?

Five-player teams can roster up to six players. Three-player teams can roster up to four players.

How much does it cost to play?

League membership is $49 per year (waived first season, a savings of $294 a team!). Weekly team play is $14 per player per league night.

Where are the Grand Finals held?

The Grand Finals are held in Orlando, Florida.

How much is the grand prize?

The first-place grand prize is a minimum of $100,000.

See the full FAQ for more quick answers.