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America's Billiard League
ABL League Guide
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Room Owners Guide

Room Owners Guide

What rooms need to host ABL league play, support captains, keep weekly matches moving, and prepare for playoff requirements.

Room owners can host ABL league play without building a large room-only league first. A room needs 4 teams to sign up. Download the ABL Welcome Letter for Room Owners (PDF) or browse our Marketing Materials page to get printable promotional flyers for your venue.

Room minimumFour 5-player teams or
Six 3-player teams
Game format8-ball
Race to 3/4/5
Session length15-16 weeks
$25,000 Playoff first place prize
Dues$14/player/night
($49 fee waived
first season)

Room Owner Sections

Section titled “Room Owner Sections”
Hosting RequirementsTeam minimums, player eligibility, roster formats, tables, equipment, and session setup.
League Night OperationsWeekly match flow, payments, app scoring, absences, witnesses, and playoff video expectations.
Marketing MaterialsDownload promotional flyers, the official welcome letter, and venue posters to recruit players and teams.

What The Room Provides

Section titled “What The Room Provides”

The room provides the place to play, eligible tables, and enough league-night consistency for teams to complete their weekly matches. ABL rules allow these tables during regular league play:

  • 3.5 x 7 ft bar tables.
  • 4 x 8 ft tables.
  • 4.5 x 9 ft tables.

The main event finals are held on 3.5 x 7 ft bar tables.

What The App Handles

Section titled “What The App Handles”

The ABL app supports:

  • Secure payments.
  • Score tracking.
  • Live updates.
  • Schedules.
  • Random team and player matchups.
  • Automatic handicap updates every two weeks.

Captain responsibility

The team captain remains responsible for the weekly fees for the team’s players, regardless of how many players show up. The fees can be paid by anyone on the team.

Room Owner Priorities

Section titled “Room Owner Priorities”
  1. Start with at least four teams. Teams can be five-player teams with rosters up to six, or three-player teams with rosters up to four.
  2. Keep league nights consistent. Sessions usually run 15-16 weeks, with one team match per week during each session.
  3. Support fair play. Rooms should make it practical for teams to request impartial witnesses for close shots.
  4. Know the playoff expectations. Playoff matches must be filmed with a smartphone, and players show a handicap ball plus legal ID before shooting.