​Each team member's average is added to establish a team total.  When two teams play, the difference in their totals is the handicap.  See the example below.  Team A has a total of -1 while Team B has a total of +5.  Because Team B's total is six (6) points higher, Team A would get six (6) points added to its total score as a handicap.

​​This method works reasonably well but has some flaws.  First, a person's average is not always a true reflection of his or her skill.  If a person plays more higher-skilled players, his or her average will tend to be lower.  If that same person plays more beginning and social players, his or her average will tend to be higher.  It's the same person but a different average depending on the skill level of past competitors. 

Also, averages in different leagues and regions are often not comparable.  An average of +3 in Los Angeles, California is likely not the same as an average of +3 in Pollard, Kansas.  The populations and talent pools are just too different.

​FargoRate fixes these problems.  Leagues can continue using the 1-point (win/loss) system for scoring while utilizing FargoRate for ratings and handicapping.  Here's how.

​Using the Fargo ratings of each team's players, FargoRate can calculate a handicap that gives both teams as close to an even chance as possible.  Although FargoRate will provide a suggested handicap per round or per match, we recommend handicapping by match when using the 1-point scoring method. 

See the example below.  Using the BCAPL League Calculator located at http://leaguecalc.fargorate.com, enter the ratings of every player on each team.  In this scenario, there are two 5-player teams playing a round robin format where each person plays one game per round and five (5) rounds.  The result is "Team One" gets an 11-point handicap in this 25-game match.

​When entering scores in the FargoRate League Management System (LMS), these calculations are automatic.  Additionally, FargoRate is developing an LMS mobile scoring app that will make all of this seamless and allow teams to score matches on their phones or tablets and submit them directly to LMS.

​The 17-point scoring system is a common 8-ball scoring method used in pool leagues.  The winner of each game earns 10 points plus one point for each ball his or her opponent has left on the table.  The loser of each game earns one point for each ball he or she pockets (i.e. solids or stripes) for a maximum of seven points.  The combined score from both players always adds up to 17.

​Advantages
Scoring is simple and easy to understand.  At the end of each game, the score is quickly determined by the balls left on the table.  There is no need to track innings, safeties, or anything else during the game. ​Players also have an opportunity to earn points for their team even when they lose a game.  It's not much fun to play well and make several balls only to get a zero.  With the 17-point scoring system, players and teams at least get some credit for their efforts.

Disadvantages
Each player carries an "average" which is considered their rating and is often used for handicapping.  This problem is discussed in greater detail below.  Another problem is that player averages in different leagues and regions are often not comparable.  Finally, situations occasionally occur in which a player's incentive to win the game is replaced with an incentive to just make a few balls.

​Traditionally, each player earns an "average" which is used as a rating.  A player's average is the number of points scored divided by the number of games played (Total Points / Total Games) and can range from 0 to 17.  For example, if a person scores 389 points over 32 games, he or she will have an average of 12.16 (389/32).

Each team member's average is totaled to establish a team average.  When two teams play, the difference in their averages is the handicap.  See the below example.  Team A has an average of 39.72 and Team B has an average of 54.62.  Because Team B's average is 14.9 points higher, Team A would get 14 or 15 points, depending on the league's rounding rules, added to its score in each round as a handicap.

​This approach works reasonably well but it has some flaws.  First, a person's average is not always a true reflection of his or her skill level.  If a person plays more higher-skilled players, his or her average will tend to be lower.  If that same person plays more beginning and social players, his or her average will tend to be higher.  It's the same person but a different average depending on the skill level of past competitors. 

Another issue is that averages in different leagues and regions are often not comparable.  An average of 12.16 in Chicago is probably not the same as an average of 12.16 in Dickinson, Alabama.  Because the populations are so different, the talent pool is larger and the overall skill level is likely higher in Chicago.

​FargoRate fixes these problems.  Leagues can continue using the 17-point system for scoring while utilizing FargoRate for player ratings and handicapping.  Here's how it works.

​Instead of having an average, each player has an "expected score" in each game based on the Fargo Ratings of the two players.  The expected score for each player is expressed as...

​FargoRate already knows the statistical probability of each person winning a game.  However, the winning and losing scores are a little complicated because they can vary between zero and 17 and zero and seven respectively.  So what do we do?  After analyzing lots of data, it turns out that a person's expected losing score is a function of his or her opponent's rating.  This is somewhat intuitive...when a person loses to a lower-skilled player, he or she will likely make more balls than in a loss against a higher-skilled player.  So, we use this function for the losing score.

Let's look at an example.  Suppose Ted has a Fargo Rating of 400 and is playing Robert who has a Fargo Rating of 569.  Statistically, Robert has a 76% chance of winning and a 24% chance of losing each game.  The losing score function reveals that on average, Robert is expected to score 4.2 points in his losses to Ted.  Because the two scores must always equal 17, Ted is expected to score 12.8 (17 pts. - 4.2 pts.) on average when he defeats Robert.  The losing score function also reveals that on average, Ted is expected to score, 3.5 points in his losses to Robert.  Again, because the two scores must always equal 17, Robert is expected to score 13.5 (17 pts. - 3.5 pts.) on average when he defeats Ted.  The total expected scores are as follows.

​This calculation is done for every single game played during a league match.  In each round, both team's expected scores are totaled to determine the team's expected score for the round.  The difference in the team's expected scores is the handicap for that round.

Confused yet?  Don't be.  FargoRate and LMS can do all the work for you.  When using paper score sheets on league night, visit http://leaguecalc.fargorate.com and enter the ratings of each player for the round.  See the below example.  In this scenario, there are two 5-player teams playing a round robin format where each person plays one game.  The result is "Team One" gets a 21-point handicap in the round.

​When entering scores in LMS, these calculations are automatic.  Additionally, FargoRate is developing an LMS mobile scoring app that will make all of this seamless and allow teams to score matches on their phones or tablets and submit them directly to LMS.

The 10-point scoring system is one of the most common 8-ball scoring methods used in 8-ball pool leagues.  Each person earns one point for each of their balls pocketed (i.e. solids or stripes) and three points for the 8-ball.  The winner of each game earns 10 points and the opponent earns a maximum of seven points.

​Advantages
Scoring is simple.  At the end of each game, the score is quickly determined by the balls left on the table.  There is no need to track innings, safeties, or anything else during the game. ​Players also have an opportunity to earn points for their team even when they lose a game.  It's not much fun to play well and make several balls only to get a zero.  With the 10-point system, players and teams at least get some credit for their efforts.  Finally, it is easy to understand.

Disadvantages
Each player carries an "average" which is considered their rating and is often used for handicapping.  This problem is discussed in greater detail below.  Another issue is that player averages in different leagues and regions are often not comparable.  Finally, situations occasionally occur in which a player's incentive to win the game is replaced with an incentive to just make a few balls.

Traditionally, each player earned an "average" which is also considered their rating.  A player's average is the number of points scored divided by the number of games played (Total Points / Total Games) and can range from 0 to 10.  For example, if a person scores 174 points over 24 games, he or she will have an average of 7.25 (174/24).

Each team member's average is totaled to establish a team average.  When two teams play, the difference in their averages is the handicap.  See the below example.  Team A has an average of 35.67 while Team B has an average of 26.80.  Because Team A's average that is 8.87 points higher, Team B would get eight or nine points, depending on the league's rounding rules, added to its score in each round as a handicap.

This approach works reasonably well but it has some flaws.  First, a person's average is not always a true reflection of his or her skill level.  If a person plays more higher-skilled players, his or her average will tend to be lower.  If that same person plays more beginning and social players, his or her average will tend to be higher.  It's the same person but a different average depending on the skill level of past competitors. 

Another issue is that averages in different leagues and regions are often not comparable.  An average of 8.63 in New York City is probably not the same as an average of 8.63 in Clarkson, Mississippi.  Because the populations are so different, the talent pool is larger and the overall skill level is higher in New York City.
​

FargoRate fixes these problems.  Leagues can continue using the 10-point system for scoring while utilizing FargoRate for player ratings and handicapping.  Here's how it works.

​Instead of having an average, each player has an "expected score" in each game which depends on the Fargo Ratings of the two players.  The expected score for each player is expressed as...

FargoRate already knows the statistical probability of each person winning a game.  We also know that the winning score is 10.  However, the losing score is a little more complicated because it can vary between zero and seven.  So what do we do?  After analyzing lots of data, it turns out that a person's expected losing score is a function of his or her opponent's rating.  This is somewhat intuitive...when a person loses to a lower-skilled player, he or she will likely make more balls than in a loss against a higher-skilled player.  So, we use this function for the losing score.

Let's look at an example.  Suppose Ted has a Fargo Rating of 400 and is playing Robert who has a Fargo Rating of 569.  Statistically, Robert has a 76% chance of winning (i.e. scoring 10 points) and a 24% chance of losing each game.  The losing score function reveals that on average, Robert is expected to score 4.2 points in his losses to Ted and Ted is expected to score, on average, 3.5 points in his losses to Robert.  Therefore, the expected scores are as follows.

This calculation is done for every single game played during a league match.  In each round, both team's expected scores are totaled to determine the team's expected score for the round.  The difference in the team's expected scores is the handicap for that round.

Confused yet?  Don't be.  FargoRate and LMS can do all the work for you.  When using paper score sheets on league night, visit http://leaguecalc.fargorate.com and enter the ratings of each player for the round.  See the below example.  In this scenario, there are two 5-player teams playing a round robin format where each person plays one game.  The result is "Team One" gets a 13-point handicap in the round.

When entering scores in LMS, these calculations are automatic.  Additionally, FargoRate is developing an LMS mobile scoring app that will make all of this seamless and allow teams to score matches on their phones or tablets and submit them directly to LMS.
​

The 10-point system is great for league play and we can now make it even better.  You no longer have to tolerate unreliable averages and inaccurate handicaps.  You can keep the advantages of the 10-point scoring system while using FargoRate to make ratings and handicaps more accurate.  The result is more competitive leagues with more teams in contention and more players returning session to session.

For more information about how FargoRate and LMS can help your league, contact us at 702-719-POOL (7665).

We recently announced that starting in 2020, the BCA Pool League World Championships will no longer be held in July.  Member feedback has consistently showed a strong preference for an earlier time of year.  Therefore, the 2020, 2021 & 2022 events will be held in March and the 2023, 2024 & 2025 events will be held in February.  We are confident this change will attract more players to local leagues and the annual Las Vegas championship event.

Since the event is moving to an earlier time of year, we also considered changing the membership period (i.e. league year) to a calendar year basis (January-to-December).  However, after receiving feedback from League Operators, it became clear that changing to a calendar year would present difficulties for many leagues.  Therefore, the membership period is not changing.

​The membership period will remain the same (June 1 – May 31) in 2019 and beyond.  However, the time frame in which players must accumulate their “weeks played” to become eligible for the 2020 BCA Pool League World Championships and beyond will be from the previous CALENDAR YEAR.  A brief summary of the next two years is as follows:

​As noted above, one of the requirements to be eligible for the 2020 BCA Pool League World Championships and beyond is to be a current BCAPL member at the time of registration.  Since memberships expire on May 31, many people will renew them by playing in summer and/or fall league sessions.  For those that do not, there will be methods offered to renew memberships directly with the BCA Pool League such as online or on event entry forms.

​Each subsequent year will maintain the same June-thru-May membership period and January-thru-December time frame for players to accumulate the necessary amount of "weeks played" to become eligible for the next BCA Pool League World Championship event.  A summary of the "weeks played" time frame for the next seven years is as follows:

​Please contact us or comment below if you have any questions regarding this transition.

​CueSports International, Henderson, NV (August 13, 2018) – CueSports International (CSI), parent company of the BCA Pool League (BCAPL), donated to charity the winnings of a player disqualified from a division of the 2018 BCA Pool League World Championships.  During one of his matches, the player was overheard bragging about entering the tournament with a low rating.  After hearing that, his opponent followed the correct procedure and submitted a formal protest to the Tournament Director before the match ended.
 
Tournament officials took immediate action and began investigating the issue by interviewing both players, numerous people in the area and others who know both players including the League Operators.  Based on all available information, CSI concluded that the player intentionally entered the event at a rating other than his own which placed him in a lower division.  This is defined as cheating per the event rules and regulations as stated below.

​Don’t Get Disqualified
We take player ratings very seriously. A player who intentionally enters an event with a transitional or starter rating that is too low for his or her ability, is cheating. Be aware that we have tools in place to monitor players who are consistently and significantly performing above their rating during the event. CSI reserves the right to disqualify any player without refund. Therefore, if you believe you are underrated, contact CSI prior to the registration deadline.

​Therefore, the player was immediately disqualified without receiving any prize money or a refund.  Because he was disqualified at a bracket position that would have paid over $1,000 in prize money, CSI donated the entire amount to Donate Life America, a nonprofit alliance of national organizations and state teams across the U.S. committed to increasing the number of donated organs, eyes, and tissue available for transplant to save and heal lives. 

​Although the disqualified player had won the protested match, that result was reversed and his opponent continued in the event.
 
CSI is committed to providing fair and fun competition at all CSI events and we will continue to act swiftly whenever cheating is suspected.  We applaud the opposing player for calmly and professionally following the protest procedure and helping to identify this situation.
 
For more information on how to sanction an existing league, start a new league, or join a league, visit www.playbca.com or call the BCA Pool League office at 866-USA-POOL.

​CueSports International, Henderson, NV (August 8, 2018) - CueSports International (CSI), parent company of the BCA Pool League (BCAPL), is pleased to announce the addition of the new Mixed 8-Ball Bronze Team division to the 2019 BCA Pool League World Championships which will be held July 17-27, 2019 in Las Vegas, NV.  
 
With the addition of this division, the BCA Pool League World Championships will now offer the following five (5) Mixed 8-Ball Team divisions:

This new division has been highly requested and is part of an overall goal to offer greater opportunity and fun to more BCA Pool League members.  The Mixed 8-Ball Silver Team division, with a maximum team rating of 2,500 using FargoRate, was added in 2018 and was a huge success; attracting nearly 130 teams in the first year.  We are confident the Bronze division will also be a welcomed addition to an already fantastic event.
 
The following basic eligibility requirements will apply to this new division.  More detailed event information can be found in the 2019 BCA Pool League World Championships Tournament Guide located on the official event webpage.

Mixed 8-Ball Teams - Bronze Division Eligibility

• All teammates must be sanctioned members of a BCA Pool League and play a minimum of eight (8) full scheduled weeks during a single division session during the 2018/19 league year (June 1, 2018 – May 31, 2019).
• No person (male or female) may be rated higher than 720 at the time of registration.
• At least two (2) players from the same league team must play each round.  Other players must be qualified from the same league.

 
Based on League Operator and player feedback, we are confident the Bronze Team division will be welcomed by BCA Pool League members who may have never attended the BCA Pool League World Championships due to a belief that they could not be competitive in the traditional divisions. 

Fall leagues are forming now so we encourage all of you to join a BCA Pool League near you and get qualified to compete in Las Vegas next July.
 
For more information on how to sanction an existing league, start a new league, or join a league, visit www.playbca.com or call the BCA Pool League office at 866-USA-POOL.

​CueSports International, Henderson, NV (August 6, 2018) - CueSports International (CSI), parent company of the BCA Pool League (BCAPL), is pleased to announce that effective immediately, league members will no longer be required to pay an annual BCAPL membership fee for each league they join.  Each BCA Pool League member can play in as many leagues as he or she wishes with a single $15 annual membership fee.
 
For the last few years, league members were required to pay a $15 annual sanction fee for each BCAPL league they joined.  The goal of that policy was to reduce the time and effort required to resolve sanction fee collection issues between local League Operators and the BCAPL office.  Although the policy accomplished its goals, recent BCAPL software developments and internal process changes have made it unnecessary.
 
BCA Pool League Operators and players are encouraged to check the membership status of anyone by visiting www.playcsipool.com/bcapl-membership-lookup.  On that page, simply enter a person's name and click "search."  If the person is a current member, "Yes" will be displayed in the "Currently Sanctioned" column for each league the person joins.  If the BCAPL office has not received a membership fee for the person, "No" will be displayed in that column.
 
In the near future, BCAPL members will also have access to a digital membership card, as a feature of the new FargoRate mobile app.  The digital membership card will show whether the membership is current and the date of expiration.  More information on the FargoRate mobile app will be released soon.
 
We are confident this policy change will be welcomed by League Operators and players.  For more information on how to sanction an existing league, start a new league, or join a league, visit www.playbca.com or call the BCA Pool League office at 866-USA-POOL.

CueSports International, Henderson, NV (July 9, 2018) – CueSports International (CSI) is excited to announce that effective August 1, 2018, Ozzy Reynolds will become the new owner and CEO of CSI.  This is part of a planned succession that was put into place in 2014 when Reynolds joined the company as General Manager.
 
Reynolds has a wealth of billiards experience as both a player and promoter.  He began playing at just eight years old and has competed in various leagues, regional tours and pro tournaments.  A native of Virginia, Ozzy is the founder of The Action Pool Tour, VA State-10-Ball Championships and VA State 8-Ball Championships.
 
Along with his billiards acumen, he also has impressive education and experience.  He worked as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Design Lead for ten years, a Construction Manager for NASA infrastructure projects for three years, a Project Manager for NASA facility projects for four years, and CSI General Manager for four years.  He has also served on the Billiards Congress of America (BCA) Board of Directors since 2016.  In 2009, he earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration (BSBA) from Old Dominion University with a minor in Civil Engineering Technology.  In 2012, he earned a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the prestigious College of William & Mary.  He also holds official certifications as a Marine Designer and a Project Management Professional (PMP®).
 
Reynolds is eager to begin this new chapter and lead CSI to realize its full potential.  When asked about his new role, Reynolds said, "I am extremely honored and humbled to be at the helm of such an incredible organization.  For me, this is the culmination of many years of education, hard work and passion.  For CSI, it is a new chapter.  We will continue to operate with the passion, commitment and principles of our founder, Mark Griffin.  The future of CSI is very bright."
 
Ozzy Reynolds
Owner / CEO
ozzy@playcsipool.com | 702-719-POOL (7665)

​Taking over for Reynolds as General Manager is current CSI Office Manager, Amy Kane.  A native of Las Vegas, Kane has owned and operated several businesses and has served as CSI Office Manager since 2015.

She was first introduced to pool in 2006 and her passion for the game quickly grew.  She and a business partner launched VegasBilliardsBuzz.com in 2009 which galvanized the Vegas pool community.  Based upon its success, they then launched the Vegas Billiards Tour which operated successfully for seven years.
​
"The experience Amy has gained over the years as a league player, team captain, league operator, tournament director and CSI Office Manager, coupled with her business intelligence, makes her the perfect candidate for General Manager," explained Reynolds.
Kane looks forward to her new position and said, “I’m honored to take on this role.  I have always been dedicated to the betterment of the game and this capacity will give me a greater ability to do just that.  We have an exceptional team that strives for that every single day.”
 
Amy Kane
General Manager
amy@playcsipool.com | 702-719-POOL (7665)

​This comes on the heels of CSI founder and international businessman, Mark Griffin, deciding that it was time to turn CSI over to the next generation.  Griffin founded CSI in 2004 and quickly propelled it to become one of the most well-known and respected billiards companies in the world.  It began as the parent company of the BCA Pool League but Griffin quickly added to its portfolio with the creation of the USA Pool League and numerous amateur and professional events including the US Open 10-Ball, US Open 8-Ball, US Open Straight Pool, US Open One Pocket, US Open Bank Pool, US Bar Table Championships, Jay Swanson Memorial, and many more.
 
Although Griffin's vast experience and accomplishments are too numerous to list here, he has been a master level player, billiard instructor, proprietor of pool rooms in three states since 1969, table mechanic, cue and memorabilia collector, league operator, table manufacturer, BCA Board Director and a partner or supporter of various billiards ventures and initiatives such as The Action Report (TAR), American Rotation, FargoRate and many others.
 
In 2015, Griffin underwent a successful double lung transplant at the age of 68.  He quickly recovered and got right back to work.  In addition to his duties as CEO of CSI, in 2016 he opened what has quickly become one of the most acclaimed pool rooms in the country which bears his name - Griff's Bar & Billiards.  "Mark Griffin is an amazing person.  He bounced back from a double lung transplant as if it were a scrape on his elbow and jumped right back into work.  Then he began the long and arduous process of building and opening Griff's.  All I could do was watch in amazement as he ran circles around all of us," says Reynolds.
 
When asked about this transition, Griffin said, “This plan of succession has been in place for more than four years and I decided that it was now time to hand over the reins of CSI to the next generation.  I am proud of what CSI has accomplished and confident that it will continue to be a leader in the industry.”  When asked what’s next for him, Griffin said, “Since my health is good and I feel great, I’d like to spend more time focusing on Griff’s and traveling.”
 
Although Griffin is officially "retiring" from CSI, he will continue to be a trusted advisor and will be given the title of CEO Emeritus to denote his perpetual status as founder, honor his distinguished service and recognize his continued council.  Reynolds added, "Mark Griffin isn't disappearing.  His knowledge and experience is an asset and we will continue to utilize it as much as possible."
 
Mark Griffin
CEO Emeritus
markg@playcsipool.com | 702-719-POOL (7665)

​CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League (BCAPL), USA Pool League (USAPL) and numerous amateur and professional events.  For more information, visit www.playcsipool.com or call 702-719-POOL.