At every tournament, timeliness, continuity, and consistency are major factors for the quality of how a tournament is run. If you're at the BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships this year, which is now in it's now 33rd year, you may have noticed some new changes in the tournament system that players can really appreciate.
With the charts being updated on the internet almost immediately, enabling friends and family to follow a player's progression, things are going a lot smoother with a lot less confusion than in other years. The printed charts are better organized and the all-around vibe is that you can depend on things to go the way they should. You can find the online charts and search for specific players or teams by clicking here.
Mark Griffin, the head of the BCAPL, has been working on this new tournament program since 2005, and the progression is certainly visible. From a player's perspective, it is clear that BCAPL works hard every year to make improvements from the previous year, making it the best possible experience for the players.
As a result, there are players from around the country and around the world, who return every year for this tremendous event. This year, they have over 7,000 entries, making it the largest amateur tournament in the country, and possibly the world.
Having a tradition of excellence is is what makes the BCAPL so strong, and their dedicated staff of professional referees is the hallmark of this tradition.
For each section of tables at this event, there are 17 referees, and two refs who man stations for players to consult. These referees have a schedule of routine checks before and after their shifts, to make sure everything is running smoothly and make sure any problems are addressed.
One of the prime concerns for the BCAPL referees, as is in all sports, is making sure there is a high level of consistency that players can trust. The officials try their best to make sure things run are as accurately as possible, however, there will always be disputes. NYC Grind's Jerry T gained some insight from Senior BCA Referee John Leyman (who was recently named Senior Referee of the Year) on what happens when a call is questioned... "Players don't like bad calls," said John, "In the end it is a judgement call. (players can question the rule) The head official will ask what happened, but 99 percent of the time, the call goes with the ref."
To assure the highest standards of refereeing possible, BCAPL refs go through a 55-hour training course, which include both classroom time and on-the-floor training, as well as the certification tests.
Every year, the BCA Official Rule Book, which has become the gold standard of the industry, releases a new, updated version. This fine-tuning makes sure the rules best fit the conditions of the game, and the referees make sure these standards are met.
The professionalism and dedication of the BCAPL referees and their entire team help keep the organization running at the high level that it does... in hopes that each year the Vegas event is better than the last.
NYC Grind's coverage of the 2009 BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships is sponsored by...
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