John Devore was a Member of APA who played in the Philadelphia APA, a franchise independently owned and operated by Jeffrey Duda. In April 2015, Devore entered into a licensing agreement with a pool league that competes with APA. Devore, and his wife, Cynthia Devore, sued Duda, an individual that Devore wrongfully alleged is Duda’s wife, and APA alleging that in June, 2015, Duda, or his wife, put a statement on Facebook that did not mention Devore, but that Devore alleges others would believe was about him. Devore alleged that the statement was defamatory, and that, as a result of the statement, he was unable to recruit pool players to join his league, and thus lost his investment. Devore named APA as a defendant based on a one-sentence unsupported allegation that Duda acted as an agent of APA. APA had no involvement with the alleged post, and Devore did not allege that APA had any involvement with the statement, or its posting. Devore’s Complaint stated claims for defamation and tortious interference with a contract. Devore’s wife stated a claim for loss of consortium. Together, the Devores prayed for damages of $50,000.00 or more.
From the filings
American Poolplayers Association
Personal servicesThe American Poolplayers Association (APA) runs 358 total leagues, 356 of them franchised. Every operator must run APA's own proprietary Software Program to manage the league, on a personal computer, printer and related equipment they purchase to APA's specifications, plus broadband internet and a smart phone or tablet. Franchised outlets grew 6.269% year over year.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ordinary royalty terms
5% component; full terms unconfirmed
Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.
Recorded percentage components
These are recorded percentage components. Each has its own base and conditions; the chart does not state the total payment or confirm ad-fund completeness.
1recorded components (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
APA-FDD 2026 4932-1354-9719v10 provide you a local league website and email address to use, currently free of charge. You will need to purchase Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, which you can purchase individually or as part of Microsoft Office 365. The cost of these programs will likely be between $250 and $350. You will also need to purchase an antivirus program and anti-malware program (or a program that combines both services) for your computer system. The cost of that software is estimated to be $30 to $100 for a year’s subscription. We suggest, however, that you purchase and use a basic business financial software package, such as QuickBooks. Such programs will likely cost between $150 and $450. We also recommend that you have some form of extra storage for the files on your computer, such as a thumb drive, external hard drive and/or online cloud-based back-up service subscription. A 1TB thumb drive should cost you around $25, a 1TB external hard drive will likely cost around $50 and an online cloud based back up service subscription should cost about $72 for a year. You will need a color scanner. We estimate that a scanner can be purchased for between $100 and $600. You will also need a telephone answering/ voice mail system for the landline or cellular phone you use for league operations. We believe an internet or land-line based phone service with an answering/ voice mail system can be purchased for between $30 to $100. Furthermore, basic office furnishings, such as a filing cabinet, desk and desk chair are also necessary.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
13 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 10 explicit no's; 11 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
APA and/or an APA Affiliate may be an approved supplier or designated as the sole supplier for any products or services.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 20
The League Operators Advisory Board (“LOAB”) is a franchisee organization created, sponsored and endorsed by APA.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
The Software Program may be further developed, enhanced and modified to continue to meet the developments and needs of our System.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
182644.39Item 8
During the year ending December 31, 2025, we received $182,644.39 in revenue from the sale of APA Merchandise, representing 0.68% of our total revenue of $26,910,181 for that year.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
As part of APA’s ongoing business relationship with the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino, host of the Championship Tournaments, APA receives certain rebates, and certain discounted or complimentary goods and services based on APA’s performance.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesFranchise agreement
APA may also charge a fee for making a determination on the proposed supplier.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
You may request approval of an alternative supplier, but may have to pay for APA to have the supplier’s products or services tested.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesItem 17
transfer telephone numbers, websites and social media accounts associated with the Franchised League
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You must also comply with payment card industry (“PCI”) standards, norms, requirements, and protocols, including PCD Data Security Standards.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 6
We may at any time, without notice, conduct an audit of your Franchised League’s books, records, operations and computer data to assure that all member dues and royalty fees are being reported and paid to us.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We regularly update the Operations Manual and have the right to change the 35 APA-FDD 2026 4932-1354-9719v10 requirements and specifications included in the Operations Manual.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
The royalty is payable charged each team weekly and via ACH 12 days to us for all matches on certain other revenue after the end of on which you collect received.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We also offer additional training seminars, as we consider appropriate, at which your attendance is optional unless we otherwise require it.
The filing answers no to 10 questions
- Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 8
- Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?Item 11
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 11
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?Item 8
- Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at American Poolplayers Association
APA runs 358 total pool leagues, 356 of them franchised, concentrated in Texas (30), Florida (29), Illinois (25), California (22) and Georgia (13). The FDD makes no financial performance representation, so there is no Item 19 figure to cite here.
Who controls software purchasing
APA requires every operator to use its own proprietary Software Program to manage the Franchised League under APA's system — this is not a franchisee's choice among vendors, it is APA's own required platform. Operators must separately obtain the computer system that runs it: hardware, printer, operating software and related equipment meeting the specifications APA sets under Item 7, and they may be required to upgrade or replace that system if APA's requirements change.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
The Software Program itself is the mandated system, run on franchisee-purchased hardware meeting APA's specs. Operators must also have broadband internet access — satellite internet is explicitly prohibited — and a smart phone or tablet. The Software Program currently includes Nexus, TMS, the APA Member Services website and app, and the APA Scorekeeper app; operators must also buy Microsoft Word and Excel, and run a Windows-based computer with an HP, Epson or Canon printer. QuickBooks is recommended for accounting.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 runs mostly on specifications: operators can generally buy from any supplier that meets APA's standards, rather than a fixed approved list. A small number of items are sole-sourced — patches from Rixstine and APA-logo cues and cases from Cuestix — and APA may require approved or designated suppliers for other items in the future. The initial term is 2 years, with a 5-year renewal term; renewal needs written notice 6 to 9 months before expiration and compliance with APA's then-current qualifications and training requirements.
How to read the American Poolplayers Association FDD
The embedded PDF viewer below holds APA's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. For a ranked list of targets like this one, talk to FranCloud.
Ordinary royalty terms
Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.
Questions vendors ask
American Poolplayers Association, answered from the filing
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
274 operators run 274 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| TX | 30 |
|---|---|
| FL | 29 |
| IL | 25 |
| CA | 22 |
| GA | 13 |
Related Personal services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.