Player Guide

Everything you need to know to compete in a Pool Tournament Manager event

Jump to a section
1. Create an Account 2. Find a Tournament 3. Register & Pay 4. Teams 5. The Bracket 6. Match Notification 7. Enter Your Score 8. Disputes & Mistakes
1

Create an Account

You register once and use the same account for every tournament run by this system.

  1. Click Register in the top-right of the navigation bar.
  2. Enter your email address, a phone number (used for match notifications), and choose a password.
  3. Check your inbox for a confirmation email and click the activation link.
  4. Sign in with your email and password.

Once signed in, visit your account settings to upload a profile photo. Your avatar appears on the bracket, the scoring screen, and on your team's roster.

If a director has already invited you by email, click the link in that email — it skips straight to account setup with your address pre-filled.
2

Find a Tournament

After signing in, go to Tournaments › Browse Tournaments to see all active and upcoming events. Each row shows:

Column What it means
Game The game in use — e.g. APA 8 Ball or BCA 9 Ball. This determines the handicap and scoring rules.
Format Singles (one-on-one) or Team play
Players / Teams Current registrations vs. the maximum allowed. Shows Players for singles events and Teams for team events.
Status Registration — open for sign-ups   In Progress — bracket is running   Completed

Click Bracket on any row to view the bracket even before you are registered — useful for watching a tournament as a spectator.

Looking for official rule books? Click Help › Documentation for guides, or visit the Rules Documents page for downloadable PDFs from APA, BCA, WPA, and other organizations.

3

Register & Pay

When a tournament is in Registration status, click the green Register button.

  1. Review the tournament details and entry fee on the registration page.
  2. Pay by card online — you will be redirected to the secure Stripe payment page. Your registration is automatically marked Paid on completion.
  3. Pay cash at the door — choose the cash option and hand your entry fee to the director. They will mark you paid in the system.
Only paid registrations are included in the bracket when the director starts the tournament. Make sure your payment status shows Paid before the tournament begins.

Check your registration status any time from Tournaments › My Registrations. It lists every tournament you have entered along with your payment status and team (if applicable).

4

Teams

Team-format tournaments have teams competing instead of individuals. Each team is created once and can enter multiple tournaments.

Creating a Team
  1. Go to Tournaments › My Teams in the navigation bar and click Create Team.
  2. Enter a team name and optionally upload a team logo.
  3. You become the team captain automatically.
  4. Invite players by searching for their name or email — or enter an email address to invite someone who has not yet registered.
Joining a Team

When a captain invites you, you will receive an email invitation. Click the link in the email to accept. If you do not have an account yet, the link will walk you through creating one.

Registering for a Team Tournament
  1. Find the team tournament on the home page and click Register.
  2. Select your team from the list (or create a new one).
  3. Choose which team members will participate in this specific event on the roster screen.
  4. Complete payment as normal.
During a team match you will be asked to put up a player from your lineup. The captain (or any team member on the scoring screen) selects who plays each mini-match.
5

The Bracket

Click Bracket on any tournament to see the full visual bracket. The bracket is an ESPN-style tree that updates live — no need to refresh the page.

Green Match completed — winner shown in green
Blue Match in progress
Gray Match not yet started
Dimmed BYE slot (no opponent)

Your name (or team name) is highlighted wherever you appear in the bracket. Player and team avatars are shown on each match card alongside the score and table number.

In a Double Elimination tournament you have two lives — a loss sends you to the losers bracket, not home. You must lose twice to be eliminated.
6

Match Notification

When the director starts your match you will receive both an email and a text message containing:

  • Your opponent's name (or opposing team's name)
  • The table number you are assigned to
  • For singles: the number of games each player needs to win (based on handicaps)
  • For team matches: the tournament name and match details

Head to that table right away. The director is tracking all matches in real time, so staying timely keeps the tournament moving.

Make sure your phone number is correct in your account profile so texts reach you. You can update it after sign-in from your account settings.
7

Enter Your Score

Open the scoring screen from the bracket or from your match notification link. The experience differs by match type:

  1. Open your match (it will appear highlighted as In Progress).
  2. Use the + and − buttons to record the final game count for each player.
  3. Tap any Special Result button (e.g. "8 on the break") if a special ending occurred.
  4. Tap Submit Result. Your opponent receives a notification to confirm.
  5. When your opponent taps Confirm Result, the score is locked and the bracket updates automatically.

Some games (e.g. APA 9 Ball) track individual balls instead of full-game wins.

  1. The scoring screen shows a ball grid. Tap a ball to assign it to the player who pocketed it.
  2. The center column shows balls still on the table; each player's side shows what they have pocketed and their running point total.
  3. Pocketing the designated game-ending ball (e.g. the 9) completes the rack and opens the next rack automatically.
  4. The match ends when a player reaches the required point target.
  1. Coin toss — one team taps the coin to decide who puts up the first player.
  2. Lineup — teams alternate selecting a player from their roster for each mini-match. Skill-level caps may apply depending on how many players are available.
  3. Play — each mini-match is scored individually (game count or ball scoring, depending on the game).
  4. Points — the team earns points for wins, shutouts, and hill consolations as configured by the tournament. The overall match ends when one team has clinched or all mini-matches are complete.
If your team has fewer players than the standard lineup size, forfeit rules may apply for the unfilled spots. Your director can explain the specific rules for your event.

Both players (or both teams) must confirm before the result is considered final. Until then, either side can still undo it (see below).

8

Disputes & Mistakes

Made a mistake entering the score? There are two options:

Undo Result

Either player can tap Undo Result in the app before the director advances the round. This clears the scores so you can re-enter the correct values.

Director Override

If there is a dispute or the round has already advanced, notify the Tournament Director. They can override any result from the admin panel.

If you believe a result was entered incorrectly and the director is unavailable, flag it immediately — corrections after subsequent rounds become harder to apply.
Ready to play?

Browse open tournaments and register today.

View Active Tournaments