A coin flip determines which team picks a player to shoot the night's first match. A player is chosen and announced to the opposing team. The opposing team then decides who on their team is best suited to play that player and the match is set.

Every APA player is assigned a "skill level". This skill level lets the teams know the playing ability of each player on both team rosters. A player's "Skill Level" also dictates the number of games that player must win in order to win their match. Teams use this information when picking a player to shoot a specific opponent. A handicap chart can be found on the scoresheet and is used to determine the number of games each player must win in a match.

Once both players are chosen, the match is started and the players race to be the first one to win their assigned number of games. The first player to win the assigned number of games claims the match for their team.  With the match decided, the process is repeated with teams alternating who puts up a player first in each of the remaining four matches.

Through the five matches played, the total skill levels of the 5 players (on each team) cannot total more than 23 points. This means that teams have to be diverse in the rankings of their players. It also allows the beginner and intermediate players to benefit from the experience of the stronger players on their team.

Teams try to win as many of the weekly matches as possible. At the end of the session, those teams with the most points, plus one wildcard, advance to playoffs. The team that wins playoffs then advances to the 8-Ball Tri-Annual Tournament for that session and then the 8-Ball World Qualifiers for the chance to win travel assistance and a spot in the World Pool Championships in Las Vegas.