United States Professional Poolplayers Association

The United States Professional Poolplayers Association (UPA) is the governing body for the sport of men's professional pool in the United States, as well as the organizer of a major national amateur league, and a variety of pro and amateur tournaments. The organization, now based in Manhattan, was founded in January 2002 in Arizona by professional players, to replace several competing and dysfunctional men's professional pool organizations which had suffered years of problems such as inability to pay out winnings or to keep a stable schedule of competitions. UPA was formerly named the United States Pool Players Association, and has also frequently been unofficially referred to as USPPA or USPA, especially in reference to its professional side versus its amateur UPA League operations. The UPA Tour series of pro tournaments cover multiple pool disciplines, including eight ball, nine ball, ten ball, and straight pool; the amateur UPA National Championships are team eight and nine ball events. The organization also offers instructional programs, and event promotion/production for pool tournaments and trade shows. On the professional side, the Billiard Congress of America, which is the World Pool Billiard Association (WPA) US national affiliate, officially recognizes the UPA as the men's pro pool competition association for the United States,

Like most leagues, it operates on a local franchise licensing (for profit) basis. Because the league uses a handicapping system (as found in most amateur leagues) that in UPA's case ranges from beginner to expert, professional players are actually eligible to play in the UPA League (with the maximum skill level handicap); Various marketing materials also use the names UPA Nationals and UPA Las Vegas Nationals. The seventh annual UPA Nationals will be held June 22–28, 2020, at Binion's Casino, and offers a combined nine ball and eight ball prize fund of US$40,000 in the team competitions, which (depending on division) may pay out all the way down to 16th place. The dress code of the UPA Nationals is stricter than most amateur events, in that it requires matching team shirts.

The UPA Tour (in long form, the UPA Touring Professional Program) is a professional tournament series and player ranking system with an annual membership fee. Some events have more open registrations, especially when co organized with other bodies, and all of them are open to certain qualifying UPA League players with 20 or more singles matches played in the current year. The organization has previously co sponsored other noteworthy events, including the 2005 World Summit of Pool.

The UPA also offers pool instruction by professionals via UPA Pool School events, held primarily in Las Vegas. The organization has also sometimes provided pool related event promotion and production, including for tournaments and vendor exhibitions.