Interactive Demo •
LineupMagic is a free lineup calculator and rule reference for APA and TAP pool league team captains. It covers 8-Ball, 9-Ball, and 10-Ball formats and handles the skill cap math that determines which player combinations are legal under league rules.
In APA leagues, the 23 rule limits each 5-player lineup to a combined skill level of 23 or less. With 8 or more players on a roster, the number of valid combinations is not immediately obvious — and fielding a lineup over the cap results in a forfeit. LineupMagic calculates every valid combination automatically and sorts them strongest first.
For TAP captains, the equivalent is the 25 rule. Set the Skill Cap to 25 and the calculator works the same way. Lineup size is adjustable for 3-player and other formats.
Enter your roster once — player names and skill levels for each format they play. On match night, mark anyone absent who won't be there. As players step up to the table, mark them Played. LineupMagic instantly recalculates and shows every valid lineup using your remaining available players, along with a summary of who you can still put up.
If a player is required to play a particular format, mark them Must Play. The calculator will only show lineups that include them. If your division uses a senior player limit — for example, a maximum of 2 players at SL6 or above — the Senior Rule setting will flag any lineup that would exceed it.
Your roster and settings are saved to your account, so nothing needs to be re-entered week to week. You can manage up to 5 teams per account, which covers captains who run teams in multiple formats or leagues. See the APA Team Captain Guide and Captain's Match Night Rules for more on managing a team night-to-night.
In APA 8-Ball and 9-Ball leagues, each team fields 5 players per match. The combined skill levels of those 5 players cannot exceed 23. Fielding a lineup over the cap results in a forfeit of that match. LineupMagic calculates every valid 5-player combination that stays at or under that cap.
You enter each player's skill level for the formats they play. LineupMagic generates every possible combination of eligible players, filters out any that exceed your skill cap, and sorts the remaining lineups from strongest (closest to the cap) to weakest.
Yes. TAP leagues use a 25-rule cap with 5 players. Set the Skill Cap to 25 and the calculator works the same way. You can also adjust the lineup size for 3-player or other formats. See the TAP League Rules Guide for more on how TAP skill levels and caps work.
LineupMagic supports 8-Ball, 9-Ball, and 10-Ball. Players can have separate skill levels for each format. Lineups are calculated independently per format. Players with a skill level of 0 for a given format are not included in that format's lineup calculations.
Some APA divisions limit how many high-rated players a team can field per match — typically a maximum of 2 players at SL6 or above. When the Senior Rule is enabled, LineupMagic flags any lineup that exceeds your configured limit so you can avoid violations.
A player is mathematically eliminated from a format when there is no valid lineup that includes them while staying under the skill cap. This usually happens when their skill level is too high to fit alongside enough other available players.
Marking a player as Must Play locks them into every lineup combination for that format. The calculator only shows lineups that include that player. Use this when a player is contractually required to play a match, or when you want to see your remaining options after the other team has made a put-up.
Yes. LineupMagic is free to use.
LineupMagic includes reference material for APA and TAP captains beyond the lineup calculator. The guides below are written from direct playing experience and based on official league documentation.