2 questions: USPPA? Definition of a Pro player?

[okinawa77]

Question 1: USPPA?

Is USPPA considered a semi-pro or a professional league?

The reason I ask is, sometimes pros like Bustamante and Deuel and Sambajon play in USPPA tournaments, but I was under the impression it was a "pre-professional level" league.

Question 2: Professional Player?

I am entered in the Prelims for the US Amateur Championships and one of the rules states that pro or pro like players are not allowed to play in the US AM.

Is there an established definition for categorizing a player as a professional player?

The Rules of Participation (#9) states that "making the majority of one's income giving exhibitions or giving lessons" is a professional characteristic, but I know there are players that get paid to give lessons and what not. I guess the key words are "Majority of one's income", but where is the line drawn. What if I have a high paying job, and income from exhibitions/lessons are lower in comparison?

[wolfdancer]

The USPPA is a handicap system...Anybody can play...I once had a player with an 8 ranking....Nick Varner, I believe, was rated at 180. The good players are rated over 100..."T-Rex" Tony Chohen, from the Bay Area plays to about 140 speed.
In a race to five, the max spot is 3 games....it's easy to figure out the "splits" Divide 1 by the match race...5...and it works out that a 100 would give up 1 game to an 80 ranked player...2 games to a 60, 3 to a 40. A 15 would have to give up 3 games to a 6...but you would have to go down to Alabama to find a 6, and he might be matching up with a board member here....
If the race is to 6 ...the splits occur at an approx 17% differentials.
In mt first match ever...I played George Michaels....I had a better chance of winning the Lottery.
I think you'll have some stiff competition in the amateurs, and many can play near the pro level...doesn't make them pros though.....good luck!!!