Back in 1979, working as a full-time administrator for Sundsvalls BK, Jorgen Sandman created a playing ability test according to same idea that he himself had been confronted with as an ice-hockey player. There were three pins to be awarded, a bronze, a silver and a golden pin, consisting of the club emblem with the respective color around it. The idea was quite simple and one that generated a lot of interest among the players of the club. However, in 1980 Jorgen moved away from his hometown and the interest for the first ever PAT in Pool with him.

More than 20 years later the idea to create a PAT system was born again. Jorgen Sandman met with Ralph Eckert in Germany and mainly the two got together in order to produce material for education of instructors and coaches on behalf of the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF). Having the opportunity to work together for the very first time, Ralph and Jorgen made use of the occasion to discuss eventual other projects that they possibly could develop together. As it turned out both of them had been asked by separate groups to develop a PAT system, and soon an agreement was formed to look into this together.

However, with a fairly large interest from both individuals and federations to see a proper educational system for instructors and coaches off the ground, this became to ultimate task during the next 8-10 months, when the first material on the topic was being produced. As it turned out though, while Jorgen was quite busy taking down all of the text for the educational purposes, Ralph concentrated most of his efforts in putting a PAT system in place.

It was also during this time that a third coach got involved, Andreas Huber, the German national coach. Ralph contacted Andreas in order to get some help with the developing of the PAT system. It did not take long before Andreas saw quite a potential in this new project and based upon his contacts with the German Billiard Union (DBU) soon enough the PAT System was integrated in the German education of instructors and coaches.

It was also Andreas that saw the international potential that this system could have, and now the two of them decided to contact Jorgen Sandman. Within a few months an agreement was in place with the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), that decided to endorse the PAT System worldwide. This decision was taken in the fall of 2004 and almost a year later the emblems, the WPA logo in 8 different colors, could be awarded for the first time.

In order to be a great Pool player there are a number of abilities that will need to be developed and this is what the PAT System is built upon - to test the various abilities with tools (exercises) that each one of them will provide the player with a value (a receipt) corresponding to his/her ability at the moment of testing.

The PAT System includes four different test levels, beginning with PAT Start for the beginner, PAT 1 for the advanced club player, PAT 2 for the intermediate player and PAT 3 for the professional player. Depending upon the performance of the player there are two different award levels in PAT Start, another two in PAT 1 and Pat 2, and not less than 4 award levels in PAT 3.

the first official tests took place in the spring of 2004 and even though there were very few educated examiners on the PAT System in the very beginning, quite a few players have already been tested - mainly in Europe. As there will be more and more authorized PAT Examiners and teachers out there, the number of players and countries will grow rapidly. In order to serve all of the players, the examiners and other parties interested in the sport, the PAT Company GbrH has launched its own website, www.pat-billiard.com.

On this website you will find the current ranking of all players that officially have performed their tests and that also have registered themselves on the website. Furthermore you will find information about all of the authorized PAT Examiners, where and when the next PAT's are being organized and you can also purchase all of the PAT Practice Books, the PAT DVD's as well as other products that will help you to improve your playing ability.

In order to have the website designed and launched, Andreas, Jorgen and Ralph needed the expertise of someone else, and Dirk Schwiewager was found. With dirk on the team the "PAT Pack" is now complete and it was at a meeting in Munich on February 16, 2006, that finally also the PAT Company GbrH was officially founded.