The Automatic Handicapping System provides a handicap for every player when they play Golf Croquet in accordance with Rule 20 on Handicap Play or Rule 21 on Advantage Play. The player's handicap is used to determine the number of extra strokes that the more able player has to give to the less able player in Handicap (Extra Strokes) Play, and the starting scores in Advantage Play, so that the competition between the two is approximately evenly balanced. The system requires that players record accurately on their Handicap Card the result of every qualifying game - roughly all games of GC singles played under tournament conditions to level, Extra Strokes or Advantage rules. The Handicap Card tracks the player's Index - a running total of points that increases when they win, and decreases when they lose.

Ten index points are exchanged in all Handicap or Advantage singles games - the winner's index increases by 10 and the loser's decreases by 10. When a player's index moves through the 'Trigger Point' for the next handicap level, their handicap is changed. The change is not always immediate and may be held back until the end of a day's play or the end of a short tournament as defined below. The relation between index and handicap is given in Table 1.

If a player reaches a trigger point and their handicap changes, it cannot immediately change back again as a result of the next couple of games. For example, if a 7-handicap player with an index of 1390 wins 10 points from a handicap game, their index becomes 1400, the trigger point for 6. Once the handicap has changed, that player would then have to lose 5 games in a row for their index to drop down to 1350 before they again reach the trigger point for 7, and so became handicap 7 again.

Although a 'handicap' is not used when playing level games, full records of all level games are also kept as they improve the accuracy of the player's handicap for when they do venture into handicap play. The points exchanged by players after a level game are calculated on a sliding scale as shown in Table 2. The points the better player can win are significantly reduced; alternatively should the weaker player win, they gain significantly more than 10 points.

Qualifying Games

Qualifying games are all singles games in Croquet England Calendar Fixtures, Federation Leagues, inter-club contests (including friendlies) and internal club competitions played in accordance with the rules of the game. Friendly club games, walkovers and abandoned games are not included.

Handicap Limits

It is entirely reasonable for Clubs and Federations to set upper or lower handicap limits for players in their leagues, matches and events, such as an upper limit of 12 in league matches, for example. But a complete beginner generally won't be playing in such matches, and may benefit from a first season playing within their clubs off 14 or 16, for example.

Changing Handicap

Handicap changes do not necessarily become effective immediately. They only become effective at the end of the tournament if it is a Croquet England Calendar Fixture or any other tournament lasting no more than four days. In all other cases, handicap changes become effective at the end of the day. If a player's index goes through a trigger point and then goes back through the same trigger point during the tournament or day, their handicap does not change.

Croquet England Associates are required to update their handicaps in the members' area of the website - the office is not responsible for this. Players who do not have the means to do this should contact their club secretary.

Minus Players

Doubles Games

For Advantage GC handicap play, GC Rule 21.5 Doubles states: "In doubles, the advantage handicap of each side is the average of the advantage handicaps of its players and, if it is not an integer, it is to be rounded upwards". Tournament Regulation L5 clarifies what to do when the average is greater than 12.

For Extra Strokes GC handicap play, GC Rule 20.3 covers handicap doubles play and stipulates that Extra Strokes are awarded to a particular player rather than a side, and to the two players with the highest handicap in the game, whether they are on the same or different sides. The number of Extra Strokes given by the lower handicap player on one side, to the highest handicap player on the other side, is given in Table 3. The same procedure applies to the other two players. If the two highest handicap players in the game have the same handicap, and are on the same side, they must announce before the start of the game which of them is to receive Extra Strokes from the lowest handicap player.

The number of Extra Strokes is calculated by halving the difference in handicaps of the two players being compared. Where this calculation leaves a fraction, this is rounded to the nearest whole number (the fraction 0.5 being rounded up), except note Rule 20.3.6 limits this to one player of a side.

For example, if, in a 13-point game, A (Handicap 2) and B (Handicap 7) play C (Handicap 5) and D (Handicap 10), then D receives (10 - 2)/2 = 4 Extra Strokes from A and B receives (7 - 5)/2 = 1 Extra Stroke from C.

NOTE: The comparison of the lowest handicap with the higher handicap of the other side is different from the system that Croquet England operated before 2019, which compared the lowest handicap with the lower handicap of the other side. This brings Croquet England into line with other WCF-member associations.

Different Length Games

For all games, the number of index points exchanged on handicap cards is the same, regardless of the length of the game. The arrangements for playing different-length games are covered below.

For Advantage GC handicap play, GC Rule 21.4 Starting Scores states: "The starting scores that apply to combinations of advantage handicaps for each target score are set out in the relevant starting score table at worldcroquet.org/advantagegc

For Extra Strokes GC handicap play, the number of Extra Strokes awarded in both singles and doubles varies according to the length of the game: