Handicap limit, how common is this type of rule

[JaxBowlingGuy]

Holy!!! 100% of 300?!?! That's just crazy talk!

When I first showed up and they told me it was 100% of 300 i thought they were crazy... As the season went on, it wasn't bad at all. It actually evened out the league a lot better than your typical 80 or 90%. This league is 32 teams of 5 men. If i had to guess the league average would be around 190ish. Pretty much anyone whos anyone in town bowl that league. Big money and good competition.

[taxexpert2]

Hmmm. A couple of years ago I suggested putting a cap on handicaps and was told that this is no longer legal in a sanctioned league. Was I given the incorrect information?

[fordman1]

So everyone else uses individual H\C rather than team? What is the reason for this? Just wondered why you do this.

[taxexpert2]

Where I bowl most of the time they use a team handicap. First place I have ever bowled that did this. There is one team that actually gets a negative handicap becuase their bowlers averages are mostly over 200 and the max average for a team is 1000. I guess this is more common in some areas than others.

[J Anderson]

So everyone else uses individual H\C rather than team? What is the reason for this? Just wondered why you do this.

My guess is because the leagues are using a computer program that automatically calculates individual handicaps. Before personal computers, it was more efficient to add the individual averages, subtract the sum from the basis and then get the percentage.

[bowl1820]

Hmmm. A couple of years ago I suggested putting a cap on handicaps and was told that this is no longer legal in a sanctioned league. Was I given the incorrect information?

Yes, that is incorrect.

The rule on handicap is (and it's been this way for years):
100g. Handicap
4. Handicap shall not be limited, unless otherwise provided by league rule.

Commonly Asked Questions – Rule 100g.

100g/4 Some of the higher-average teams want us to adopt a rule to limit handicap. Can we
set a limit of a 60-pin handicap for any one bowler?

According to Rule 100g, Item 4, to limit handicap, a league must adopt its own rule.
However, USBC advises against leagues adopting rules to limit handicap. Although
higher-average teams believe they cannot be competitive each week while giving the full
handicap allowance, they should keep in mind, unless the league is using at least 100
percent handicap, the higher-average team still has the advantage.
For example, at 85 percent handicap, the higher-average team has a 15-percent advantage.
With unlimited handicap, the higher-average teams may be challenged, but our experience
indicates more competitive bowling is stimulating to all teams in the league.

[bowl1820]

Most leagues around here for years used the individual handicap system.

But in the least few years some leagues here have gone to using Team difference handicap (but still use individual handicap for individual awards).

For those that don't know, Team Difference handicap is where you take the team averages and calculate the difference. Then the low average team gets a percentage of that difference as their handicap and the high average team gets 0 handicap.

Such as my Tuesday night league they use 90% of the difference in team averages where the lower average
team receives the handicap and the higher average team receives no handicap.

Example:
This Last Tuesday my team got 16 pins handicap, my team ave. was 648 and the other team ave. was 666. So a difference of 18 of which we got 90%

[JaxBowlingGuy]

My Monday is a team handicap but my Wednesday is individual.

[fordman1]

Most leagues pay high team series and game with H\C at the end of the season. When you use the difference between teams it isn't fair. You need a number higher than the highest team average.

[taxexpert2]

Hmm. Thanks for the info. I moved away from that area so don't bowl in that league anymore. Says something about the secretary of the league.