Pool League Handicaps
In the Pool Leagues of America handicapping system, players are given a skill level of 2 through 8, where higher numbers indicate better- performing players. These handicap values determine how many racks a player must win in order to win a game against their opponent.
There is really no hard and fast rule that describes each skill level. For instance, we cannot say, "a three runs an average of 2.47 balls per turn, and wins 42% of the time". Though this might in fact be true, it’s not how the skill level is defined.
Remember that a handicap system is designed to level the playing field so that all players have an equal chance of winning.
Generally speaking, the more consistently well a player shoots, the higher his or her handicap is. Players that shoot more inconsistently - great on one night and perhaps not-so-great on another night - tend to be lower-handicapped players.
Considering all this, let’s pose an example. Alan is a three, and Linda is a six. Both have been playing in the league for several years. Is it possible for Alan to shoot very well and sweep Linda? It may not happen often, but it is entirely possible. And it’s also likely that Alan loses to a four (or maybe a two!) the following match. It is this inconsistency that makes Alan a three.
Higher handicapped players are more advanced in their gameplay; they are more apt to make complex kicks, banks, and well-played safeties.
In the same way, lower handicapped players may be new to the game or otherwise exhibit less experienced gameplay. However, some lower handicapped players are experienced and may be able to pull off advanced shots on a good night (much to the chagrin of their opponent!) and perform surprisingly well – but doing so consistently will cause their handicap to increase.
How are handicaps calculated?
The Pool Leagues of America handicap system takes many factors into play when calculating a player’s skill level. Every piece of gameplay data about a player, past and present, is taken into consideration and run through a series of calculations when new stats are entered for that player. It is important to note that no human intervention is required. In this way, a player’s handicap is obtained purely from his or her performance, without any subjective judgment. Note that in "emergency" situations, a league operator can always override the automatic handicapping - but this is a rare occurrence.
If a player appears to be inaccurately handicapped, if given a little time that player will eventually be playing at an accurate skill level. In extreme cases, we can make an adjustment for you, but to date no adjustments have been necessary. This is not usually an issue, but can happen for new players in your league who start out as a four, when perhaps they should have started as a five or six, for instance.