Understanding handicaps
What the start scores mean in a handicapped competition, and how the winner is decided on the net result.
Understanding handicaps
Some competitions are handicapped: each side is spotted (or owes) a number of points so that unevenly matched players can have a close game. You do not do anything different when you play, the organiser sets the handicaps and the start scores are worked out for you.
What the start scores mean
Before your match, the fixture page shows a Handicap start scores panel with a start for each side, for example:
Start: your pair 0, opponents -7
The two handicaps are compared, and the side with the higher handicap starts at 0. The other side starts on a negative number, meaning they owe that many points. You then play the game as normal and enter the on-court game scores, which already include the start.
How the winner is decided
In a handicapped competition the winner is usually decided on the net total points (your score after the handicap is applied), not on games won. So it is possible to win more games but lose on net points, or the other way around. The results page makes this clear.
Raw and net on the results page
Once a match is confirmed, the result shows both numbers, for example:
118-112 after handicap (raw 118-105)
- The first pair of numbers is the net result (after the handicap), which decides the match.
- The raw numbers in brackets are the actual points scored before the handicap was applied.
Sealed handicaps
Sometimes the organiser keeps a handicap sealed. Its value is hidden until your match is played and verified, then it is revealed and the raw vs net result appears like any other. This is normal and up to the organiser.