Calculate your bowling handicap from your average, basis score, and percentage factor, then get your handicap-adjusted game score.
Bowling Handicap Formula
A handicap is a set number of bonus pins added to your scratch score so bowlers of different skill levels can compete on even terms. The calculator finds it from your average, your league’s basis score, and its percentage factor:
H = floor((B - A) * P)
Once you have the handicap, your adjusted score for a game is:
Adjusted = G + H
Variables:
- H is the handicap, the bonus pins added to each game
- B is the basis score, a fixed target set by your league that sits above every bowler’s average
- A is your bowling average, the total of your past scores divided by the number of games, with any fraction dropped
- P is the percentage factor written as a decimal, so 90 percent is 0.90
- G is your scratch game score before the handicap is added
- floor means round down to the nearest whole number
Pick what you want to find at the top of the calculator. In “My handicap and adjusted score” mode you enter your average and league settings to get your handicap per game; add a game score to also see the adjusted total, and turn on the series option to see the total handicap pins added across a full three-game (or longer) set. In “Head-to-head matchup” mode you enter two bowlers’ averages and game scores, and the tool returns each handicap, each adjusted score, and who wins after the handicap is applied. If a bowler’s average is equal to or higher than the basis score, the difference is zero or negative, so the handicap is set to 0 rather than a negative number.
Handicap by Average and League Setting
This chart shows the per-game handicap for a range of averages under three common league settings. Most sites publish one chart for a single setting; this side-by-side view lets you compare how the same average is treated when the basis score and percentage change. Round your average to the nearest row, or use the calculator for an exact figure.
| Average | 100% of 200 | 90% of 220 | 80% of 230 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 80 | 90 | 88 |
| 130 | 70 | 81 | 80 |
| 140 | 60 | 72 | 72 |
| 150 | 50 | 63 | 64 |
| 160 | 40 | 54 | 56 |
| 170 | 30 | 45 | 48 |
| 180 | 20 | 36 | 40 |
| 190 | 10 | 27 | 32 |
| 200 | 0 | 18 | 24 |
| 210 | 0 | 9 | 16 |
| 220 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Notice how a 200 average gets 0 pins at 100% of 200 but still gets 18 at 90% of 220. A higher basis score pulls more bowlers into the handicap, while a lower percentage shrinks the gap between strong and weak bowlers.
The next table shows why the matchup mode matters. Two bowlers in a 90% of 220 league throw different scratch games, but the handicap closes most of the gap.
| Bowler | Handicap | Scratch game | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (150 average) | 63 | 165 | 228 |
| B (190 average) | 27 | 205 | 232 |
Bowler B scores 40 more scratch pins but wins by only 4 after the handicap, which is the whole point of the system.
Example Problems
Example 1: Find a handicap and adjusted score.
Your average is 147 and your league uses 90 percent of a 200 basis. Subtract the average from the basis and multiply by the percentage: (200 – 147) x 0.90 = 47.7, which rounds down to a handicap of 47. If you then bowl a 143 game, your adjusted score is 143 + 47 = 190.
Example 2: Decide a head-to-head matchup.
Two bowlers play in a 90 percent of 220 league. Bowler A averages 150 and bowls a 165. Bowler B averages 190 and bowls a 205. A’s handicap is (220 – 150) x 0.90 = 63, for an adjusted 228. B’s handicap is (220 – 190) x 0.90 = 27, for an adjusted 232. Bowler B wins the game by 4 pins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What basis score and percentage should you use?
Use the values your league or tournament sets, which you can find on the league rules sheet or by asking the secretary. Many USBC-sanctioned adult leagues use 90 percent of 220, but 80 percent of 230 and 100 percent of 200 are also common. The one rule that always holds is that the basis score should sit above every bowler’s average, otherwise the strongest bowlers get no handicap. If you are bowling casually, you and the other players can agree on any basis and percentage before you start.
Is a bowling handicap rounded up or down?
Down. The result is always rounded down to the nearest whole number, which is why the formula uses floor. For example, (220 – 155) x 0.90 = 58.5 becomes a handicap of 58, not 59. The same rule applies when you calculate your average: a raw average of 147.3 is recorded as 147.
Can your handicap be negative?
No. If your average is equal to or higher than the basis score, the difference is zero or negative, so your handicap is set to 0 and you bowl scratch. A negative handicap would subtract pins from a strong bowler, which standard league rules do not do. If you want scratch bowlers to face a penalty, you would need a basis score higher than their average so everyone still receives some pins.
