Handicap

In golf, a handicap is a measure of a player's ability expressed as a number of strokes; subtracting it from the gross score gives a "net" score, letting a weaker player compete on even terms with a stronger one. Lower handicaps indicate better players, and the figure is calculated from a player's recent scores relative to course difficulty.

The word is used differently elsewhere: in horse racing a handicap race assigns heavier weights to stronger horses to level the field, and in ten-pin bowling handicap leagues add pins to lower-average bowlers' scores. In each case the aim is competitive balance, but the mechanism, whether strokes, weight, or added points, depends on the sport.