Captain’s Log, February 26th, 2012 

I was very pleased to hear feedback from my previous newsletter, whether positive or negative. What pleases me most is that people take the time to read these things, and feedback is how I know that people are doing exactly that. So thank you, very much! 

This week, I’d like to focus on a topic that I touch on occasionally, but never to the full attention it deserves, and that is handicaps and keeping score. A handicapped league can only be successful if EVERYONE is doing their part to preserve the integrity of the handicapping system. Without score sheets at all, there is no handicap system. Without accurate information documented on the score sheets, the handicap system is not going to be accurate. Accurate score sheets will reflect accurate skill levels. It’s not completely that black and white, however. There are going to be new players who are not yet established that won’t have an entirely accurate skill level. There will be players coming back from a several year break that might be way better or way worse than the skill level they left with. As perfect as one would like for a handicap system to be, there will never be a perfect system due to the quite obvious human element. No one can be pinpointed so fine tuned to a certain skill level that you can just know that’s exactly the level a player will perform each night.  

The skill level itself is not a definition of how well someone will perform, but rather the normal expectancy of their true capability. In other words, a skill level 3 will most likely perform to the abilities of a skill level 3. However, it would not be completely out of the norm for that 3 to shoot like a 4 or a 5 on a given night, or like a 2 on another night. The more often that player performs outside of their skill level heavily factors into going up in skill level or going to a lower skill level.  

Billiards is not the only sport that generates a handicapping system for their respective enthusiasts, and for whatever reason, there is an element out there that doesn’t have the level of respect for the handicap system that it should. Typically, it’s someone who is trying to play by a different set of rules as everyone else. When that happens, especially if they get away with it, it ruins the enjoyment for everyone else. If they are allowed to get away with it, then others will feel they must resort to the same thing to remain competitive. And that’s why it is important for EVERYONE to be involved to prevent a cheater from being successful.  

Keeping score isn’t the skill level 2 on your team’s job. It’s the job of the ENTIRE team, especially the ones that are experienced as to what a defensive shot is. Someone should always be looking over the scorekeeper’s shoulder and pointing out if they missed a defensive shot. Defensive shots are just as important in score keeping as marking innings correctly. Both teams get a score sheet to keep score and they absolutely DO NOT have to match. Defensive shots are subjective. When someone misses a shot, ask yourself a few questions about whether or not a defensive shot was attempted and should be marked. Did the player try to make a ball? If the player had made that shot into the corner, were they attempting to get shape on the next ball? The true definition of a defensive shot is “NO INTENT TO MAKE A BALL”.  

Accurate scorekeeping is important in weekly league play and in higher level tournaments. Higher level tournaments are where you definitely don’t want to lose a match to a team that got away with poor score keeping skills and inaccurate skill levels. The San Diego APA does not want teams who have no respect for accurate scorekeeping or the integrity of a handicap system to find success in this league. Properly marking defensive shots and reporting any abuse or manipulation of the handicap system is how you combat those with ill intent.  

A league where everyone keeps score accurately and everyone is rated properly is a league that flourishes and unites together as one. The San Diego APA League Office appreciates everyone that does their part to keep accurate score and play everyone at skill levels that reflect their true ability each week. A player going up in skill level isn’t punishment, but rather recognition for, and a result of improvement in your game.  

Shoot Pool Good!!