HANDICAPPING GUIDELINES

1. General Policy. All members of the HPA should be handicapped fairly on their highest level of play. HPA handicaps are recognised worldwide and English players must be internationally competitive. Any player recommended to go up should be judged to be competitive with those players who are in the middle of the next level.

2. Guidelines for Handicapping
a. Top to Bottom. The upper handicap level is fixed at ‘10’ goals and the Handicap Committee will always start at the top and work downwards. This inevitably means that the diversity of standard within each level will increase as you get lower.
b. Benchmarks. A benchmark is a “criterion against which to measure something; standard; reference point.” If benchmarks are circulated, it will therefore be stated where within each handicap any benchmarked player is considered to lie; eg. top, middle or bottom.
c. Handicaps and Evaluation Guidelines. Please note the criteria for ‘-2’, ‘-1’ and ‘0’ goal players at Annex D. Players should not be put up automatically and ‘S’ rated players should meet the ‘–2’ criteria comfortably before being put up. As an ‘S’, they can play off ‘–2’ in club tournaments.
d. Over-handicapping. Every club has over-handicapped players:
• Because they do not wish to go down or would give up.
• So that they can play in a higher level of polo.
• Because they need encouragement.
• Because there is a need to differentiate between members at some clubs where the polo is mainly domestic or local.
These players must not be used for comparison.

HANDICAPPING REGULATIONS
6.1 Regulations. The business of the Handicap Committee shall be conducted in accordance with the following Regulations, or such amendments thereto as the Members may by simple majority from time to time decide.

6.2 Composition. The Handicap Committee shall consist of a chairman (“the Handicap Chairman”) who shall be a Steward and not more than ten other members, who shall be elected by the Council annually. Four shall form a quorum. The two longest serving members will retire after the September meeting and will not be eligible for re-election for one year. The Handicap Chairman need not retire under this Regulation unless he has served as the Handicap Chairman for four years. The Handicap Chairman has the power to co-opt additional members who are entitled to vote. The normal policy on voting is as below:
a. Anyone who has an interest (team, family, employer etc) must declare this before they enter into any discussion.
b. All members, including those co-opted, have one vote but anyone who has an interest or who has not seen the player may not vote.
c. The Chairman may vote in the first round or not as he wishes. Whether or not he has previously voted, if the votes are even, he may have the casting vote.

6.3 Handicaps. All players shall be handicapped by goals unless they are ‘not rated’ (NR) (see 6.4g), or beginners, in which case they will be rated as a ‘starter’ (S). No player shall be handicapped higher than 10 or lower than minus 2.

6.4 CV Forms, Brackets and NR.
a. CV Form. All players coming from abroad, UK or foreign, who have either not been allotted an HPA handicap or are NR, and all polocrosse and pato players, are required to submit a CV form. A player returning to polo after a break may also be required to complete a CV form.
b. Completion of Form. It is the responsibility of the club that makes any such player a member to send to the HPA a completed copy of the current HPA official CV form. The form must be signed by the player or his patron and a club official. The club handicap committee may include a recommendation on the form but until a handicap has been awarded by the HPA, the player concerned may not play in any tournament. The CV form must be received by the HPA 3 working days before the player concerned is due to play in any match.
c. Incorrect CV Form. Any CV form that is found to be incorrect or incomplete may result in disciplinary action being taken against the individual and/or club concerned and the team concerned being banned or disqualified from the tournament.
d. Allotment of Handicap.
(i) 7 Goals and Above. The Handicap Committee is able to grant a handicap at any time on the basis of a CV form to a player who:
• Holds a current handicap of 7 and above and,
• Is known in England and/or is playing internationally and,
• Is returning to play in England having missed one or more seasons.
The handicap awarded is likely to be the highest currently held in any of the major polo playing countries or the handicap held in the country where the player is playing most of his polo.
(ii) 6 Goals and Below. The Handicap Committee will usually award the highest handicap held in any recognised country in the previous two years.
(iii) Past Players. The Handicap Committee is able to grant a handicap to a player who has been out of polo for a number of years on the basis of a CV form and club recommendation.
(iv) Polocrosse & Pato Players. Based on their polocrosse or pato handicap, players who take up polo will be given a handicap within the following ranges:

Polocrosse Division
A
B
C
D

Any handicap awarded following submission of a CV form shall continue to be in brackets/temporary (T handicap) until confirmed by the Handicap Committee.
e. Restrictions on Players with Bracketed Handicaps. With the exception of the Indian Empire Shield (18 goal) and the Prince of Wales’ Trophy (22) goal, which are at the beginning of the season, a sponsored player of less than 6 goals may not play in High Goal until their handicap has been confirmed.
f. Confirmation of Handicaps. Any player with a bracketed handicap who wishes to have his handicap confirmed prior to the next scheduled meeting should expect to play in at least one competitive tournament at a suitable level so that his handicap can be confirmed. The tournament and days of play must be agreed by and notified to the HPA.
g. Not Rated (NR). A player may be shown as NR at the end of the season if:
(i) The Handicap Committee feels that they have insufficient evidence to handicap the player fairly and,
(ii) It is understood that the player will be playing elsewhere in the world during the winter months and,
(iii) It is understood that the player’s handicap in his home or other countries is different or likely to change or,
(iv) The player does not require a handicap for tournament polo e.g. retired or RDA.
A player with an NR rating is required to submit a CV form in order to obtain a handicap.