A Ping Pong Handicap System That Tunes Itself

By the Breakroom Battles team. For every office with one person who wins 11-2 and wonders why nobody asks them to play.

The short answer: give the weaker player a points head start in each game, sized from how a normal game between the two of you went, then move it by one point after every handicap game: up if the stronger player won, down if the weaker player won. Within a few games the head start settles where either of you can win. Keep these games off the rankings, because a handicap result is not a straight result.

Most handicap advice stops at "give them five points". That is a fine first guess, and wrong for most pairs of players, because the gap between two people is rarely exactly five points wide. The system below fixes the guess instead of arguing about it.

Why bother handicapping at all

A lopsided game is no fun for either side. The beginner learns nothing at 11-1 except that they should go back to their desk, and the strong player gets a warm-up at best. A good handicap turns the same two people into a close game, which is the thing that brings someone back to the table tomorrow. In a breakroom that depends on new people joining, it is one of the cheapest retention tools you have.

Three ways to handicap, and the one to use

• Point head start. The weaker player begins each game ahead, say 4-0. Easy to understand, easy to adjust in single-point steps, and the game itself is played under normal rules. This is the one to use.
• Game head start. In a best of five, the weaker player starts a game up. Too coarse: it is either far too much or nothing at all, and there is no step in between.
• Restrictions on the stronger player. Backhand only, no smashing, non-dominant hand. Entertaining for one evening, and it changes the game into a different one. Good for a team event, poor as a standing system.

Sizing the first head start

Play one normal game first, then use the result as your starting point. These are starting guesses, not a calibrated formula; the adjustment rule in the next section does the real work.

Cap it at around 8. Past that, the weaker player only needs a handful of points to win, which tends to produce a game decided by two lucky edges rather than by anyone playing well. If the gap is wider than an 8 point start can cover, combine a smaller head start with a light restriction on the stronger player, such as no smashing.

The adjustment rule: one point at a time

After every handicap game between the same two people:

1. If the stronger player won, the head start grows by 1 for the next game.
2. If the weaker player won, it shrinks by 1.
3. Write the current number down somewhere both of you can see it: a note on the wall, a pinned message, the back of your hand.

That is the whole system. It works for the same reason a thermostat works. A head start that is too small produces wins for the stronger player, so it grows. One that is too large produces wins for the weaker player, so it shrinks. Once it is about right, the results alternate and the number hovers in place. As the weaker player improves, their wins push the number down on its own, which doubles as a very satisfying progress meter. Dropping from six points to three over a month is something a beginner will tell people about.

Serving and deuce in a handicap game

Two small rules prevent the arguments. First, count serves from points actually played, not from the score: switch server every two rallies, and every rally once it reaches 10-10. Second, the head start does not change the finish. First to 11, win by 2, as normal. If you play games to 7 or 21 instead, scale the head start in proportion, so a 4 point start in a game to 11 becomes roughly 3 in a game to 7. The full set of game rules is on the printable rules sheet.

Should handicap games count toward the rankings?

No, and this is the part most handicap systems get wrong. A handicap win is not a straight win, so putting it on the board as one hands the stronger player a loss they did not suffer under normal rules, and the weaker player a win that overstates their level.

There is also no need. An opponent-weighted rating, like the one explained in the rating systems guide, already handles the strength gap for ranked games: a strong player gains very little for beating a beginner, and a beginner gains a lot for the rare upset. The rating is the handicap, for ranking purposes. So the clean split is straight games on the board, handicap games as friendlies.

Breakroom Battles records the winner and the match format, and has no field for a head start. That is deliberate, but it means a handicap game recorded there counts as a straight result. Play them for fun and leave them off.

A handicap night

A handicap bracket is one of the best formats for a mixed-ability group, because anyone can win it. Seed it from your board, set each match's head start from the gap between the two players, and play games to 11. The stronger player still has an edge, which keeps it honest, but the final is rarely the two people everyone expected. The tournament formats guide covers running the bracket itself, and the team building plan shows how to fit one into a 90 minute session.

Keeping track from your phone

Whether a game is handicapped or straight, the moment to record anything is right after the last point, while you are both still at the table. That is easier with the app already on your phone.

The Android app is in Google Play closed testing right now, and it needs 12 people to opt in and stay opted in before it can be released to everyone. If you play on an Android phone, you can help in two steps: join the tester group at groups.google.com/g/brb-android-testers, then opt in at play.google.com/apps/testing/com.breakroombattles.league and install it. The tester page walks through both steps if you get stuck.

Frequently asked questions

How does a ping pong handicap work?

The weaker player starts each game ahead, such as 5-0, and the game is otherwise played normally to 11, win by 2.

How many points should the handicap be?

Start from a normal game: 1 or 2 points for a narrow loss, around 4 for a clear one, 6 to 8 for a lopsided one. Then add a point when the stronger player wins and remove one when the weaker player wins.

Should handicap games count toward the rankings?

No. Keep them as friendlies. An opponent-weighted rating already accounts for the strength gap in straight games.

How do you serve in a handicapped game?

Count serves from rallies actually played, not from the score. Two serves each, then alternate every point from 10-10.

Related: office ping pong etiquette, why leagues die in month three, and how to start an office league.