I'm looking for information on how to average/handicap a player who failed to complete her 3 games on the first night of league.

Our league doesn't use the book average from previous season, we establish it after the first 3 games are bowled at the start of the new.

Our Absent League score is 120. She rolled game one with a final score of 121. Game two: She rolled the first two frames;  9- and -- (two gutter balls). She dropped out due to illness.

According to Rule108 - Failure to Complete Game

She is credited for the frames bowled equaling 9 + (8 x 12.0) = 105

Game three then would be the Absent score of 120 w/72 handicap (90% of 200 Scratch)

What would the handicap be for the first two games and what average will she have without completing 3 full games?

Thanks for your time!!

Here's from the USBC rulebook and seems to be on point.

Commonly Asked Question – Rule 118c.
118c/1 The league rule requires three games be bowled to establish an average. A member
bowls a 120 for game one and a 150 for game two and cannot bowl game three. What
score is used for the missed game? How are average and handicap figured?
In a handicap league, if a bowler does not have an entering average or until they meet the
requirement(s) defined by league rule, handicap is based on the average of all games bowled.

In the example given, the score for game three would be calculated by adding games 1 and
2 together (120 + 150 = 270 actual pinfall), then dividing by total games bowled (270 ÷ 2 =
135 average). This will give you the bowler’s average which is used for handicapping purposes
for all games of the series. To determine the absentee score for game three, the bowler would
use the established average less ten pins (135 - 10 = 125 absentee score) unless league rules
state otherwise.

So since she bowled one full game (121), the average would be based on that. So a 121 average to base the handicap on.

So handicap 200-121=79 79X90%= a 71 handicap for each game.

and the third game would be a 121-10 for a absentee score of 111 (assuming you take 10 pins off a absentee score)

I would check with the USBC to make sure. Email them at rules@bowl.com they are pretty fast at getting back to you.

Game 1: 121 + 71 = 192 handicap game

Game 2: 105 + 71 = 176 handicap game

Game 3: 111 + 71 = 182 handicap game

Scratch series: 337
Handicap series: 337 + 213 = 550 handicap series

I think I would have her make up the games.  Just act like first week didnt happen.  Or make her bowl the two games she didn't.  That handicap is ridiculous to base on one game.  Especially the first week.

... but there is no legal provisions (within the rules) for doing that.

Don't care.  League rules can't and won't cover every eventuality.  Common sense needs to prevail.  VOTE on it.

Common Sense. As league secretary, I heard those two words alot! To most league bowlers that approached me with "Common Sense" actually equaled to "What I Want to happen, and forget the rules!".  In most cases a league can adopt rules that over turn USBC rules, however there are some rules that USBC will not allow a league to change.