All Square

All square is a match play term in golf. It means both golfers (or both sides) have won the same number of holes, and the match is tied. On scoreboards and leaderboards, all square is abbreviated as “AS.”

What is all square in golf?

In match play, two golfers (or two teams) compete hole by hole rather than counting total strokes. Each hole is its own contest. The golfer who finishes the hole in fewer strokes wins it, and the other golfer loses it. If both finish in the same number of strokes, the hole is tied (or halved), and neither side gains an advantage.

When both sides have won the same number of holes at any point during a match, the match is all square. A match can be all square from the first hole (before anyone has won a hole) or can return to all square after one side claws back a deficit.

The term has several common variations. A broadcaster might say a golfer “squared the match” after winning a hole to pull even, and a match described as “squared up” or simply “square” means the same thing. On a scoreboard, the initialism “AS” appears next to a tied match, which is the notation viewers will see during televised events like the Ryder Cup.

The phrase dates back centuries. The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms by Peter Davies cites written use of “square” in a golf context as early as 1833. Its roots likely come from the older English expression “all square,” meaning two parties are even and free of debts or obligations.

How match play scoring works

To understand all square, it helps to know the basics of match play scoring.

In stroke play, the format used in most professional tournaments, golfers add up every stroke over the full round. The lowest total wins. Match play works differently. Each hole is scored individually, and the golfer who completes it in fewer strokes wins that hole. Total stroke count for the round does not matter.

Scores in match play are expressed relative to the opponent. If Golfer A has won two more holes than Golfer B, Golfer A is 2-up, and Golfer B is 2-down. When neither side leads, the match is all square.

A match ends early when one player is up by more holes than remain on the course. The math is simple: there is no point continuing if the trailing golfer cannot catch up. If Golfer A is 4-up with only three holes left, that result is recorded as “4 and 3.”

All square vs. halved

These two terms overlap but refer to different things.

A halved hole does not change the match score. If a match is 1-up going into a hole and both golfers make par, the hole is halved, and the match stays at 1-up. A halved match, on the other hand, means the full match finished with both sides all square after the final hole. In events like the Ryder Cup, a halved match awards each side half a point.

Where you’ll hear “all square”

The term comes up most often during team match play events broadcast on television. The Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, Presidents Cup, Walker Cup, and Curtis Cup all use match play formats, so viewers hear commentators refer to matches as “all square” (or, since 2019, “tied”) throughout the broadcast.

According to Ryder Cup historical records compiled on Wikipedia, 149 of the 1,068 individual matches played across 45 Ryder Cups have ended in a halve, meaning the match was all square after all 18 holes. One of the most memorable examples came in 1991 at Kiawah Island, when Bernhard Langer missed a six-foot putt on the final hole. His match against Hale Irwin ended all square, and that half-point gave the United States the cup.

The term also appears regularly in weekend match play rounds at local clubs, where golfers announce they are “all square” on the tee or “need this hole to square the match.”

The 2019 rules change

Until 2019, “all square” was the official language in the Rules of Golf, used by both the USGA and R&A in every edition of the rule book. The 2019 revision changed that. “All square” became “tied,” “halved” also became “tied,” and “dormie” (meaning a player leads by the same number of holes that remain) was removed from the rules entirely.

The change was part of a broader effort to simplify golf’s terminology and make the sport more accessible to new fans. According to the USGA’s own summary of 2019 match play rule changes, the word “score” also replaced “status” when referring to the state of a match.

Despite the official update, many golfers, commentators, and fans continue to say “all square.” The 2024 Presidents Cup broadcast used “tied” in its on-screen graphics, while some commentators still slipped into “all square” during live commentary. Both terms remain widely understood, and golfers at the club level have shown little appetite for dropping the older phrase.

Related Golf Terms

• Match play — A scoring format where golfers compete hole by hole, with each hole worth one point to the winner.
• Alignment Stick — A thin rod used during practice to help with aim and swing alignment.
• Stroke play — The more common format where total strokes over the round determine the winner.
• Address — The position a golfer takes before hitting the ball.
• Dormie — When a player leads by the same number of holes that remain (removed from the official rules in 2019 but still used informally).

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• USGA. “Rule 3 – The Competition.” Rules of Golf, 2019. usga.org.
• USGA. “Changes in the 2019 Rules of Golf for Match Play.” April 2019. usga.org.
• Golf News Net. “Why you don’t hear or see ‘All Square’ any longer in golf match play.” September 2024. thegolfnewsnet.com.
• Wikipedia. “List of Ryder Cup records.” Accessed April 2026. en.wikipedia.org.
• Davies, Peter. The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms. Robson Books, 1993.
• Golf Compendium. “What ‘All Square’ Means in Golf Scoring.” August 2024. golfcompendium.com.