All Square
All square means in match play that both sides have won the same number of holes and the match is therefore level.
All square is the standing score in match play, the duel-style game played hole by hole. Unlike stroke play, it is not the total stroke count that matters but each individual hole as a point. Whoever wins a hole goes "one up". If they lose the next hole, it is all square again. On the scorecard you note the score as "AS" or with an equals sign. The term comes from English and is fully established in German golf.
In practice all square shows the tension of match play. An example: you are playing against your clubmate and after twelve holes you are all square. From now on every hole decides anew. Win the 13th and you are "one up"; lose the 14th and it is all square again. This continues until the last hole. If the match stands all square after 18 holes it ends, depending on the competition format, in a draw or goes to extra holes, the play-off.
A typical misunderstanding: all square does not mean that both sides have played the same number of strokes. Only the holes won count, never the stroke numbers. It is also often confused with dormie: dormie applies when a player leads by as many holes as are still to be played. All square, by contrast, always describes the tied state, at whatever point of the round.
FAQ
What happens if the match is all square after 18 holes?
That depends on the competition format. In many club matches the duel ends in a draw; in knockout competitions it goes to extra holes, that is, hole by hole, until someone wins one. The exact format is set out in the conditions of the competition.
Does all square mean both sides have played the same number of strokes?
No, a widespread misunderstanding. In match play only holes won count, never stroke totals — you can lose one hole with a ten and win the next with a par, and the match stays all square. Total strokes play no role in match play.
What is the difference between all square and dormie?
All square describes the tie: both sides have won the same number of holes. Dormie applies when a player leads by exactly as many holes as are still to be played — they can then no longer lose the match. All square can occur at any point of the round, dormie only at the end.