Florida Scramble Rules (Step-Aside)
You've been told it's a Florida scramble.
Or a step-aside. Or a dropout. Same idea, different names, and one rule that changes how the whole team thinks.
Here's how it works, how to score it without chaos, and why tracking whose shot got used matters more in this format than in a plain scramble.
What is a Florida scramble?
A Florida scramble is a team scramble with a step-aside rule.
Everyone still tees off. The team still picks the best shot. Everyone still plays from that spot.
The twist: the player whose shot was chosen sits out the next stroke.
That's it. Same scramble flow, with one person standing aside after each selection.
You'll also hear it called:
- Step-aside scramble
- Dropout scramble
- Stand-aside / stand-out
If the invite says any of those, you're almost certainly playing Florida scramble rules.
The R&A lists Florida scramble (also known as Dropout / Step Aside / Stand Aside / Stand Out) as a scramble variation where the player whose shot is selected does not play the next shot.
How does step-aside work?
Walk it hole by hole.
On the tee
All four players (or however many are on the team) hit a drive.
The team picks the best tee shot.
The player who hit that drive steps aside for the next stroke. They don't hit the approach.
On the approach (and every shot after)
The remaining players hit from the chosen spot.
Pick the best of those shots.
Whoever hit that ball sits out the next one.
Repeat until the ball is holed.
Simple example (par 4)
- A, B, C, and D all drive. B's ball is best → B sits out the second shot.
- A, C, and D hit approaches. C's ball is best → C sits out the next shot.
- A, B, and D chip/putt. A's putt is closest → A sits out if another stroke is needed.
- Keep going until someone holes it.
One team score for the hole. Same as any scramble.
Do putts count for step-aside?
Yes, unless your event sheet says otherwise.
Step-aside applies after every shot selection, including chips and putts. If your lag putt is chosen as the best ball, you sit out the next putt while your teammates try to finish it.
Some clubs tweak local rules (for example, everyone putts once you're on the green). Always check the card or the starter's sheet before you invent your own version on the first tee.
Are there minimum drives in a Florida scramble?
Not by default.
Florida scramble doesn't force you to use a set number of each player's drives. That's a Texas scramble thing.
In Florida, the balance comes from the sit-out rule instead. You can't lean on one player for every shot in a row. The moment you use their ball, they're out of the next one.
Some events stack both rules (step-aside and minimum drives). If that happens, it'll be written on the rules sheet. Don't assume.
Florida scramble vs Texas scramble vs plain scramble
| Format | Core rule | Extra twist |
|---|---|---|
| Plain scramble | Everyone hits; pick best ball; all play from there | None: use the best shot every time |
| Texas scramble | Same base format | Minimum drives from each player across the round |
| Florida / step-aside | Same base format | Player whose shot is chosen sits out the next stroke |
All three still record one team score per hole.
If you're comparing Ambrose and scramble names more broadly, see Ambrose vs scramble.
How do you score a Florida scramble?
Gross scoring is simple:
- Count the strokes it took the team to hole out from the selected positions.
- Write one number per hole.
- Add them up. Lowest gross (or lowest net, if handicaps apply) wins.
The hard part isn't the maths. It's the bookkeeping.
On a Florida scramble you need, at minimum:
- The team score for the hole
- Whose shot was used on each stroke (so you know who sits out next)
- Optionally, running vs-par so nobody argues on 18
Paper works until someone forgets who sat out, someone else hits anyway, and the group spends five minutes reconstructing the hole.
Typical team handicap for a Florida scramble
There isn't one universal Florida-only formula. Committees usually use the same reduced team-handicap methods they'd use for a standard scramble of the same size.
USGA guidance for a 4-person scramble recommends:
- 25% of the lowest Course Handicap
- 20% of the second-lowest
- 15% of the third
- 10% of the highest
Add those together (apply percentages to unrounded Course Handicaps, then round the team total) for the team allowance. Subtract from gross for net.
Some clubs use a tighter 20/15/10/5 split instead. Others use a fraction of the combined handicaps (more Ambrose-style).
Do this: use whatever the event publishes. If you're running your own weekend game, pick one method, write it down before you tee off, and stick to it.
Need the arithmetic without the headache? Use the scramble handicap calculator.
Why contribution tracking matters more in Florida
In a plain scramble, you can get away with only writing the team total.
In Florida, the sit-out rule depends on knowing whose shot was just used. If you lose that thread, you either:
- Let the wrong person hit (and argue later), or
- Replay the decision from memory after three beers on the turn
Tracking whose ball got chosen isn't just for bragging rights here. It's how you run the format cleanly.
It's also how you settle "who carried us" when the round's done, especially if you're giving a prize for most used shots.
How to mark a Florida scramble without chaos
A clean card (paper or phone) needs:
- Hole number and team strokes
- A mark for whose shot was selected on each stroke
- A clear note of who sits out next
- Gross total, then net if you're using a team handicap
One person should own the card. Everyone else can argue about which ball is best. Only one person should write it down.
If you're already scoring on a phone for buddy/society rounds, pick something built for team scramble scoring (team total + whose shot), not a stroke-play app with a team field bolted on. Scrambled Eggs is built for that flow: tap whose shot you used, keep the running team total, and see who drove the bus at the end. It doesn't need a special "Florida mode" label. The step-aside rule is yours to apply; the app just stops the contribution trail from falling apart.
For the broader app comparison, see the golf scramble scoring app page.
Quick Florida scramble rules summary
- Everyone tees off each hole
- Team picks the best drive
- The player whose shot was chosen sits out the next stroke
- Remaining players hit; pick the best again; that player sits out next
- Continue through chips and putts (unless local rules say otherwise)
- One team score per hole; lowest net (or gross) wins
- No default minimum-drives rule (that's Texas)
Frequently asked questions
What is a Florida scramble?
A Florida scramble is a scramble format where the player whose shot the team selects must sit out the next stroke. It's also called step-aside, dropout, stand-aside, or stand-out.
How does step-aside work?
After the team chooses a ball, that player does not hit the following shot. The other players play from the chosen spot, a new best ball is selected, and the pattern repeats until the hole is finished.
Does step-aside apply on putts?
Yes, unless the event's local rules say otherwise. If your putt is chosen as the best ball and another stroke is needed, you sit that one out.
Are there minimum drives in Florida scramble?
Not as a standard rule. Minimum drives are the Texas scramble twist. Florida scramble balances the team with the sit-out rule instead.
Florida scramble vs Texas scramble vs plain scramble: what's the difference?
Plain scramble: always pick the best ball, no sit-outs, no drive quotas. Texas: minimum drives per player. Florida: the chosen player sits out the next shot.
What is a typical team handicap for Florida scramble?
Clubs usually reuse standard scramble team-handicap percentages. USGA guidance for a 4-person scramble is 25/20/15/10 of Course Handicaps, low to high. Confirm the event sheet. Methods vary.
Score your scramble without the sit-out chaos
Scrambled Eggs keeps your team score and whose shot was used, on one phone per group. Your first 3 rounds are free.
Download Scrambled Eggs on the App Store