Global Handicaps operates under its own set of policies governing classification, membership, and dispute resolution, separate from any single roping association's rulebook. A Global Handicaps membership is included complimentary with a WSTR, USTRC, Key Card, or Key Card Max membership, and classification numbers aren't printed directly on association membership cards — instead they're tied to the roper's digital Global Handicap card, viewable through Globalhandicaps.com. New ropers who haven't yet been classified, or existing members who want their number reviewed or wish to request a double number, must handle that process directly online at Globalhandicaps.com rather than through their association office. Importantly, a classification shown at the start of the year isn't locked in — the rules make clear that a number can be adjusted at any point during the season based on ongoing performance data, and Global Handicaps retains sole authority over those classification decisions and reserves the right to revoke tie-on permissions at any time.
On the legal side, Global Handicaps' terms give the organization — operating under parent company Equine Network, LLC, also doing business as GEMS — the right to refuse entry to anyone for any reason it deems necessary, including classification disputes. Disputes that do arise are routed through binding arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act rather than the court system, using American Arbitration Association rules; the arbitrator's decision doesn't have to include detailed factual findings and generally isn't subject to further appeal, though any award can still be entered as a judgment in a court with jurisdiction. Participants also sign a standard release and waiver of liability as part of enrolling, and minors under 18 must have a