Most of us who enjoy playing in sanctioned tournaments have never actually sat down and read through the entire PDGA rulebook. On the surface, disc golf seems like a very straightforward and intuitive game. However, this latest edition of the rulebook is full of interesting and even weird rules with implications that might surprise you.
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CHAPTERS
0:00 Weird PDGA Rules
0:39 Completing The Hole
1:34 Stance & Putting
4:13 Mini Discs
5:32 Appeals
6:22 Illegal Discs & Devices
8:25 Thanks For Watching!
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Chris Clark | PDGA 16694
Matthew Clark | PDGA 143565
Mitchell Fitzsimons | PDGA 143652
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Impact Prelude by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Hello everybody it’s Chris Clark with dis golf. law the official rules of disc golf have changed a lot since Ed Hedrick first wrote them way back in 1982 this latest rule book published this year is far more thorough and complicated than just a one-page description of the game
That we started with sometimes it means that you end up with some little known and in some cases even bizarre rules with implications that might surprise you here are some PDGA rules you probably didn’t know okay so let’s talk about completing the whole you probably know that this counts as a made basket
And that this does not but what about this or this well as of the 2022 rules update these all count as made putts before then in order to complete a hole your disc had to enter the target above the top of the tray and below the bottom
Of the chain support so if Paul McBeth had thrown this shot at ledstone last year instead of in 2017 it would have counted as an ace but what about this one is this supported by the tray or the chains below the chain support what do you think and shout out to planner sha
In the disc golf subreddit for this example now let’s talk about your stance particularly when it comes to putting for any throw when the disc is released the player must have at least one supporting point that is in contact with the LIE have no supporting Point closer
To the Target than the rear edge of the marker disc and have all supporting points in bounds of course for putts inside the circle the player must demonstrate full control of balance behind the marker disc before advancing toward the target seems pretty straightforward right well let’s see do
You think this putt is legal what about this one or This while you are allowed to place the disc into the basket you must make sure that you aren’t touching the basket when you release the disc remember a supporting point is any part of the player’s body that is at the time of release in contact with the playing
Surface or any other object that provides support releasing the disc is also a requirement for completing the hole so no slap in the chains after you missed your birdie Putt in this case the player was touching the the tray when the disc was released which is a stance
Violation if you’re inside the circle after having released a putt you must demonstrate full control of balance behind the marker disc before advancing toward the target however this does not mean that you have to put both feet down behind your lie a player may still push
Off with their back foot and step in front of their lie so long as they demonstrate balance this could be a long pause or movement such as picking up your mini but it does not necessarily have to be setting both feet down now if you’ve been around disl for a while
You’ve probably seen some variation of The Germ step or fadeaway putt which is a fully legal move according to the PDGA the player’s front foot is off the ground when the disc is released and they’re only supporting point is still behind their lie for Circle two putts
The player can even set their foot back down in front of their lie so long as the disc has already left their hand let’s talk about many many marker discs aren’t just adorable they are also extremely useful tools for PDGA sanctioned play they can allow you to stand slightly closer to your target
Legally throw the same disc twice in a row and are required in situations where the disc is not on the inbounds playing surface or when the LIE is to be moved by rule but what are the actual specifications for what qualifies as a mini it has to have a circular shape a
Diameter between 7 and 15 cm and it has to have a height Less Than 3 cm a classic example of getting creative within these standards is the Andrew mared cookie mini but here are some other things that would technically legally qualify as many markers a hockey
Puck a DVD an unrustable sandwich a sand dollar an Olympic medal almost any car emblem or hood ornament Mike Jones Ice Age chain a circular saw blade a handcuff and many more more things I’m sure we missed let us know in the comments what happens if you disagree
With the way that your card is enforcing the rules well there are some opportunities for appeals in disc golf the responsibility of enforcing the rules is almost entirely up to the player and their card when a group cannot reach a majority decision regarding a ruling the ruling is
Supposed to be based on the interpretation that is most beneficial to the thrower if you don’t like the outcome of your card’s ruling it can be appealed and if overturned an official May adjust the player’s score to reflect the correct interpretation there are also some situations where the director
May have the player replay one or more holes and change the scores based on those results okay what about illegal discs probably the most common PDGA rule violation that I personally see at local tournaments is players using discs and devices that are technically illegal under the PDGA rules we posted a video a
Few months ago about how aftermarket hot stamping can make a disc illegal to use in sanctioned tournaments the PDGA says that having glow tape cracks in your disc stickers on your disc even paint on a disc is not allowed but the number one requirement that I bet many of you who
Play PDGA tournaments have violated is found in rule 81301 H all discs used in play except many marker discs must be identifiably marked if you buy a brand new disc and throw it in a tournament without writing your name in number or marking it in some other way you are using an illegal
Disc any disc that is questioned by another player or an official is immediately considered illegal unless it is subsequently approved by the director interestingly you can be penalized for using an illegal device too there are some rules prohibiting devices that Aid in throwing but the most common illegal
Device is a directional Aid you see this most often where a player walks back to her lie and leaves her bag or cart in front of where the player is about to throw it might seem silly to think that putting an object in front of your lie would somehow be beneficial to the
Player but the PDGA explicitly prohibits it so the next time you have to do the Walk of Shame back to where your drive landed because you forgot that you hit the first available make sure to bring your bag all the way back behind your lie I hope you found our analysis of
Some of these rules interesting we’re going to be taking a look at other rules here in the near future but in the meantime let us know if you think we got these right or did we miss something a lot of these have some subtle nuances to them that you know can make
Interpretation difficult please leave us a comment and uh like And subscribe thanks as always for Watching
15 Comments
These were good but fairly common for "probably didn't know." I like the idea, though Lesser known are allowable bathroom breaks, how/when to properly abandon a throw (no it does not need to be lost), requirement of a waiver for "Island holes" come to mind as ones I frequently encounter. Great conversations nonetheless as for some reason I enjoy interpreting rules.
I would love to see you cover the legality of disc tuning. 813.01 C 1 states that "Modifying the disc in a way that alters its original flight characteristics" would denote it as an illegal disc. A lot of players will purposely perform a series of bends around the rim of their disc before throwing in order to achieve greater over/under stability. I've also seen recommendations on how to heat your discs and bend them to get their stability back after the've been beaten in. That's the thing though. Discs naturally beat themselves in and that modifies the original flight characteristics, so what's actually considered an illegal modification? The line between purposely beating in a disc to be more understable while on the course vs running it over with your car repeatedly seems like a grey area.
Wait is a disc landing on top of the basket counted as a made putt/throw? It was very confusing in the video.
Why don't you pick out some rules that are there as a result of law suits or litigation or maybe there to avoid it?
These seem like fairly common rules to be considered "weird"
Also you can’t advance your caddie to stand where you want to throw
So one question I have had is: Are manufacturer's stickers legal/illegal to leave on the disc? Since they are applied during production by the manufacturer and not post production they should be legal.
A funny that isn’t necessarily a visual aid is when another player can’t see the basket because of obstruction from their lie and they ask if someone will hit the chains or talk loudly so the player can know if they are on target to the basket. I would assume this is illegal but haven’t tried to search it anywhere.
For the putt where they step through after putting. Isn’t that one illegal because they showed balance but did not wait for the disc to come to rest? I thought the disc had to be completely still.
oooo I appreciate the better production quality on this one!
😂😂 In a pinch, use a round speaker cover from a car for your mini. 😂😂
I've been concerned about overweight discs for a long time. The problem is that the manufacturers are letting overweight discs be sold as legal weight. They're stickered as legal, but when weighed they are actually overweight. The other problem is that plastic can get heavier over enough time. For instance I've been buying some older discs (20+ years old), and they can weigh up to 4 grams more than stated. I've never seen a Tournament Director go through someone's bag and weigh discs. But I like to know the exact weight of what I'm throwing, so I mark their weight. The last problem is that the weight can shift slightly depending on elevation and humidity. Thanks in advance, and thanks for helping the community to clarify the rules ai that we're all in the same page.
A pack of cigarettes
Why can't I watch your videos in the miniplayer? That only happens for children's videos and music typically
The first rule you covered is a joke. How can a putt count if it never goes over the edge of the basket. It was better the old way.