PDGA Rule: 802.01   Discs Used in Play

A. Discs used in play must meet all of the conditions set forth in the Official PDGA Technical Standards Document. See section 805 B for disc technical standards.

B. A disc which is cracked or perforated is illegal. See sections 802.01 D, E and F. A disc which is cracked during a round may be carried by the player, but not used, for the balance of the tournament. The player must immediately declare his intention to carry the newly cracked or broken disc to the group or be subject to penalty under 802.01 E.

C. Players may not make post-production modification of discs which alter their original flight characteristics. This rule does not forbid inevitable wear and tear from usage during play or the moderate sanding of discs to smooth molding imperfections or scrape marks. Discs excessively sanded or painted with a material of detectable thickness are illegal. See sections 802.01 D, E and F.

D. Discs must be specifically approved by the director if questioned by another player or an official, but in no case shall the disc be approved if it violates any of the above specifications. Any specifically non-approved disc (per the director) shall be considered illegal, and the player shall be penalized in accordance with 802.01 E.

E. A player who carries an illegal disc during play shall receive two penalty throws, without a warning, if observed by two or more players of the group or an official. A player who repeatedly throws an illegal disc during the round may be subject to disqualification in accordance with 804.05 A (3).

F. All discs used in play, except mini marker discs, must be uniquely marked in ink or pigment-based marking which has no detectable thickness. A player shall receive a warning for the first instance of throwing an unmarked disc if observed by two or more players of the group or an official. After the warning has been given, each subsequent throw by the player with an unmarked disc shall incur one penalty throw if observed by two or more players of the group or an official.

WFDF Disc Rules; reprinted with permission of the World Flying Disc Federation:

• 107 Discs Used in Play
  • 107.01 To be used in competition, discs must:
    • A. Have a saucer-like configuration with a non-perforated flight plate and an inner rim depth (that portion of the rim that is generally vertical to the flight plate), which is at least 5 percent of the outside diameter measurement;
    • B. be made of solid plastic material, without any inflatable components;
    • C. have an outside diameter measurement of not less than 21 cm nor greater than 40 cm;
    • D. achieve a rim configuration rating of 26 or greater (see section 108[D]);
    • E. have a leading edge radius that is greater than 1/16 in (1.6 mm) (see section 108[E]);
    • F. not exceed 120.7 N (12.3 kg /27 lbs.) of pressing force as measured by the flexibility testing procedure (see section 108[F]);
    • G. weigh no more than 8.3 gm per cm of outside diameter and shall weigh no more than 200 gm regardless of size;
    • H. be essentially as produced, without any post-production modifications which affect weight or flight characteristics;
    • I. present no unreasonable danger to players or spectators;
    • J. be a production-type disc available commercially to the public in numbers of at least 1,500 and,
    • K. be specifically approved by the event director if questioned by any player in the contest, but in no case will the disc be approved if it is in violation of any of the above specifications.
  • 107.02 Additional disc specifications relative to a particular event may be found in the rules for that event.

Targets:

(II) DISC-CATCHING TARGETS

(A) General Configuration

All disc-catching targets shall be composed of a basket and may have a deflection or entrapment apparatus above the basket.

(B) Basket

The basket shall have a circular rim of no greater than 67 cm in diameter as measured on the outside edge of the rim, with a minimal basket depth of 15 cm. The basket rim shall have an average height of between 76 and 89 cm above the ground. Over slope, height compliance is determined by averaging the distance to the ground directly below the top edge of the rim at four equidistant points around the basket. Baskets may be placed at a lower height on courses designed primarily for junior play.

(C) Deflection or Entrapment Apparatus

·  (1) A disc-catching device may incorporate some sort of deflection device in its design. This apparatus may be flexible or solid.

(2) The maximum width of a deflection apparatus shall be 71 cm.

(D) Other Acceptable Targets

PDGA reserves the right to declare reasonable and prudent standards for certification of object and other target formats as it deems appropriate.

(E) Testing Procedure

The requirements, procedures, and schedule of the target testing procedure are identical to that of the initial testing procedure for discs except for the following:

- Only one sample of the target need be submitted to the Technical Standards Committee Chair.

- The tolerances for basket measurements are plus or minus 2 cm.

- The testing and approval fee is $350 for each disc-catching target submitted.

- If the target is not approved, an explanation of the testing failure and a refund of $175 will be sent to the manufacturer.

(F) Exclusions and Limitations

PDGA target certification shall not be construed to judge whether or not any certified basket or target is free of patent infringement.

PDGA target certification does not necessarily mean that a certified target is appropriate for use in all PDGA tournaments or events. The final determination of target types and configurations used in competition may be determined by PDGA event regulations or the determination of tournament directors and competition officials.

(G) Retesting

There are several circumstances when a target that has been previously approved must be submitted for retesting:

· (1) Configuration Changes - If there are changes in the configuration of a target that has been previously approved, the newly configured target may have to be retested for approval. Not all such changes require approval. Retesting is only required if the new configuration includes the addition of a new component or results in an illegal measurement on any of these specifications.

(2) Name Changes - If a target that has previously been approved for PDGA competition is to be marketed under a different name, retesting is required.

It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to notify the Technical Standards Committee Chair when the circumstances as described above dictate that a target may need retesting. The Chair may also call for submission of a target for retesting if he or she becomes aware that a manufacturer has been producing a target that meets one or more of the circumstances that require retesting.

The requirements, procedures, schedule, and fees of the retesting procedure are identical to that of the initial testing procedure outlined above. If it is demonstrated that the target in question does, in fact, not meet the requirements for retesting there will be no fee due from the manufacturer.

(III) PUBLICATION

The Technical Standards Committee is to make available a list of all equipment that has been approved for competition, including identification of which discs and targets are currently being produced for sale. This list will be published on the PDGA web site and by the official PDGA magazine, as deemed appropriate to inform the membership.

PDGA Approved Disc-Catching Targets:

  Reflex: Pinop Targets

  Disc Golf Target: Disc Golf Stuff

  Catching Targets: Park Series - Designer Pro

  Disc Golf Association, Inc.: Mach I, II, III, V, and Mach New II

  Discraft, Inc.: Chainstar

  Innova-Champion Discs, Inc.: DISCatcher

  Don Wilchek and Thomas Bertrand: Stroke Saver

The rules are quite similar to the rules used in the game of "Club Golf", including the matter of courtesy. It is only fair that your opponent’s turn to throw be without distraction, just as you would like it to be for yours. Do not throw your disc until you are sure its flight or landing, will not distract another player.

Tee off order on the first tee will be mutual arrangement or by flipping discs. The printed side is heads and the odd man should be first. Tee off order on all subsequent holes is determined by the score on the previous hole. The player with the lowest score tees off first.

A marker disc is used to mark every throw and should be special disc, like a pocket Mini Disc model that is not used in normal play. The thrown disc is always left on the lie, (where it came to rest,) until the marker disc is placed on the ground directly in front of and touching the disc. The thrown disc is then picked up.

Proper foot placement when throwing will require some practice. The foot that you put you weight on when you throw, i.e., the "plant" foot, must be as close as is reasonable to the front line of the tee or to the marker disc: in no case ahead of the line or disc, or more than 1 foot behind the line, or disc. The other foot can be any place you choose as long as it is no closer to the hole than the rear of the marker disc.

Follow through, (stepping past marker disc after throwing), is allowed on any throw except when putting, (any throw where the rear of the marker disc is within 10 meters of the hole). Falling forward to keep your balance after a putt is not allowed. This infraction is called a falling putt.

If the disc is stuck in a tree or a bush more than 2 meters above the ground, the marker disc is placed exactly beneath it and it is carefully removed from the tree. You have also just added one throw to your score. This is called a penalty throw. You may now proceed; however, take extreme care not to damage the tree or bush, or reshape them in any way to improve your throwing conditions. Some courses have "out of bounds" areas; or for the safety of the players. Observe the boundaries carefully and try to stay out. If your disc is "out-of-bounds" , i.e., you can see "out-of-bounds" area between the edge of your disc and the "inbounds" line, place your marker disc "inbounds" at the place where your disc went "out-of-bounds" and give yourself a one throw penalty. Again, please be careful of natural vegetation.

Water hazards are to be avoided because your disc will sink! If, however, you have been so unfortunate as to land in the water, play it like you do the "out-of-bounds" throw, and don’t forget to take a one throw penalty. If the disc is touching any shore above the water , it is "inbounds". Standing water or mud on the course that is caused by sprinklers or rain is not considered "out-of-bounds" and the disc may be relocated to a dryer area no closer to the hole with no penalty.

A mandatory dog-leg is sometimes used to keep players out of alternate-use areas or to make a particular hole more difficult. It is normally designated as such on the tee sign. The arrow indicates the side and direction the disc must pass. If your disc goes on the wrong side, it can be thrown back on either side of the dog-leg and then passes as the arrow indicates.

Unfortunately, there are usually litterbugs found on every golf course. Since clubs have been outlawed in Disc Golf, the only cure is to pick up trash as you play. Hopefully, everyone else will get the idea sooner or later. If you spot a vandal-bug in action, take time to explain the game to him.

DISC GOLF RULES FOR RECREATIONAL PLAY  BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE
 

GENERAL

Disc Golf is played like ball golf using a flying disc. One point is counted each time the disc is thrown and when a penalty is incurred. The object is to acquire the lowest score, (without cheating).

TEE THROWS

Tee throws must be completed within or behind the designated too area. Do not throw until the players in front of you are out of range.

LIE

The spot where the previous throw has landed, mark with a mini disc or turn over the thrown disc, directly towards the hole or dog leg.

THROWING ORDER

After teeing off, the player whose disc is farthest from the hole always throws first. The player with the least amount of throws on the previous hole is the first to tee off on the next hole.

FAIRWAY THROWS

Fairway throws must be made with the foot closest to the hole on the lie. The other foot may be no closer to the hole than the lie. A run-up and normal follow-through, after release, is allowed.

DOG LEG

A dog leg is one or more designated trees or poles in the fairway that must be passed as indicated by arrows. Until the dog leg is passed the closest foot to the dog leg must be on the lie when the disc is released.

COMPLETION OF HOLE

A disc that comes to rest in the Disc Pole Hole® basket or chains constituted successful completion of that hole.

UN-PLAYABLE LIE

Any disc that comes to rest above the ground is considered an un-playable lie. The disc must be thrown from the lie on the ground, directly underneath the un-playable lie. Relocated to avoid damage to the vegetation.

OUT OF BOUNDS

If O.B. is visible between the disc and O.B. line. A throw that lands out of bounds, must be played from a point 3 feet in bounds from where the disc went out of bounds, permanent water hazards and public roads are always out of bounds.

PENALTIES

Recreational players will not be penalized for rule infractions. Other players will keep you honest.

COURSE COURTESY

Please pick up trash and help new players play by the rules. Your are the one that makes it work. By your example, Disc Golf will change your life and theirs too. Remember the most important rule: The one who had the most fun wins! Tee off & fly freely.

STRATEGY AND THE PUTT  BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE
 

The variety of situations you will encounter on a professionally designed Disc Golf Course are infinite. We will therefore deal with the finesse of the game and leave the power.

The most important throw you can make is the putt. Most players concentrate on distance but if you can sink them from 30’ consistently you can win all but the longest holes. If you would like to win concentrate on putting and let distance and power happen naturally.

The muscular coordination required when putting must be absolutely automatic. Baseball and club golf stress the need to "groove your swing". If you think about the putt as the last part of your normal back hand throw you may be pleasantly surprised to find that it is already automatic! The player who change their throwing style when putting are the players who really have the work to find a new "groove." In other words, you can probably be a reasonably accurate putter with any style you choose, if you can concentrate on just throwing. But as soon as you apply concentration to the link of chain that is your target, compensate for wind, blank out people in the background, how far behind you are, etc. you will probably make your put.

Perhaps a better example of how long it takes to establish a new groove is to go back to your first attempt at throwing a Frisbee disc. How long was it from that first try until you could throw a disc to a friend accurately and without any particular thought, i.e., automatically? It takes a long time for your mind to record the proper "relax and contract" information for all the muscles involved. It takes even longer for it to learn to properly issue these instructions in a fraction of a second. If the putt is part of this already established program, your mind already knows "the groove". All you have to do is to learn how to give it the correct information. This ability requires total concentration.

Stand facing the target. Relax and feel the wind on your face. Some players like to drop blades of grass or dust to gauge the wind velocity. Mentally record wind direction. Wind from either side is not too important unless you need to throw a curve. Wind from the front will cause the disc to hit higher than your aiming point and wind from the rear will cause it to drop. The more wind, the more radical the variation will be. Alot of practice and a heavy putter will help.

Next, turn 45 degrees from the target. Believe it of not, this is where the release usually occurs in your normal back hand throw, "the groove". Then judge the distance and move your arm. With the disc in your hand, towards the target at about the velocity and angle you want it exactly "in the groove". Pick a point to focus on. A link of chain, a mark or whatever but, focus on it until you don’t see anything else. Then throw with your mind only. See the disc hit its mark. Now throw! If anything happened to break your concentration, the message to your computer has been garbled and you will most assuredly miss. Do not throw!! Stop and repeat the whole process. When you get so that you can putt consistency well, amid all sorts of distractions, start to work on the rest of your game.