Disc Golf - Basic Rules

Basic Rules

• In disc golf, it is acceptable for a player to 'fall' in front of their lie after the release. This allowance does not apply to putting. A throw is officially considered a putt in disc golf if the lie is marked within what is known as 'the circle'. This is a circle with a 10-meter (33 feet) radius, with the pin at its center. Within the circle, after putting, a player must not advance beyond the marked lie toward the pin until establishing balance and control, normally by picking up the marker disc. However, like golfers putting from the fringe, rough or fairway, most disc golfers still use a putting motion on shots that are longer than 10 meters, often called "being out of the circle" or "being outside." The player may follow through on these shots and many players develop a jump putt where the golfer jumps towards the target. This allows a combination of the accuracy that putting provides and more power on the putt.
• Drives are made from a designated tee pad. These are usually made of concrete and have a dimension of about six by ten feet. Players must release the disc while inside the box, but may step out/off of it after the release. Tournaments may have different guidelines depending on the course and the nature of the event. It is allowed for players to take a running start as long as they are supported by the tee pad at the time of release.
• Falling putts (when the player follows through on a putt 10 meters or shorter) and foot faults (when a player does not release the disc behind their mark or within the required distance of the mark, when a player has a part of their body touching the ground on release past their mark or when their tee shot is released from off the teeing area) are penalized in a unique way. The first offense is not penalized, but the golfer is required to re-throw the shot and then is warned for the offense. Any subsequent fouls, however, are penalized one throw and the golfer must re-throw.

• Disc golf doesn't have "hazards" as defined in golf. Bodies of water, park roads and areas of concrete are typically defined as out-of-bounds in disc golf, however, sometimes these are not. Most courses define these areas as out of bounds or in bounds on tee signs at each hole, however, there is no universal standard for these. As in golf, any out-of-bounds shot is a one shot penalty, however, the rules for spotting the lie for the next shot are quite different than those in golf. If a throw lands out of bounds, unless defined by the hole, the thrower has the option of playing from the previous lie, or playing from the approximate spot where the disc crossed into the out-of-bound territory. If they choose to play from where the disc crossed out-of-bounds, they may take a one-meter relief from the out-of-bounds area, even if it puts them closer to the pin. The rules do not permit a player to have a supporting point touching out of bounds on release so this is the reason for the relief. If a player lands within a meter of the out of bounds and is in bounds, they are still granted this relief for the same reasoning. This relief is an option, the only rule regarding this is when the disc is released. Most golfers use this rule to their advantage to make putts closer or to improve their lie. Some holes may require a throw from a Drop Zone. If that is the case, the thrower moves to the drop zone to play the next shot. A disc is considered out-of-bounds if it is completely surrounded by out-of-bounds including touching the out-of bounds line. If the disc cannot be found, there must be "reasonable evidence" that the disc went out-of bounds or the lost disc penalty is applied.
• Another difference is the optional penalty for a disc that lands more than 2 meters above the playing surface. The course designer may specify that on particular trees, holes, or the whole course, a disc landing above 2 meters will receive a one throw penalty. This is known as the 2-Meter Rule. If not specified, there's no penalty for a disc landing any height above the ground. In golf, it's likely a player will need to take an unplayable penalty if their ball lands above the ground. On the other hand, balls are much less likely to remain stuck above ground than discs are as they fly through trees. When the disc is stuck above ground (including on top of baskets and those that land in the wrong basket) are to be marked on the ground directly below the disc. Even if the disc is not retrievable, as long as the player can identify it, they are not penalized (assuming the 2-meter rule is not in effect). A tournament director has the option of enforcing the 2-meter Rule regardless of whether or not the course enforces the rule. Many casual disc golfers often choose whether to play with the 2-meter rule at the beginning of a round.
• Disc golf holes may also have what are known as 'mandatories' or what are commonly called "mandos". For example, a tree may be marked as a 'right mandatory', meaning a disc must pass that tree on the right side. Crossing the mandatory line on the wrong side is a one-shot penalty, and the thrower must play from the designated drop zone or within 5 meters of the mandatory object and one meter behind the line if a drop zone is not designated. Mandos are usually put in place to force a player to play down a fairway instead of down another fairway to help with safety.

It is a generally accepted rule that pedestrians have the right-of-way.

Driving is one of the more dangerous aspects of disc golf as it pertains to pedestrians. It is common to shout "disc" before a drive on holes from which the target cannot be seen from the tee pad. If a player is about to drive and wants to know if there are players in the target area, they may shout "clear on hole 12?", and if players are in the target area, they may shout "no"; or if they have vacated the area, they will shout "clear on hole 12!". Players use these terms to alert other groups when finishing the hole as well as approaching groups to find out if the hole is ready for play. This phrase applies regardless of which hole is being played.