Revised and effective November 7, 2024.

1. Purpose of the Policy and Process.

   1. As a membership organization, as well as under the terms of Competition Manual 1.12.H, 3.01.E, 3.03.A, 3.07.C, 3.08.F, and 3.08.G, the Professional Disc Golf Association (“PDGA”) reserves the right to determine and enforce disciplinary action upon PDGA Members and participants in PDGA events.

   2. For purposes of this policy:

      1. A PDGA Member is someone who has, at some point, joined the PDGA and received a PDGA number; and
      2. A participant in a PDGA eventis someone who is not a PDGA member but who:
         
         1. registered and played in a PDGA event or events; or
         2. acted as a caddie for a player or as a guardian for a minor player or for a minor accompanying a playing group at a PDGA event or events; or
         3. was a staff member, volunteer, or otherwise involved in the planning or execution of the event.
      3. A Petitioner is someone who files a Disciplinary Action (“Action”) under this policy. Petitioners need not be PDGA members but must be firsthand witnesses to at least some of the conduct that is the subject of the Action.
      4. A Respondent is someone whose conduct is the subject of the Action.
      5. The eligible voting members of the Committee consist of all the Disciplinary Committee members as detailed in section II.A, less the recused members detailed in section II.A.5.

   3. The PDGA Board of Directors (“Board”) has established the Disciplinary Committee (“Committee”) under Article VI of the Bylaws of the Professional Disc Golf Association to serve as the primary adjudicative body in the disciplinary process. The Committee must be fair and consistent when sanctions are necessary, and it must not be arbitrary and capricious in its rulings.

   4. This document, in the interest of transparency and accountability, outlines the processes and procedures used by the Committee and the PDGA to evaluate each Action and impose a penalty or penalties when and where it is merited.

   5. For incidents that occur in countries with a National Association that is not PDGA itself, please see the International Program Guide. The National Association in those countries will exercise an initial jurisdictional analysis and forward reports to the Disciplinary Committee accordingly or adjudicate the matter internally.

2. Composition and Duties.

   1. The Committee.

      1. The Committee is an advisory committee of the PDGA, established under Article VI of the PDGA Bylaws.
      2. The Committee will consist of no fewer than three (3) and no more than eleven (11) members.
      3. Members of the Committee must be current PDGA Members and Certified Officials and maintain that status while they are a member of the Committee.
      4. Committee members are selected by the Director of Policy & Compliance and the Chairperson based on their impeccable ethics, analytical skills, and fair-mindedness.
      5. Committee members must recuse themselves from decision-making in any Action where their personal relationship with any involved party prevents them from evaluating the facts and circumstances in a fair and impartial manner.
      6. The Committee reports to the Director of Policy & Compliance through the Chairperson.
      7. In order to prevent retaliation against or intimidation of Committee members, their identities are not disclosed publicly.

   2. The Board Liaison. The Board Liaison is not a member of the Committee and does not vote or otherwise engage in adjudication of Actions except at the appellate level. The Board Liaison is selected by the Board of Directors, and is responsible for:

      1. Hearing jurisdictional appeals where the Chairperson and Director of Policy & Compliance request additional review.
      2. Selecting, chairing, and convening the appellate panel when the Board hears appeals from a final decision of the Committee.

   3. The Chairperson. The Chairperson is not a member of the Committee and does not vote or otherwise engage in adjudication of Actions. The Chairperson is responsible for:

      1. Serving as the staff liaison to the Committee.
      2. Handling all clerical matters for the Committee, such as uploading and posting files, conducting Committee votes, and moderating Committee discussions.
      3. Conducting all investigations as directed by the Committee.
      4. Resolving parliamentary inquiries (meaning questions about this policy’s contents or applicable precedents), procedural questions, or other questions raised by the Committee.
      5. Adjudicating appeals regarding the Committee’s jurisdiction, along with the Director of Policy & Compliance.
      6. Vetting potential new members of the Committee.
      7. Maintaining disciplinary records and calendar items.
      8. Such other duties as the Director of Policy & Compliance may determine.

   4. The Director of Policy & Compliance. The Director of Policy & Compliance is not a member of the Committee and does not vote or otherwise engage in adjudication of Actions. The Director of Policy & Compliance is responsible for:

      1. Drafting official correspondence templates and summaries of judgments or appellate rulings.
      2. Selecting and overseeing the Chairperson and performing their functions and duties if the Chairperson is unable to do so.
      3. Making final rulings on parliamentary inquiries or procedural questions as appealed by the Committee from the ruling of the Chairperson.
      4. Adjudicating appeals regarding the Committee’s jurisdiction, along with the Chairperson.
      5. Onboarding new Committee members.
      6. Reviewing the Committee’s rulings for any instances of clear error.
         
         1. Clear error means an obvious mistake of fact that is easily correctable.
         2. If clear error is present, the Director of Policy & Compliance will remand the matter to the Committee with an explanation of the error so they can correct it.
         3. In the absence of clear error, the Director of Policy & Compliance takes no action and the Committee’s decision is final.

3. Jurisdiction.

   1. Incidents related to PDGA-sanctioned events. The Committee should begin jurisdictional analysis from the premise that it does not have jurisdiction. In order for the Committee to exercise jurisdictions over incidents related to PDGA-sanctioned events, the following must be true:

      1. The conduct that is the subject of the Action must have a nexus with a PDGA-sanctioned event or PDGA-owned property or spaces. Having a nexus means having a connection that is more than merely incidental.
         
         1. This can include, but is not limited to, the planning of the event, execution of the event, participation in the event, or peripheral matters related to the events, such as side games, or player events.
         2. It can also include incidents that take place on PDGA-owned social spaces, through the use of PDGA-owned properties such as Disc Golf Scene, or at PDGA-owned or PDGA-managed real property such as the International Disc Golf Center, regardless of whether it is tied to a given PDGA-sanctioned event.
         3. It does not include interpersonal conflicts between players that are wholly or mostly outside the context of PDGA-sanctioned competition, except as specified in IV.B.1.b.ii and IV.B.1.c.ii.
      2. The conduct that is the subject of the Action must not be adequately addressable by the Official Rules of Disc Golf or the Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events.
         
         1. This can either include situations that are not contemplated at all by those documents or situations where the facts and circumstances indicate that the punishment listed in those documents is insufficient to address the severity or nature of the conduct.
         2. The failure of a Tournament Director to levy the appropriate punishment does not create jurisdiction. For example, conduct that would sufficiently be addressed by disqualification does not fall into the Committee’s jurisdiction by virtue of the Tournament Director’s failure to disqualify the Respondent.
      3. Violations of the Sanctioning Agreement by the Tournament Director do not fall into the Committee’s jurisdiction unless they are referred to the Committee by PDGA staff.

   2. Community Guidelines violations. In order to exercise jurisdiction over violations of the PDGA Community Guidelines Policy, the Action must be referred to the Committee by PDGA Staff. The Committee should presume it has jurisdiction over such Actions under the terms of the Community Guidelines Policy unless compelling evidence indicates otherwise.

   3. Extreme cases and damage to the sport. In rare cases, the Committee may find jurisdiction where the conduct at issue is so damaging to the sport that failing to address it would run counter to the mission and goals of the PDGA.

      1. Conduct falling into this category might include violent criminal offenses or the equivalent.
      2. A finding of jurisdiction in such Actions will require the agreement of at least two-thirds of eligible Committee members, as well as the agreement of the Chairperson and the Director of Policy & Compliance.

4. Types of Penalties; Classes of Offense; Standards of Proof; Mitigation and Aggravation.

   1. Types of penalties. There are five categories of penalty that the Committee may impose:

      1. Warning letter. Where the conduct requires a response, but the Committee does not believe probation or suspension is appropriate, the Committee may issue a warning letter. This is not listed on the public record of active disciplinary penalties and does not affect the Respondent’s ability to participate in PDGA-sanctioned events.
      2. Probation. Probation is a period where the Respondent is expected to demonstrate they have learned from their experience by following the rules and avoiding conduct that gives rise to an Action. This is listed on the public record of active disciplinary penalties, but it does not affect the Respondent’s ability to participate in PDGA-sanctioned events.
      3. Suspension. Suspension means a specified period during which the Respondent may not play in, register for, act as a caddie for, direct, or officiate PDGA events, and during which the Respondent Member may neither run for PDGA office nor vote in PDGA elections. A suspension may be followed by probation.
      4. Temporary suspension. Temporary suspensions are suspensions issued while the Committee is considering an Action. The following conditions must be met before a temporary suspension can be issued:
         
         1. The Committee has determined that it has jurisdiction; and
         2. The allegations, if true, would indisputably constitute a Class A offense; and
         3. There is an allegation of an ongoing threat to the safety of Petitioner or another person that is:
            
            1. related to the conduct described by the Action; and
            2. connected to upcoming events likely to take place before the completion of the Committee’s work on the Action; and
         4. The Committee finds both allegations above to be credible by a preponderance of the evidence.
      5. Permanent ban. A permanent ban means the Respondent is no longer eligible for PDGA membership or eligible to participate in PDGA events in any capacity. If the Respondent is a PDGA Member, their membership is revoked.

   2. Classes of offense. The following classes of offense are designed to serve as guideposts for understanding the relative severity of the most common or most likely conduct upon which Actions may be based. This is not and cannot be a comprehensive list. Where the underlying conduct of an Action does not neatly fit into one of these classes, it is the Committee’s duty to determine the class most appropriate to the offense. There are no minimum penalties for any class of offense.

      1. Class A offenses involve physical harm or credible threats of physical harm.
         
         1. Class A1: Physical harm.
            
            1. Examples include physical or sexual battery.
            2. Class A1 offenses carry a standard penalty of a 24-month suspension followed by a 12-month probation.
            3. The maximum penalty is a permanent ban.
         2. Class A2: A credible threat of physical harm.
            
            1. Examples include assault (as defined at U.S. common law), harassment, stalking, and intimidation.
            2. These are often ongoing offenses, and notwithstanding section III.A.1.c, they do not need to be wholly or mostly based on actions at PDGA events for the Committee to find jurisdiction. The conduct need only have a nexus with PDGA play.
            3. Class A2 offenses carry a standard penalty of an 18-month suspension followed by a 12-month probation.
            4. The maximum penalty is a permanent ban.
         3. Class A3: Sexual harassment of a minor.
            
            1. This involves behavior like that contemplated by C1 offenses – sexual harassment without physical threat – but aggravated by the fact that the victim is a minor.
            2. Notwithstanding section III.A.1.c, this offense does not need to be wholly or mostly based on actions at PDGA events for the Committee to find jurisdiction. The conduct need only have a nexus with PDGA play.
            3. Instances including physical touching should be classified as A1.
            4. Class A3 offenses carry a standard penalty of an 18-month suspension followed by a 12-month probation.
            5. The maximum penalty is a permanent ban.
      2. Class B offenses involve dishonesty, cheating, and theft.
         
         1. Class B1: Intentional subversion or violation of the rules to gain competitive advantage.
            
            1. In other words: cheating. Examples include lying about scores, entering incorrect scores, and purposefully violating applicable rules and regulations.
            2. Class B1 offenses require that the Respondent have acted intentionally. Where intent cannot be demonstrated by the evidence, Class C2 is the proper offense class.
            3. Class B1 offenses carry a standard penalty of a 12-month suspension followed by a 12-month probation. The maximum penalty is a permanent ban.
            4. Class B1 offenses may also result in a Respondent losing their Certified Official status. They may regain that status as outlined in the relevant provisions of the Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events.
         2. Class B2: Theft.
            
            1. Examples include stealing property, money, or other items of value from players, staff, volunteers, or the tournament itself or misappropriation of event funds by a staff member.
            2. Class B2 offenses carry a standard penalty of a 9-month suspension with a 12-month probation.
            3. The maximum penalty is a 12-month suspension with whatever probationary period the Committee deems appropriate.
            4. The Committee may also choose to immediately precede the penalty with a suspension of indeterminate length, to end when the Respondent has either returned the property or made restitution.
      3. Class C offenses are generally those where intent is difficult to prove, but the conduct still merits disciplinary action.
         
         1. Class C1: Harassment without physical threat.
            
            1. Examples include hate speech, sexual harassment between adults (see class A3 for adults harassing minors), Community Guidelines Policy violations, and filing a frivolous Action, including frivolously requesting a temporary suspension.
            2. Class C1 offenses carry a standard penalty of a 6-month suspension with a 12-month probation.
            3. The maximum penalty is a 9-month suspension with a 12-month probation.
         2. Class C2: Subversion or violation of the rules without provable intent to cheat.
            
            1. Examples include repeated scoring errors, repeated violations of the same rule(s), and conduct as described in IV.B.2.a.i. Staff referrals of TD violations of the Sanctioning Agreement under III.A.3 also fall into this category.
            2. The evidence need not show intent on the player’s part. The failure to adhere to the rules need only be disruptive to or harmful to competition.
            3. Class C2 offenses carry a standard penalty of a three-month suspension with a 12-month probation.
            4. The maximum penalty is a 9-month suspension with a 12-month probation.
         3. Class C3: Habitual courtesy violations or other infractions.
            
            1. Examples include ongoing rudeness, repeated cursing or bag-kicking, public intoxication or drug use, and similar unprofessional conduct.
            2. Class C3 offenses carry a standard penalty of a warning letter.
            3. The maximum penalty is a three-month suspension with a 12-month probation.
      4. Class D Offenses are administrative in nature and handled entirely by PDGA staff rather than the Committee. The provisions of Section V do not apply to Class D offenses unless the staff has forwarded the matter to the Committee for consideration.
         
         1. Class D1: Payment fraud or other nonpayment to a TD.
            
            1. Examples include fraudulent contestation of payments for entry fees, failure to pay entry fees as promised, or similar conduct.
            2. The standard penalty is suspension until the TD is reimbursed or other restitution is made, to include any fees incurred by the TD due to the conduct.
            3. Other penalties may include banning the Respondent from using Disc Golf Scene or suspensions up to three months in duration.
            4. Repeat offenders may be referred by PDGA staff to the Committee as a Class B2 offense.
         2. Class D2: TD nonpayment of fees or reporting violations.
            
            1. Examples include failure to pay post-event fees and failure to submit the event report.
            2. The standard penalty is suspension until the TD completes their duties, plus one month.
            3. Repeat offenders may be referred by PDGA staff to the Committee as a Class C2 offense.
         3. Class D3: TD violations of the Sanctioning Agreement related to enforcement of the rules and regulations of PDGA-sanctioned play.
            
            1. Examples may include refusing to issue penalties or disqualifications.
            2. The standard penalty is probation and referral to Support & Training for remedial instruction.
            3. Repeat offenders may lose the privilege to run PDGA-sanctioned events, either temporarily or permanently.
         4. Class D4: Ratings manipulation or leaving an event without notifying the TD.
            
            1. These were formerly addressed by the 888 ratings penalty code.
            2. Penalties vary based on how many times the Respondent has committed the offense.
            3. The rubric for penalties can be found in Competition Manual 5.06.C.
         5. Class D5: Suspensions issued by a National Association that is not PDGA itself.
            
            1. These are adjudicated by the National Association rather than the Disciplinary Committee.
            2. The Disciplinary Committee gives full faith and credit to the decisions of these National Associations.
            3. The penalty for a Class D5 offense matches the penalty issued by the National Association.
         6. Class D6: Suspensions related to use of a false identity or use of multiple PDGA numbers.
            
            1. These suspensions occur when staff have made efforts to contact the member but have not received a response.
            2. The standard penalty is suspension until the member and staff can correct the member’s record(s) in a manner that satisfies the Competition Manual and the member’s privacy interests and rights.
            3. Repeat offenders or egregious instances may be referred by PDGA staff to the Committee as a Class C2 offense.
      5. Actions involving multiple offense classes. If an Action contains allegations of multiple violations:
         
         1. The Committee will consider the Action to fall into whatever offense class has the highest standard penalty.
         2. The Committee will treat the other violations as aggravating factors, see IV.D.2.a.

   3. Standards of Proof.

      1. The Committee must begin from the presumption that the Respondent’s conduct does not merit penalty. Only if the evidence presented meets the appropriate standard of proof for the offense class will the Committee conclude that a penalty is warranted.
      2. Classes A, B, and C. When weighing evidence, the Committee will rely on the “clear and convincing” standard of proof for Class A, Class B, and Class C Offenses. “Clear and convincing” means:
         
         1. the evidence presented is highly and substantially more probable to be true than untrue; and
         2. the Committee is convinced it is highly probable that the offense occurred.
      3. Class D and temporary suspensions. When weighing evidence, the Committee will rely on the “preponderance of the evidence” standard of proof for Class D offenses referred by PDGA staff and when considering temporary suspensions. “Preponderance of the evidence” means:
         
         1. the evidence presented is more likely to be true than untrue; and
         2. the Committee believes it is more likely than not that the offense occurred.

   4. Mitigating and aggravating factors. When determining what penalties, if any, apply in an Action, the available evidence may lead the Committee to conclude that penalties more or less severe than the standard penalty should apply.

      1. Mitigating factors are circumstances that tend to indicate that lesser punishments are warranted. Such factors include, but are not limited to:
         
         1. the Respondent’s age, if they are a junior competing in Amateur divisions;
         2. the Respondent expressing genuine remorse; and
         3. the Respondent’s cooperation with the investigation.
         4. Additionally, if the Respondent is a DGPT Tour Card holder, the Committee may opt for a shorter suspension based on the number of events the Respondent will miss. For example, the Committee may determine that a one-month suspension where the Respondent will miss three DGPT and Major events is the equivalent of a three-month suspension for non-Tour Card holders.
      2. Aggravating factors are circumstances that tend to indicate that greater punishments are warranted. Such factors include, but are not limited to:
         
         1. repeated or concurrent offenses by the Respondent;
         2. willful obstruction or attempt to hide evidence of wrongdoing by the Respondent; and
         3. lack of remorse by the Respondent.

5. Submitting Actions; Committee Procedures.

   1. Methods of submission. An Action may be submitted to the Committee for consideration in the following ways:

      1. The Disciplinary Action Form. Any Petitioner may submit an Action by filling out and submitting this form.
      2. Report of disqualification. A report of a disqualification at an event, such as those submitted with an Event Report, counts as submitting an Action. In these cases, the TD is the Petitioner.
      3. Staff referral. PDGA staff may refer Actions to the Committee under several circumstances, including but not limited to Community Guidelines violations or escalation of repeated violations of the Sanctioning Agreement. The Committee should presume it has jurisdiction over such Actions unless compelling evidence indicates otherwise.

   2. Jurisdictional determination. When an Action is filed, the first determination is whether the Committee has jurisdiction.

      1. Screening by the Chairperson. The Chair receives submitted Actions and conducts an initial screening for jurisdictional issues. Where there is no question that the submission does not present a question over which the Committee has jurisdiction, the Chair may take the following actions:
         
         1. Where there is an obvious lack of jurisdiction (insufficient nexus with PDGA events, wholly addressable by the rules), the Chairperson will dismiss the Action.
         2. Where the form submission is clearly not a disciplinary matter, such as concerns about how an event was run, the Chairperson will forward the submission to the correct PDGA staff member(s).
         3. In all other cases, the Chairperson will bring the Action to the Committee for consideration.
      2. Screening by the Committee. The Committee will examine the Action and vote on the question of whether they have jurisdiction over the matter under such procedures as the Committee and Chairperson agree upon.
         
         1. The Committee will only have jurisdiction where a majority of the eligible voting members of the Committee agree that jurisdiction lies with the Committee.
         2. If the Committee finds they do not have jurisdiction, the Chairperson will inform the Petitioner, who will then have ten (10) days to appeal the decision to the Chairperson and the Director of Policy & Compliance.
            
            1. Where the Chairperson and the Director of Policy & Compliance agree, their decision is final.
            2. Where the Chairperson and the Director of Policy & Compliance do not agree, the tie will be broken by the Board Liaison. That decision is final.

   3. Investigation. If the Committee has jurisdiction, the Chairperson will begin investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding the Action.

      1. Witnesses. The Chairperson will contact all witnesses to solicit statements.
      2. Respondent. The Chairperson will provide the Respondent with notice of the investigation by certified electronic mail to the email address on file (if a PDGA Member) or the email address submitted as part of their event registration (if a participant in a PDGA event).
         
         1. This notice will contain, at a minimum:
            
            1. A summary of the alleged conduct at issue.
            2. The event or events where the alleged conduct occurred.
            3. The potential class(es) of offense involved.
            4. An invitation to provide a statement.
            5. A link to this Disciplinary Policy & Process.
         2. The notice must not name witnesses or the Petitioner to prevent witness intimidation or reprisal.
      3. Witnesses' right not to respond. Participation in an investigation is wholly voluntary.
         
         1. Witnesses have the right to refuse an interview or to provide evidence of any kind to the Committee.
         2. Witnesses cannot be subject to discipline for a refusal to provide a statement or other evidentiary materials.
      4. Respondent's right not to respond. Participation in an investigation is wholly voluntary.
         
         1. The Respondent has the right to refuse an interview or to provide any evidence of any kind, exculpatory or incriminating, to the Committee. The Respondent is encouraged to inform the Committee should they choose not to respond in order to avoid unnecessarily lengthening the process.
         2. Simple refusal to cooperate is not obstruction and shall not be taken as an indicator of guilt, nor an aggravating factor.
         3. The Committee will consider all evidence presented, regardless of the Respondent’s participation or lack thereof.
         4. Refusal may limit the Respondent’s options on appeal (see VI, Appeals).
      5. Respondent and witness interviews. All interviews with witnesses and Respondent must be documented and submitted to the Committee by the Chairperson.
         
         1. The Chairperson must make all reasonable efforts to identify and gather all available, material, and pertinent evidence.
         2. Generally, interviews should be in a standard format to ensure consistency.
         3. However, ensuring that all pertinent lines of inquiry are pursued takes precedence.
         4. Barring undue difficulty, the investigation should be completed within three months of the Action’s filing.

   4. Adjudication. Once the Chairperson has determined that all relevant evidence has been obtained, the Committee will examine that evidence and weigh its sufficiency.

      1. The Committee’s discussion period will not exceed two weeks, unless further evidence comes in during that period that necessitates extended discussion.
      2. The Chairperson is responsible for directing the discussion and ensuring all viewpoints are adequately covered in a timely fashion.
      3. The Committee will confine themselves to the evidence presented during investigation.
      4. The Committee may only impose a penalty on the Respondent if more than 50% of the eligible voting members of the Committee agree. In all other cases, no penalty is imposed.
      5. If the Committee decides that a penalty is warranted, its decision should use precedent as a guide while making a final determination based on the facts and circumstances and the rubric outlined in section IV.B.
      6. If the Committee decides that a penalty is warranted, they will send their decision to the Director of Policy & Compliance for review under section II.B.6.
      7. If the Committee decides that a penalty is not warranted, their decision is final.

   5. Notifications. Once the Committee has issued a final decision, the Chairperson will notify the Petitioner and the Respondent of the Committee’s decision, to include:

      1. The class of offense, if any;
      2. The penalty or penalties levied, if any; and
      3. Complete information on the appeals process, if a penalty has been issued.

   6. Force and effect. Penalties are in force and effective from the date the notification was sent and remain in force until the end date. Penalties remain in effect during the pendency of an appeal by Petitioner.

6. Appeals.

   1. Right to appeal. Any Respondent who has had a penalty levied upon them through this disciplinary process has the right to appeal the Committee’s decision and receive reconsideration of that decision by the full Board of Directors.

   2. Grounds for appeal. The Respondent may appeal on either or both of the following grounds:

      1. Type or duration of penalty not supported by evidence. The Respondent believes that the Committee has:
         
         1. misclassified the offense;
         2. varied from the standard punishment for the offense in a way that is arbitrary and capricious; or
         3. failed to weigh mitigating evidence properly.
      2. Discipline not supported by evidence. The Respondent contends that the evidence presented is insufficient to subject them to any discipline whatsoever.
         
         1. When making this type of appeal, the Respondent may present further personal evidence to the extent it:
            
            1. clarifies existing evidence in the record; or
            2. was unavailable to the Respondent at the time of initial investigation.
         2. This type of appeal is only available to Respondents who chose to interview with the Committee and/or provide the Committee with evidence in the initial investigative phase. Respondents who exercise their right not to respond under section V.C.4 may not appeal on these grounds.

   3. Filing an appeal. The Respondent must file their appeal within thirty (30) days of the Committee’s final decision.

      1. The Respondent should clearly state the reasons for the appeal and provide all relevant evidence or reasoning as to why they believe the Committee erred.
      2. The Respondent’s appeal should be in a single email or document.
      3. The Respondent’s appeal should be sent via email to [email protected] or by certified mail to the PDGA office at 3828 Dogwood Lane, Appling, GA, 30802.

   4. Appellate panel; standard of review. The Respondent’s appeal will be heard by a panel of the Board of Directors.

      1. The panel will consider any issues regarding the duration of punishment, class of punishment, or weighing of mitigating or aggravating factors de novo, meaning that the panel will give no deference to the Committee’s judgment.
      2. The panel will consider any issues regarding the factual record and evidence under the clearly erroneous standard, meaning that the panel will accept the factual conclusions of the Committee unless the panel firmly believes a mistake of fact has been made.
      3. The panel has broad discretion in the appeals process, and may choose to accept the petition, reject the petition, or engage in another course of action, including altering the class of offense or the penalty levied, with the exception that no appeal shall subject the Respondent to any penalty greater than or exceeding the original penalty.

   5. Decision and notice. The panel will inform the Chairperson of their decision, and the Chairperson will notify the Respondent via certified email detailing the Board’s analysis and conclusions. Decisions of the panel are not appealable.

7. Public Notice of Final Decision.

   1. In the interest of transparency, the PDGA will maintain a Current Disciplinary Action List that will be visible to members and others on PDGA.com.

   2. Once a final decision has been made, the PDGA will publish the following information, and only the following information, on the Current Disciplinary Actions list on the PDGA website:

      1. name and PDGA number of the member penalized;
      2. offense class;
      3. penalty received; and
      4. beginning and end dates of the penalty period. In the case of permanent bans or tournament director bans, the end date may be listed as “N/A.”