NOTE: This public comment period closed on October 17, 2024.

The Official Rules of Disc Golf (ORDG), the Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events (CM), and the PDGA Tour Standards go through some level of revision each year. The Policy & Compliance team oversees this process, which involves input and ideas from the Rules & Regulations Advisory Committee, Disc Golf Pro Tour employees, and both the PDGA Event Support & Training and Operations & Logistics teams. A critical part of this process is making proposed changes available for public comment by members. This process has yielded valuable edits to proposed revisions and changes in direction entirely.

We had our first public comment period in June and premiered the changes pursuant to that feedback in September. Now, we have two more proposals that need feedback, both of which are designed to create more space for underserved divisions in PDGA-sanctioned events. 

Members are asked to email their comments and recommendations regarding the proposed rules changes below to [email protected], where the replies will be read, considered, and catalogued. The public comment period closed on October 17, 2024. No other changes will be considered for the 2025 rules update.

New Proposals

Competition Manual

2.01 Qualifications - require TDs to hold underserved divisions with fewer than four players.

Frequently, women, seniors, and juniors are not able to get four players for their division. While TDs are currently encouraged to run underserved divisions with fewer than four players, members still report that adoption of that suggestion is low. The change to Competition Manual 2.05 that changes the requirements of True Amateur events so that they no longer require trophies for Amateur divisions with a single player - as well as the two-weeks-prior cutoff for determining trophy amounts at True Amateur events - will minimize the impact on TDs.

L. A Tournament Director may limit the divisions they wish to offer at their event by listing only the divisions they plan to offer on their registration form.  

1. If a division is offered and at least four eligible players register for that division, that division must be held.  

2. If a division is underserved as defined in 1.02.C.2.c, the division must be held if at least one player registers for the division.

3. In all other cases, it is at the Tournament Director's discretion whether to hold the division or not (see 1.03.H for refund policy in that case).

If fewer than four eligible players register for an offered division or a division does not have four eligible players at the close of registration, it is at the Tournament Director's discretion whether to hold the division or not (see 1.03.H).  Tournament Directors are strongly encouraged to offer divisions which are otherwise underserved (see 1.02.C.2.c) and to hold such divisions even if fewer than four eligible players register.

Tour Standards

Require Divisional Availability

This rule requires that TDs make women's divisions available for a specified period. Both the Women's Committee and the Diversity & Outreach Task Force have identified this as a good method to make space for women in PDGA events. Essentially, TDs must either offer women's divisions for a week of early registration or for the first week of regular registration. This will work in combination with the proposed change to Competition Manual 2.01 above.

If mixed divisions are offered at an event, Tournament Directors must offer the corresponding women's division (e.g., if MA40 is offered, FA40 must also be offered). After one week of early registration as detailed in Competition Manual 1.02.C.2.c or one week of open registration, the TD may cease offering the division as long as Competition Manual 2.01.L permits it.

Thank you for reading and thanks in advance for sharing your feedback.

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