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Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events

3.03 Player Misconduct

Last updated: Thursday, December 5, 2024 - 18:18

  1. All players must adhere to a professional standard of sporting ethics, courtesy, and integrity while participating in a PDGA-sanctioned event and when commenting to the media. Conduct that violates this standard is subject to courtesy violations called by players (see 812, Courtesy), penalties issued by the Tournament Director, and any further disciplinary action deemed appropriate by the PDGA.
  2. If a player violates the above standard, the Tournament Director may opt, in their sole discretion, to issue a tournament warning for a first offense (except as specified in 3.03.C). A tournament warning is a type of warning whose effects persist through all rounds and sudden-death play. Otherwise, the Tournament Director will immediately disqualify the player. Actions that violate this standard include, but are not limited to:
    1. Repeated and overt use of abusive or profane language, including any remarks or comments targeted at a player or group that are inconsistent with the PDGA's non-discrimination principles as outlined in Section II.D of the PDGA Bylaws..
    2. Throwing items in anger (other than discs in play).
    3. Overt rudeness or threatening behavior to anyone present.
    4. Willful and overt destruction, abuse or vandalism of property, including animal and plant life (see 803.03, Damaging the Course).
    5. Excessive use of alcohol or public intoxication at the tournament site.
    6. Overt failure or refusal to enforce the rules of disc golf during competition (see 801.02.B, Enforcement).
    7. Obstruction of, or failure or refusal to cooperate with, any investigation by an official into the player’s conduct or the conduct of another player.
    8. Deliberately seeking to manipulate one’s player rating through intentional misplay or withdrawal (see 811.E, Misplay).
    9. Activities not listed here or in 3.03.C which are in violation of federal, state or local laws or ordinances, park regulations or disc golf course rules.
  3. The following actions also violate the above standard. Players who commit one or more of these violations will not receive a warning, and will be immediately disqualified by the Tournament Director:
    1. Cheating: a willful attempt to circumvent the rules of play.
    2. Physical attacks upon anyone present.
    3. Public display or use of illegal or prohibited substances in violation of any applicable law (national/federal, state/provincial, local/city/county, et al) from the two-minute signal to the time the player's scorecard is submitted.
    4. Public display or use of alcohol at PDGA events sanctioned at C-Tier or higher, or of cannabis (other than as permitted by the CBD Product Use Policy) at PDGA events sanctioned at any Tier level, even where otherwise lawful or permitted, from the two-minute signal to the time the player's scorecard is submitted. This rule does not apply to Leagues, where, if local law and event venue rules permit it, players of legal age to do so may consume alcohol during the round (see 1.14.C.4).
  4. Players are required to report any player misconduct to a Tournament Official when available or to the Tournament Director directly at the completion of the round.
  5. Tournament Directors are required to report any disqualifications and player misconduct to the PDGA as quickly as possible.
  6. Disqualified players shall forfeit any prize money or merchandise and shall not receive a refund of entry fees.
  7. The public display or use of tobacco products by event staff, players, and by extension their caddies, is prohibited at all times at PDGA events of any Tier that solely offer Junior divisions (i.e., divisions beginning with MJ and/or FJ prefixes).

    Such public display or use is also prohibited at events held concurrently with PDGA Major and Elite Series events. For policies at PDGA Major and Elite Series events, see 4.04.A.

    1. This prohibition includes all smoking and chewing tobacco products, as well as electronic and vapor cigarettes, whether tobacco-based or not. This prohibition does not apply to smoking cessation products that do not produce vapor, such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches, or nicotine lozenges.
    2. For players and their caddies, any violation of these prohibitions will be treated as a courtesy violation, and violators will be asked to put away the product until after the round has concluded. Subsequent violations are courtesy violations which receive penalty throws (see 812.C, Courtesy). Repeated violations may result in disqualification (see 3.03.B).
    3. At all non-junior events to which this policy applies, the Tournament Director may opt to provide designated smoking areas out of the public eye for players, caddies, and event staff to use during the round, and all rules concerning the pace of play still apply (see 3.02).
    4. At PDGA events of any Tier that solely offer Junior divisions, including the PDGA Junior World Championships, no designated smoking areas will be provided.
    5. In cases where local laws and policies conflict with this policy, please contact the PDGA Director of Event Support for guidance.