2023 A-Tier Request Form Now Available

With the release of the 2023 PDGA Major, Elite, Euro Tour, & Companion A-Tier Schedule, the PDGA is now accepting requests for 2023 North American A-Tiers via the 2023 A-Tier Request Form. The submission deadline is Friday, October 14, 2022.

With the growth of the sport and the large number of events being sanctioned (already over 8,200 in 2022), the minimum mileage requirements between events are being reduced for 2023.  When planning for A-Tier dates, please remember not to use dates that would be in mileage conflict with an event already on the provided Major & Elite Schedule.  Mileage conflicts are created when two events offer at least one division in common and are closer together than the minimum distance prescribed by the Tour Standards. Specifically, a conflicting A-Tier may not be within 750 miles of a Major or within 500 miles of an Elite event.  The A-Tier to A-Tier mileage restriction was also reduced to 200 miles for 2023. For example, an Amateur-only A-Tier that is 575 miles from Pro Worlds doesn’t have a mileage conflict, but a Pro-Am or Pro-only A-Tier offering MPO and/or FPO does.

The 2023 Tour Standards also include new requirements for A-Tiers:

Warm-Up Areas: All A-Tier events must have a designated warm-up area readily available to all players.  If sufficient throwing space is not available, the event must provide one or more practice nets. The event must also provide one or more practice targets.

Waitlists: All A-Tier and above events must use divisional capping to provide space for those underserved divisions offered by the event, and waitlists must be maintained by division so a drop from an underserved division is filled from the same division wherever possible. Only within three weeks of an event may Event Directors fill a vacancy in an underserved division without a waitlist from a different division (as allowed by course or other pool capping considerations). Event Directors should reach out to the PDGA Event Support Team prior to opening registration if they need help setting this up correctly.

Note that A-Tiers continue to have minimum payout requirements:

• Pro Added Cash requirement of $3,000 above 100% of Net Entry Fees
• Amateur payout requirement of 110% of Net Entry Fees with a min. $25 Player Pack

Please note that every part of the A-Tier request form must be completed, and that at least four possible dates must be provided to allow creation of a schedule that works for everyone without conflicts. Due to the growth of the tour—which will likely exceed 10,000 events in 2023—a single date or historical date is unlikely to be granted. Flexibility for players and fellow tournament directors is key. If at least four possible dates are not provided, A-Tier status is unlikely to be awarded.

It is also important to note that with the huge growth in the number of events and the immense pressure to provide playing opportunities for all players, the number of A-Tiers in North America will  still be limited to provide more room for B and C-Tier events on the schedule, so not all events requesting A-Tier status will receive it—even those that have previously run as A-Tiers. Only select high-profile, successful multi-year B-Tiers will even be considered for upgrading to A-Tier status in 2023. 

Further, quality and consistency are of foremost concern when awarding A-Tier status. Events seeking A-Tier status that do not have a sufficiently experienced TD/ATD team are unlikely to receive A-Tier status, even if the event has previously run as an A-Tier.

The current goal is to finalize and release the 2023 A-Tier schedule along with the 2023 Tour Standards on November 1, 2022.