803.11 MANDATORIES
A. A mandatory restricts the path the disc may take to the target. A disc must pass to the correct side of the mandatory before the hole is completed.

B. A disc passing the incorrect side of the mandatory results in a one-throw penalty, and the next throw shall be made from the drop zone, as designated for that mandatory. A throw is considered to have missed the mandatory if it passes the incorrect side of the mandatory, crosses the mandatory line from the direction of the tee, and comes to rest lying completely beyond that line.
(1) The mandatory line is the line marked by the director or course designer to indicate when a disc has passed the mandatory.
(2) If no line is marked, the mandatory line is defined as a straight line through the mandatory, perpendicular to the line from the tee to the mandatory.
(3) In the case of a double mandatory when no line is marked, the mandatory line is the straight line connecting the two mandatories, and extends beyond them in both directions.

C.A throw is considered to have passed the mandatory if it passes the correct side of the mandatory, crosses the mandatory line from the direction of the tee, and comes to rest lying completely beyond that line. Once the mandatory has been passed on the correct side, the mandatory is to be ignored for the remainder of play on that hole.

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During a casual round this weekend, I encountered an interesting situation. A player threw his disc correctly between two mando trees, but the disc then hit another tree and crossed back over the mando line (between the two trees). The next player hit the same tree, however when the disc rolled back, it came back outside of the two mando trees.

There was some debate on whether the second player was considered to have made the mando. According to the rule above it looks like he didn't since he too came to rest behind the mando line (which extends beyond the two mandos according to the rule).

What should the ruling be? (After a stalled discussion, we just had them both re-tee.)

First a paraphrase of the rules.

To miss the mandatory, the disc must cross the the mandatory line on the wrong side of the mandatory object(s) from the tee side and come to rest completely across the mandatory line.

To make the mandatory, the disc must cross the mandatory on the correct side of the mandatory object(s) from the tee side and come to rest completely across the mandatory line.

In both cases, the disc passed the mandatory on the correct side of the mandatory object(s), but came to rest on the tee side of the mandatory line. So in accordance with the rules neither disc has crossed the mandatory line successfully. They have not missed nor made the mandatory. Both throwers still have to negotiate the mandatory object(s).

I'm just wondering if this situation ever came up at the USDGC with a roller coming back behind the Mando line at the clown's mouth after initially going through the mando.

Hmmmmmmm....... :)

In common sense terms, it seems like the first disc has not yet passed the mandatory and the second one has. Here's why:

Disc 1: crossed between the two trees in the proper direction, but then hit something and then bounced/rolled back out through the mandy. It's like it "unwound" and has now not made the mandy yet since it never came to rest across the line after passing the line properly. This disc could also miss the mandatory if, after rolling back out between the trees, it had rolled around the trees again and passed on the wring side before falling down.

Disc 2: This disc crossed the "made mandy" line going the proper direction, and then deflected elsewhere. It did not "unwind" and come back through the mandy the wrong way, undoing the "madeness" of the throw. It crossed properly and kept going. Common sense says that it made the mandy. The wording of the rule seems a little awkward for this case, but I believe that this is the proper call.

I agree with Rhett.

There are some other things on mandos in the Rules Q&A you also may find useful but not for this particular question.

Neither disc has met the 3 conditions clearly spelled out for having passed the mandatory. Therefore neither one has made it. :cool:

You can't just go ignoring the rules, no matter how poorly they are written. :p

The CORRECT call, until the rule is changed, is that neither disc made it. :p :p