It's a beautiful day for the 2006 Hicksville Open disc golf tournament. For the 1st round, our hero, Newb Rockne, is grouped with Larry Leisure and two buddies from the neighborhood, Joe Local and Jay Yokel. For the first few holes, things are going well. All 4 players are playing reasonably well and there have been no backups on the course. Once they get to the 5th hole (the 200' easy deuce), Newb is out about 35' from the basket and drills his deuce putt and retrieves his disc. Larry hits his straddle putt from 25' for his deuce and cleans it out. Joe steps up and nails his 20 footer. Jay quickly steps up and doinks his 12-footer off the basket before Joe can clear his disc. Clearly disgusted, Jay pulls Joe's disc out of the basket and uses it to drop in from his lie 3' from the basket and calmly hands it back to Joe who thinks nothing of it.

"Whoah", says Newb to himself, "That doesn't seem right." He looks to Larry for any sign of confirmation that the rules have been broken. Larry is too busy staring at his shoes and hasn't seen anything. Reaching for his rulebook, he realizes he has left it at home.

What penalty, if any, should be assessed in this situation?

no penalty.

a) i can use someone else's disc if i want to and they agree. Jay had Joe's approval based on their long time friendship.

b) if you are gonna argue that the disc absolutely positively must be removed by the player, then ok, but whatever. (imo)

Very interesting. There are no rules that says one cannot throw another player's disc. Only that they cannot play from another players lie (803.10).

803.07.C (cannot interfere with a thrown disc at rest) might be construed that Jay could not pick up Joe's disc, but if we called that, then 803.07.C should be invoked every time a player collects discs out of the target as a friendly gesture. So let's rule that out.

The only thing left would be a courtesy violation.I do note that the disc was calmly handed back. If Joe doesn't care, no one else should.

At first glance, I don't see any warnings/penalties.

I'm with Pat and Mike. I would add further, just to be inflammatory and not to advance the rules discussion any, that anyone who has a problem with that is wound too tight.

You know someone will try to call that now. See ya' in the parking lot.

I say Newb gets a courtesy warning for making so much noise looking for his rule book, that he disturbs Joe on the box......

I don't see that any penality has occurred

I don't see that any penality has occurred



No penalty either.

I would probably just politely ask them not to do that again (personal preference), but certainly no warning or penalty.

Why would you ask them not to do it again?

Why do you ask?

I stated it was a personal preference. Do you need more information?

Just seems silly. If I was under the basket and the next closest person holes out from twenty feet seems it would just be common courtesy to hole out and retrieve thier disc for them. If it was your disc and you want to retrieve your own I could understand.

It ruins the Mojo

dude just doinked and then he touched my putter

F&*#!

Must remember that

Anyone who answered "No penalty" is correct.

The two issues at hand are the removal of the disc by someone other than the owner and the throwing of a disc belonging to someone else.

As you will see in the rulebook, a hole is completed once the disc has been removed from the basket. There is no rule dictating who does the removing.

Also, players are required to throw a uniquely marked disc for it to be legal. There is no wording specifying that the mark has to be their name or even if there is a name that it has to be their own.

This actually came up during a casual round and someone did that and wondered aloud if that would be illegal during a tournament. I think the only way it would be a problem is if "Jay" didn't have approval to putt with "Joe"'s disc, which would probably draw a courtesy violation at worst.

you keep your grubby digits off my putter bs

Dang Bapster, if I didn't pick up your putters, who would? You leave your crap all over the courses here in the QC. I have your FX btw that you left at Yadkin.

Just spreading my KARMA to other areas of NC. Feel blessed when you find one. Why do you think Kenny P aced.

I interpreted that as keep your FX! Let me know if I was off. ;)

You wouldn't know how to use it Properly. Plus it has may 2 righty ACES.

Now it sounds more like "go ahead and try it, if you like it keep it!" :D

Beware, it only flys upside down. Backhand like a Stratus

"Larry is too busy staring at his shoes and hasn't seen anything"


Actually Larry could be given a courtesy violation warning for failure to watch the shot.


A. Players should not throw until they are certain that the thrown disc will not distract another player or potentially injure anyone present. Players should watch the other members of their group throw in order to aid in locating errant throws and to ensure compliance with the rules.