Lucky Louie is playing Hole #8 at Mythical Links Disc Golf Course. #8 features a basket that sits on a side slope that runs down to an OB lake. LL puts his tee shot 20� below the basket. LL patiently waits his turn to putt and places his bag on the ground just to the side of his mark. Predictably, Lou doinks his putt off the tray and his putter catches an edge, starting to roll. Lucky Louie lives up to his name by having previously placed his bag right in the path that his putter is now taking towards the lake. The stunned group watches as LL�s putter hits his bag and drops flat. Louie then marks his disc and calmly putts out.

�Hey!�, fumes Bitter Brad, �you can�t leave your bag there like that! That disc was going OB!�
�That�s why they call me Lucky Louie. I�ll kindly take a 3, sir. Nyahhh!�

What�s your call?

No call. Give him the three.

Had Lucky Louie tried to move his bag and not lived up to his name (lucky) and clipped the disc-in-motion while trying to move his bag, he would receive an interference penalty. Best to just watch in horror/glee when it gets that far.

No call. Give him the three.

Had Lucky Louie tried to move his bag and not lived up to his name (lucky) and clipped the disc-in-motion while trying to move his bag, he would receive an interference penalty. Best to just watch in horror/glee when it gets that far.



If he unintentionally clipped the disc in motion it would still be no call. Interference implies intent.

If he unintentionally clipped the disc in motion it would still be no call. Interference implies intent.


That's a pretty slippery slope.

Interfernce with a disc is no penalty if it is unintentional. This includes this scenario or if you hit a spectator or another player

Wouldn't you pick up your bag if it happened to you?

Wouldn't you pick up your bag if it happened to you?


I would try. But I can see the problems already if someone tried to move their bag and knocked the disc over when it looked like the disc would go all the way downhill.

Rerun. More or less the same question was asked four months ago.
Interference, and responsibility for equipment (http://www.pdga.com/msgboard/showflat.php?Board=Rules%20&%20Standards&Number=555121)

Rerun. More or less the same question was asked four months ago.
Interference, and responsibility for equipment (http://www.pdga.com/msgboard/showflat.php?Board=Rules%20&%20Standards&Number=555121)



Just repackaged in a more interesting form.

Lucky Louie is playing Hole #8 at Mythical Links Disc Golf Course. #8 features a basket that sits on a side slope that runs down to an OB lake. LL puts his tee shot 20� below the basket. LL patiently waits his turn to putt and places his bag on the ground just to the side of his mark. Predictably, Lou doinks his putt off the tray and his putter catches an edge, starting to roll. Lucky Louie lives up to his name by having previously placed his bag right in the path that his putter is now taking towards the lake. The stunned group watches as LL�s putter hits his bag and drops flat. Louie then marks his disc and calmly putts out.

�Hey!�, fumes Bitter Brad, �you can�t leave your bag there like that! That disc was going OB!�
�That�s why they call me Lucky Louie. I�ll kindly take a 3, sir. Nyahhh!�

What�s your call?




i'd let the disc roll into the lake, walk down, get it out, dry it off and then go back to my previous lie and make the putt, saving my circle 4 and my dignity :p

Just repackaged, but same concerns.

If you have a problem with where they put their bag, the correct time to change that is before they throw. By allowing them to put their equipmemnt there, you are tacitly agreeing that there is little chance that it will become a factor in the throw. Once it is on the ground on a slope above a pond, it may be dangerous to try and move it while a shot is in progress.

Anyway, if the player is good enough to hit his bag after banking the disc off the basket, he should be given credit for a great shot. :cool:

Just repackaged, but same concerns.

If you have a problem with where they put their bag, the correct time to change that is before they throw. By allowing them to put their equipmemnt there, you are tacitly agreeing that there is little chance that it will become a factor in the throw. Once it is on the ground on a slope above a pond, it may be dangerous to try and move it while a shot is in progress.

Anyway, if the player is good enough to hit his bag after banking the disc off the basket, he should be given credit for a great shot. :cool:


<font color="red">Here is the rule.</font>

803.07 Interference

A. A thrown disc that hits another player, spectator, or animal shall be played where it comes to rest. A thrown disc that is intentionally deflected or was caught and moved shall be marked as close as possible to the point of contact, as determined by a majority of the group or an official. Alternatively, for intentional interference only, the thrower has the option of taking a re-throw. <font color="blue">Players shall not stand or leave their equipment where interference with the flight or path of a disc could easily occur.</font> The away player may require other players to mark their lies or move their equipment before making a throw if the player believes that either could interfere with his or her throw.


Tell them to move their #$*&amp;$! beforehand, or they get a 3 and you can't do anything about it.

<font color="red">Here is the rule.</font>

803.07 Interference

A. A thrown disc that hits another player, spectator, or animal shall be played where it comes to rest. A thrown disc that is intentionally deflected or was caught and moved shall be marked as close as possible to the point of contact, as determined by a majority of the group or an official. Alternatively, for intentional interference only, the thrower has the option of taking a re-throw. <font color="blue">Players shall not stand or leave their equipment where interference with the flight or path of a disc could easily occur.</font> The away player may require other players to mark their lies or move their equipment before making a throw if the player believes that either could interfere with his or her throw.


Tell them to move their #$*&$! beforehand, or they get a 3 and you can't do anything about it.


Since you quoted the rule...only the away player may require others to move or move their equipment. There is no provision in that rule for any "not the away player" to require the away player to move anything.

<font color="red">Here is the rule.</font>

803.07 Interference

A. A thrown disc that hits another player, spectator, or animal shall be played where it comes to rest. A thrown disc that is intentionally deflected or was caught and moved shall be marked as close as possible to the point of contact, as determined by a majority of the group or an official. Alternatively, for intentional interference only, the thrower has the option of taking a re-throw. <font color="blue">Players shall not stand or leave their equipment where interference with the flight or path of a disc could easily occur.</font> The away player may require other players to mark their lies or move their equipment before making a throw if the player believes that either could interfere with his or her throw.


Tell them to move their #$*&$! beforehand, or they get a 3 and you can't do anything about it.


Since you quoted the rule...only the away player may require others to move or move their equipment. There is no provision in that rule for any "not the away player" to require the away player to move anything.


That's not what it says. Yes, the away person can require someone to move their stuff if they want. But, the rule is <font color="blue">Players shall not stand or leave their equipment where interference with the flight or path of a disc could easily occur.</font> as in
801.01 Courtesy

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.

BTW, this is covered in the next part
C. Refusal to perform an action expected by the rules, such as assisting in the search for a lost disc, moving discs or equipment, or keeping score properly, etc., is a courtesy violation.

Point being, a rule is a rule, sentence by sentence.

I disagree.


Players shall not stand or leave their equipment where interference with the flight or path of a disc could easily occur.



The rule seems subjective enough to allow for a card ruling on whether something is being left where interference could easily occur.

The last sentence is the one that gives the away player the power to decide if you or your equipment may potentially effect his upcoming shot.

BTW, this is covered in the next part



C. Refusal to perform an action expected by the rules, such as assisting in the search for a lost disc, moving discs or equipment, or keeping score properly, etc., is a courtesy violation.





Not sure what you are trying to get at ?

Are you saying "moving discs or equipment" specifies that you are required to get stuff out of the way discs in play at all costs even if it was at rest prior to the shot ?

One half that says if it was there when you threw and you didn't want to hit it, you shouldn't have thrown at it. The other half says that some effort should be made to avoid interference with a disc in play. Now the question is: does moving an object that was at rest when the throw was taken constitute interference more than leaving it at rest ?

If it is clearly and safely possible to get the equipment out of the way I think it is implied that the equipment should be moved, however I have been on many slopes where it is not safe to make a sudden move to get something out of the way, nor is it always easy to predict the path of a disc in contact with the ground. A disc in flight should be fairly easy to avoid, a disc skipping, deflecting, or rolling is often very difficult to avoid.

What I am trying to get at.....
The rules says "refusal" to move stuff is a courtesy violation. Meaning 1: I ask John to move his bag because its in my way, he says "no", I stroke him for courtesy violation.
Meaning 2: I ask John to move his bag because it is in front of he and his lie and could interfere with play. He doesn't, I stroke him for courtesy violation.
Meaning 3: I ask John to move his bag because it's right beside him on an uphill putt and could possibly roll down and hit his bag if he doinks it. He doesn't, I stroke him for courtesy violation.

Get it. Refusal means he won't do it. If i never ask, I can't stroke him.

I know my scenario's sound harsh, but that's the rule. But the way I see it, most people will move their stuff if you ask nicely and it is "in the spirit of the game". I don't think you have to move your bag 400ft away so there is no possible way it could interfere, but a few feet is easy enough to do. Heck, most of the time, if someone's stuff is messing with my head, or possibly in the way I'll ask permission to move it so they don't have to. "Hey Bob, mind if I move your chair over here? It's in my peripheral vision and bugging me." 99 times out of 100, they'll say "Yeah, sure" or "Yeah, lemme get it." And there would be no problem, and no strokes, and good Karma for all.

I don't think you can make the thrower move his/her bag. We differ on this opinion.

By corollary, you would then also be able to tell the thrower to take straddle or straight-on stance on a hill because where they are taking their stance is right where a doink will roll.

I don't think you can make the thrower move his/her bag. We differ on this opinion.

By corollary, you would then also be able to tell the thrower to take straddle or straight-on stance on a hill because where they are taking their stance is right where a doink will roll.


Not really, unless you consider the thrower as part of equipment. We don't know where the disc will roll, but we do know what the chances of what it might do are. If you are putting uphill, move your bag away from the immediate area, or up the hill out of the way. Shoot, I'll do it for you if you want.
However, you did bring up an interesting point. If I am putting up hill, and the disc doinks, rolls down the hill and hits my leg and stops and falls over, have I interfered by not moving?

Not really, unless you consider the thrower as part of equipment.


You don't have to do that:

<font color="blue">Players shall not stand</font> or leave their equipment where interference with the flight or path of a disc could easily occur.

OK. Let's say that Bitter Brad takes it upon himself to move Louie's bag as the disc is approaching it on it's way to the lake.

What I am trying to get at.....
The rules says "refusal" to move stuff is a courtesy violation. Meaning 1: I ask John to move his bag because its in my way, he says "no", I stroke him for courtesy violation.
Meaning 2: I ask John to move his bag because it is in front of he and his lie and could interfere with play. He doesn't, I stroke him for courtesy violation.
Meaning 3: I ask John to move his bag because it's right beside him on an uphill putt and could possibly roll down and hit his bag if he doinks it. He doesn't, I stroke him for courtesy violation.

Get it. Refusal means he won't do it. If i never ask, I can't stroke him.



actually the rule says
C. Refusal to perform an action expected by the rules, such as assisting in the search for a lost disc, moving discs or equipment, or keeping score properly, etc., is a courtesy violation.

and you are correct that if you don't ask first, you can't give a courtesy violation.

So the first part is to establish that an action is expected by the rules, then show that it was not done. The interference rule requires intention. The placement of equipment also requires intention to avoid areas that could easily come into play.

Nothing beyond a sense of fair play requires that you move equipment that was in place when the throw was made. The fact that failing to successfully move something out of the way will probably get you a 2 stroke penalty encourages you not to move anything.

Based on 803.07
1) The away player may require any person or equipment be moved if it interferes with his shot or the ability to make his shot or just bugs him. No justification need be suppied.

2) The group may decide that equipment not listed by the away player may be in an area that could easily interfere with a disc in play, but they need to give some justification and must do it before a shot is taken.

Since all of the situations described above are courtesy violations concerning failure to comply with valid requests, they are all correct.

I believe the original question was about interference. None of the situations meet the requirements for interference. The first situation is the closest, but should be resolved prior to the shot.