so this happened during a casual/practice round today and I think I know the answer but I want to make sure. There is a mandatory (right) tree in the fairway. I throw my shot and it passes the tree on the left (wrong side) buy hits a tree a few feet past and bounces back around the tree. The mando tree is then still ahead of my lie. What is the correct ruling for yhe shot? Play as a penalty stroke or take the shot and play around the mando?

take the shot and play around the mando

To expand upon the question:

If the disc passes the mando on the incorrect side, hits a tree and bounces back to the tee side of the mando.

Is the mando missed or still in play ?

If the disc passes the mando on the correct side, hits a tree and bounces back to the tee side of the mando, what is the status of the disc in relation to the mando ?

Is the mando made or still in play ?

That's what I'm trying to figure out.

803.12 Mandatories
A. A mandatory restricts the path the disc may take to the target. A disc must pass the correct side of the mandatory before the hole is completed. Once the disc has completely passed the mandatory line on the correct side (even if it subsequently re-crosses the line), the mandatory is to be ignored for the remainder of play on that hole.
(1) The mandatory line is the line marked by the director or course designer to indicate when a disc has passed or missed 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.

B. A throw is considered to have missed the mandatory if it passes the incorrect side of the mandatory line from the direction of the tee, and comes to rest lying completely beyond that line.

C. A disc that has missed the mandatory results in a one-throw penalty and the next throw shall be made from the drop zone, as designated for that mandatory. In cases where the drop zone is not designated, the lie is marked within five meters of the mandatory object and one meter behind the mandatory line which extends from the correct side of the mandatory.

D. When marking the lie, if the line of play does not pass the correct side of the mandatory, then the mandatory itself shall be considered the hole for the application of all rules regarding stance, markers, obstacles, and relief. For the purposes of taking a legal stance, the mandatory object which has not yet been passed, and is nearest the tee, will be considered to be the hole.

E. A throw that misses a mandatory shall be penalized and the lie marked according to the mandatory rule (803.12). It will not be further penalized for any other reason, such as out-of-bounds or above two meters.

803.12 Mandatories
A. A mandatory restricts the path the disc
may take to the target. A disc must pass
the correct side of the mandatory before
the hole is completed. Once the disc has
completely passed the mandatory line on
the correct side (even if it subsequently
re-crosses the line), the mandatory is to
be ignored for the remainder of play on
that hole.

803.12 Mandatories
B. A throw is considered to have missed
the mandatory if it passes the incorrect
side of the mandatory line from the
direction of the tee, and comes to rest
lying completely beyond that line.


The mando is made the instant the disc passes the mando on the good side.
The mando is not missed until the disc comes to rest beyond the mando line having passed the mando on the bad side.

looks the rules have a loophole for that situation and my assumption was wrong. Since the disc came to rest on the tee side of the mando, no penalty stroke is warranted. But you still have to makethe mando on the next shot.

What if you don't want to play a Mando when everyone else is?

looks the rules have a loophole for that situation and my assumption was wrong. Since the disc came to rest on the tee side of the mando, no penalty stroke is warranted. But you still have to makethe mando on the next shot.



Once the mando line is crossed it is ignored. So you do not have to make the mando on the next shot.

Only when the mando line is crossed on the good side.

If the mando is crossed on the wrong side as in the original question, the mando is not missed until the disc comes to rest completely across the mando line.

So in the original question, the mando is still in play and must be crossed on the correct side from where the disc came to rest on the teebox side of the mando line. There is no penalty involved because the mando was not missed.

another mando question:

there is a left mando designated as a particular tree that is leaning left, say 10degrees from vertical, and you throw over the tree with a thumber that is corkscrewing above the tree.

1. if the mando miss/made is made from the perspective of the tee, does the mando line go straight up from where the top of the tree is, vertically or off at a 10deg angle, or from where the painted mando arrow is, and at what angle?

2. if you go above the mando who decides whether you made it or not, is it a group decision? can people be off-axis from the tee/mando line and have their judgment add to the decision?


3. are you even allowed to go over the mando?

another mando question:

there is a left mando designated as a particular tree that is leaning left, say 10degrees from vertical, and you throw over the tree with a thumber that is corkscrewing above the tree.

1. if the mando miss/made is made from the perspective of the tee, does the mando line go straight up from where the top of the tree is, vertically or off at a 10deg angle, or from where the painted mando arrow is, and at what angle?

2. if you go above the mando who decides whether you made it or not, is it a group decision? can people be off-axis from the tee/mando line and have their judgment add to the decision?


3. are you even allowed to go over the mando?



It would depend on how they played it. Most places use the trunk so you would have to be inside of that but I guess some places may just play it vertically.

Even though ideally mandos are vertical, the rule does say the disc must pass on the correct SIDE of the mando indicating the disc would need to pass inside the tree and over the mando line at whatever height it was flying. I would say that once the tree trunk ends, in theory the line would extend vertically upward from that tip at that point if the disc were to completely clear the tree. The mando rule does indicate that the disc must cross the mando line on the ground if one is marked. So there is room for argument that a disc could cross the line but be on the wrong side of the mando tree if it's bent over far enough on an angle. But it would have passed the wrong side of the mando.

Just my opinion, but the veritcal barrier should be from the point or arrow, not the tree, post, fence, it was affixed to.


another mando question:

there is a left mando designated as a particular tree that is leaning left, say 10degrees from vertical, and you throw over the tree with a thumber that is corkscrewing above the tree.

1. if the mando miss/made is made from the perspective of the tee, does the mando line go straight up from where the top of the tree is, vertically or off at a 10deg angle, or from where the painted mando arrow is, and at what angle?

2. if you go above the mando who decides whether you made it or not, is it a group decision? can people be off-axis from the tee/mando line and have their judgment add to the decision?


3. are you even allowed to go over the mando?

If you say the mando is the arrow, then a disc that is lower than the height of the tree could pass the tree on the correct side but be very close to the tree and miss the mando. Which is why I think the mando should be the tree and agree with Chuck it is the top of the tree extended vertically.