Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events
1.09 Ties
Last updated: Tuesday, December 31, 2024 - 17:32
- When sorting groups under 1.06.E, ties for position are broken as if the following player has the lower total score:
- First, a player with a lower score in the more recent round;
- Second, among players with identical round scores for the event, the player with the lower PDGA number (a player with no PDGA number loses this tiebreaker);
- Finally, among players with no PDGA number, the player whose last name comes first in alphabetical order.
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Playoffs:
Except where noted below in 1.09.D, final ties for first place in any division must be broken by a playoff, either sudden-death or aggregate. If ties are being broken for the reduction of field size, they also must be broken by these procedures. Under no circumstances should any other method such as hot round, head-to-head scores, etc. be used to break a tie for first place. The Official Rules of Disc Golf and the Competition Manual apply during playoffs, but the throws do not accrue to the players' scores or break ties for any position other than first.
- Sudden-death is a playoff format where the player or players with the lowest score on a hole move on to the next hole and all other players are eliminated. When only one player has the lowest score on a hole, that player has won the tiebreaker and sudden-death play is over.
- Aggregate is a playoff format where the competitors play a set of 6 or fewer holes that have been announced by the TD, where the lowest score on all holes wins the playoff. Players who are tied after an aggregate playoff proceed to sudden-death play on those same holes, unless a different set of holes has been announced by the TD.
- Playoffs shall begin, wherever possible, on the same course and layout as the previous round on hole number one unless a different course, hole, or series of holes is designated by the Tournament Director prior to the start of the tournament.
- Playoffs must use the same format as the previous round (e.g., medal play, match play, team play) unless another format is designated by the Tournament Director prior to the start of the tournament. In team play, each team is considered a player for the purposes of this section. Any playoff that uses team play to break ties for an event conducted wholly as singles play, or that uses singles play to break ties for an event conducted wholly as team play, must do so for a compelling competitive reason and must be approved prior to the start of the event by the Director of Event Support.
- The specific order in which players tee off for the first hole of a playoff shall be determined by random draw (e.g., numbered playing cards, selecting tee positions from a hat, etc.).
- In the case of a tied hole during sudden-death play, the teeing order for the next hole will rotate from the order used on the just completed hole, such that the player who teed first on the previous hole relative to the remaining players will now tee last, the player who teed second will now tee first, and so on.
- During an aggregate playoff, the teeing order will instead rotate in the manner described by 802.02, Order of Play.
- If the aggregate playoff ends with two or more players still tied, the teeing order will rotate:
- in the manner described by 802.02 to set the teeing order for the first hole of sudden-death play; and
- in the manner described by 1.09.B.6 for the remainder of sudden-death play.
- Players may decline to participate in a playoff. Their ranking and cash or prizes will be determined as if they had declined to participate in a semi-final or final among the tied players (see 1.08.D).
- First place cash or prizes must be awarded to the division winner and listed in the event results. Cash or prizes may not be evenly split between any players tied for first place except as noted in 1.09.D.
- Exceptions to the requirement for first place tiebreakers:
- A tie for first place at a flex start event where a tied competitor has already left the event.
- A tie for first place caused by the necessity of calling an event due to dangerous conditions where there is no time left on the regularly scheduled final day of competition to complete the event or break a tie for first place. Under no circumstances should players be expected, or asked, to return on a day following the last day of the regularly scheduled rounds to finish the event (see PDGA Mid-Event Suspension & Cancellation Policy).
- If a playoff cannot be held during the last day of regularly scheduled rounds for the competition, the tie for first place will stand with the players declared co-champions and the cash and prizes for the ranked places split between the players if two players are tied for first place, they split the first and second place cash or prizes).
- Final ties for other ranks shall be officially recorded as ties. Prize money distribution to tied players (other than for first place) shall be determined by adding the total money allocated to the number of positions represented by the tied players and dividing that by the number of players tied. Trophy distribution for ties may be determined by a playoff or by any related disc golf skill event determined by the Tournament Director, but only for the purpose of awarding trophies; the players must remain officially recorded as tied in the results.
Outline of Contents
Disc Golf Rules and Standards
- Overview
- Official Rules of Disc Golf
- Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events
- Section 1: Tournament Procedures
- 1.01 Player Eligibility
- 1.02 Tournament Registration
- 1.03 Withdrawals and Refunds
- 1.04 Event Check-In
- 1.05 Practice Rounds, Beginning Play, Late Arrivals
- 1.06 Grouping and Sectioning
- 1.07 Suspension of Play
- 1.08 Reduction of Field Size (Cuts)
- 1.09 Ties
- 1.10 Distribution of Prizes
- 1.11 Officials
- 1.12 Tournament Officials
- 1.13 Youth Safety
- 1.14 Leagues
- Section 2: Division Qualifications
- Section 3: Player Code of Conduct
- Section 4: Majors and Elite Series
- Section 5: PDGA Tour Standards
- Section 6: International Variances and Exceptions
- Section 1: Tournament Procedures
- Translated Rules of Disc Golf
- Becoming a PDGA Certified Rules Official
- PDGA Tour Standards
- Technical Standards
- Disc Golf Rules History
- Rules School