Disc Golf Rules clarification

Today, someone mentioned that a player that has their disc land on top of the basket receives a one stroke penalty plus the additional stroke to place the disc in the basket. It did not effect anyone's score but I know it might in the future.

I disagreed with the opinion that the player receives a penalty but simply receives one additional stoke to place the disc in the basket. I wanted to make sure that I was not wrong so I searched the internet and the rule book to find a ruling. 803.13 defines holing out as resting in the chains or in the entrapment section but not resting on top of the target, it does not mention and penalty being assessed. Also 803.08 discusses the issue in detail.

A. If a disc comes to rest above the playing surface in a tree or other obstacle on the course, its lie shall be marked on the playing surface directly below it. If the point directly below the disc above the playing surface is an out-of-bounds area, the disc shall be declared out-of-bounds and marked and penalized in accordance with 803.09. If the playing surface directly below the disc is inside a tree or other solid obstacle, the lie shall be marked on the line of play immediately behind the tree or other solid obstacle. The director may designate a one throw penalty for discs that come to rest two meters or higher above the playing surface. The director may declare the two meter rule to be in effect for the entire course, or just for individual obstacles. (Sections B through D are only used if the two meter penalty is in effect.)


Someone else said that the two meter rule would have an effect on the ruling. Technically this is true if the basket top is greater than six foot six inches. I have never seen a basket mounted this high. Also 804.01 states that a 2 meter rule must be announced prior to play, so even if you had a 8 foot basket with a disc on top of it, the two meter rule would have to be decalred first before a penalty.


The next question was if a disc is in water (wet), then it is OB.

803.9A states A disc shall be considered out-of-bounds only when it comes to rest and it is clearly and completely surrounded by the out-of-bounds area. A disc thrown in water shall be deemed to be at rest once it is floating or is moving only by the action of the water or the wind on the water.

If the disc is (wet) but halfway touching the ground, it is in bounds.

The final rule is one that I missed myself. I often take shots on the edge of OB or at the edge of the water when I could move one meter (3ft3in) in bounds.

803.03C C. If the thrown disc comes to rest in-bounds but within one meter of an out-of-bounds line, the lie may be relocated to any point on a one-meter line that extends perpendicularly from the nearest point on the out-of-bounds line, and passes through the center of the thrown disc. This holds true even if the direction takes the lie closer to the hole.

I hope that everyone agrees with clarifications and is not unknowingly adding strokes to their card.

Nice work. Yes a disc that comes to lie on top of a basket is the same as a disc that is next to the basket. The two meter rule isn't always in effect, It's up to the tournament director or in most cases the group when playing a round.