Clear and precise course rules are important for fair tournament play. As a TD, you should write your course rules in a way that is understandable to all players and leaves no room for misinterpretation. A poorly written rule that can be interpreted in different ways can lead to misplays and penalties for your players.
TDs should follow these general principles when writing course rules:
The true spirit of organized amateur athletics is competing in a sport purely for the love of that sport and the act of competition itself.
“True Amateur” is the designation used by the Professional Disc Golf Association in reference to those amateur events, or the amateur portion of an event, which promote that true spirit of amateur athletics by presenting only trophies to the top finishers of the tournament rather than a payout in merchandise. Instead, all players in the event receive equal value through their tournament experience due to the tournament amenities that are provided.
There are several levels of PDGA-sanctioned events, referred to as Tiers. Each Tier has its own set of requirements and regulations based on the PDGA Tour Standards. Higher Tiers of events, which include World Championships, PDGA Majors, Elite Series events, A-Tier events, and (beginning January 1, 2022) B-Tier events require current PDGA membership in order to participate.
This is your step-by-step guide to sanctioning a PDGA event. If you have questions or need any assistance with these steps or with your event, please ask eventsupport@pdga.com.
1) Select a date and tier then have it approved by your area’s PDGA Coordinator.
This is a companion that follows the PDGA guide for How to Plan For a PDGA Event. This document assumes that the TD is running a two-day event, but the guidelines apply regardless of how many days your event might be.
Note: These are merely suggestions and best practices.
