Every Tuesday I open up the discussion board and ask the Internet their opinions on specific disc golf topics. This week I break down our first #teepadthoughts discussion and find similarities across multiple social media platforms. While there were a lot of funny answers, I was focused on the serious rule changes or additions that could possibly changes the sport of disc golf as we know it. Some rules have been up for discussion amongst players for quite some time now, while others are arising as we continue to grow. Let’s break down the 5 most common rules that could flip the sport on its head!

1) Make tee pads and baskets have a regulated length/sizes

While I don’t think this one will flip the sport on its head too much, it was something that was brought up a lot across all of the platforms. When referring to the baskets, it seems like players and fans would like to see a universal basket that would be used for NTs, Majors, and the DGPT. Whether this basket is similar to the one’s we use now or needs to be smaller, that is a discussion for a different time. A universal basket across all Elite events worldwide could help bring more professionalism to the sport. Along with the baskets players would like to see a regulation to the size of teepads. I really like this idea as teepads are our biggest safety concern in the sport. Who has played on a sketchy teepad before?Creating a regulation so courses need a certain size and material for their teepads could minimize safety risks and help make the sport more appealing to people outside the industry.

2) Jump putts should be illegal inside 20m / 66ft

This answer was probably the most common across all platforms. While a lot of people want to ban the jump/step putt all together, I personally don’t see that happening any time soon. As of right now the rule is “Any throw made from within 10 meters of the target, as measured from the rear of the marker disc to the base of the target, is a putt. After having released a putt, the player must demonstrate full control of balance behind the marker disc before advancing toward the target. A player who fails to do so has committed a stance violation and receives one penalty throw.” This rule seems to have a real possibility of being implemented because there isn’t much that needs to be changed. The biggest downside to this rule change would be marking 20m from the basket could be a challenge in the woods. Nonetheless this is a rule I can get behind and hope to see tested in the years to come.

3) Stroke and Distance OB

Implementing this rule into the sport on a more regular basis could change the sport on a competitive level forever. This rule alone has the most potential to changing the sport for better or worse. Stroke and Distance on an OB stroke means if you go out of bounds you receive a one stroke penalty and do not get to advance to the last point you were inbounds. Instead you must take your next shot from your last lie with a one stroke penalty. The demographic that were vocal about this rule seemed to be a lot of the professional golfers who are on tour. A big talking point amongst pros were to make stroke and distance a case by case situation. There are some holes where it is imperative that stroke and distance be implemented while other holes might not need the rule. Once again this is a rule I hope is tested more in the coming years.

4) Remove the 2m Rule / Enforce the 2m Rule

The 2 meter rule could be the most hated and controversial rule amongst players. I’ve seen a lot of players in disc golf who cheer when they hear the rule is not in effect at their local C-tier. The two meter rule goes as follows, “If the two-meter rule is in effect when a disc has come to rest at least two meters above the in-bounds playing surface (as measured from the lowest point of the disc to the playing surface directly below it), the player receives one penalty throw. The position of the disc is on the playing surface directly below the disc.” This rule needs to be put into effect from the TD and announces to the players. Image if this rule was flipped and it became the norm across tournaments. While there would be mass hysteria at tournament central, this rule in effect at all times would cause for quite a few strokes for some.

5) Limit the amount of discs carried in tournament play

This topic seemed to have a 50/50 split in opinions. A lot of people flat out think this rule would be dumb or bad for the sport, while the other half think a disc limit in competition could push the sport forward. This is a rule that could easily be implemented into the DGPT and other majors, but the question is do we really need this rule at all? If this rule was added to competitive play what would that disc limit be? Last year we created Ricky Wysocki’s In the Bag video and he was carrying over 30 discs! Imagine if a professional who carries over 30 discs then needed to work his bag down to 15-20 discs. I am pretty split myself as I see both sides showing benefits and disadvantages. I think I would first like to see some officials check player’s bags for the legality of each disc before imposing a limit. While this is something I see being a possibility, we are still a little off before any rules are created.

Overall there wasn’t too much of a surprise to what I was expecting in the comments. It was refreshing to have comments that were positive and civil that made for quality discussion. My biggest surprise was the amount of touring professionals who chimed in and gave their opinion. I really hope to see some of these quality of life changes in the near future and we can start testing some new rules that could help pushing our sport forward.

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Written by: Chris German