Out of Bounds?

Are you lost regarding out-of-bounds rules? Then it’s mandatory you check this clarification from the PDGA out.

This is the first Rules School topic since the PDGA Rulebook and Competition Manual was updated for 2011. The good news is the Out of Bounds rules did not change in 2011. The bad news is some players and even TDs still have trouble following them. Maybe the following discussion can help.

803.09A. 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. See section 803.03 F (Marking a Lie).

You cannot determine whether a disc is out-of-bounds until it stops moving from the effort made by the thrower. The disc can land OB and skip out, roll through out-of-bounds or fly over it for most of its flight. But if it doesn’t stay in the marked OB area, it’s not OB. Where a disc first comes to rest in water simply from the effort made by the thrower can be a tricky call especially if the water is moving. It’s important for the group to have a spotter for these types of situations or for the group to hustle and see where the disc lands. Otherwise, the disc might float to an inbounds bank where it might remain inbounds when it was really out-of-bounds. Or, the player might claim that location was the last point inbounds and get a much better mark.

It can also work to the advantage for a player when a disc lands on a beach inbounds and the waves pull the disc out-of-bounds before the players see it was actually inbounds when first at rest. Discs landing in the wave pattern on a beach can be difficult to call in general. The benefit of the doubt is given to the player where a disc is only considered out-of-bounds if it is always surrounded by water, not just covered by waves part of the time.

803.09A (cont.) The out-of-bounds line itself is considered out-of-bounds.

This simple statement seems to baffle even experienced players, possibly because our out-of-bounds lines can be all widths from razor thin edges to thick uneven lines and comprised of all kinds of materials from posts to curbs to fences to paint and to string. The following diagram shows some disc locations in relation to the relatively wide OB line going down the middle. The blue discs at each end are completely inbounds (IB) and completely out-of-bounds so no problem. The pink discs are both barely touching the OB line. However, most of the left pink disc is inbounds so it’s IB. Since the out-of-bounds line itself is out-of-bounds, the right pink disc is out-of-bounds because it’s completely in the out-of-bounds area which includes the out-of-bounds line.

More information available at: http://www.pdga.com/ob-one-can-know-thee