Thoughts on the 2013 Rule changes?

[joshmo65]

The 30-second clock (excessive time) now starts when you reach your disc, rather than after
you mark it, since a disc may not be marked. You can no longer stand over your disc holding
your mini for an indefinite amount of time.

[x] Like

I could never really tell when the 30 seconds started as people would walk up to their disc, wave their arms trying different lines for a minute or two, then put down their mini, wave their arms again for 20 seconds and throw their discs. This should make those 90 man field rounds go faster imo. Although, I think it should be bumped up to 45 seconds or so just so you can look at a few lines before you throw.

The entire group must assist in the search for a lost disc. Whoever starts the clock has to
tell the group that it has started.

I thought this was already a rule? Was the previous rule just after 3 minutes of everyone searching as opposed to actually announcing that the clock was started? I know in the case of lost discs, we just kind of say, "well, we have been looking for 10 minutes and can't find it. Might as well retee."

[krupicka]

30 seconds is a long time. If everyone took their 30 seconds we could only run events on the Summer Solstice.

The difference on the three minute rule is subtle. Before it was "Two players or an official must note when the timing of three minutes begins" The 2013 reading is much better. Now someone just needs to say, "I've started a clock" or something like that when the look at their watch or start a timer.

[BigSky]

The 30-second clock (excessive time) now starts when you reach your disc, rather than after
you mark it, since a disc may not be marked. You can no longer stand over your disc holding
your mini for an indefinite amount of time.

[biscoe]

i'd like to hear the logic behind the omitted hole rule from someone actually in the know... robert?

...and course rules such as mandatory re-tees should be up to the td.

[jenb]

Does the omitted hole have to be unintentional or unavoidable? I seem to recall a category of player misconduct for intentional misplay. I thought you could get DQd and even suspended or banned for intentional misplay.

[biscoe]

imo you should get dq'ed for an omitted hole period... and for turning in an incorrect scorecard.

[mashnut]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the situation of players showing up late to a restarted round (e.g. after a round is suspended for lightning).

[bombmk]

Originally Posted by jenb

Does the omitted hole have to be unintentional or unavoidable? I seem to recall a category of player misconduct for intentional misplay. I thought you could get DQd and even suspended or banned for intentional misplay.

Part F of the new Misplay section (the one where the Omitted Hole is part G as well) takes care of that.

http://conraddamon.com/pdga/2013/rul...ml#rule-803.03

F. A player who deliberately misplays the course to gain competitive advantage shall be penalized in accordance with Section 3.3 of the Competition Manual.

[JC17393]

Originally Posted by mashnut

I wonder if it has anything to do with the situation of players showing up late to a restarted round (e.g. after a round is suspended for lightning).

There had to be an easier way to account for that specific situation than adding a rather broad and general rule that could be applied to other situations. Easy like adding a clause about re-started rounds to the existing late start rule instead.

I think Jen is on to the real reason Omitted Hole was added, and that's to account for emergency situations that don't necessarily have to take a player out of the tournament all together. I recall an instance at USDGC a few years back where a player got a call on the course that there was some sort of issue with his child, who was under the eyes of USDGC-provided daycare. He left his group, missed a few holes, and was able to return once his child's issue was squared away. Tournament officials gave him par+4 for the missed holes and he was able to finish the tournament. At the time, it could have been argued that they misappropriated the rules for this player, but under these new rules, the situation would have been covered.

But it is a rule that is ripe for potential abuse. Perhaps there needs to be some sort of clause added to make it something that could be used at TD discretion. Sort of requiring a player who omits a hole to appeal to the TD to be allowed to continue without being considered DNF or being DQed.

[krupicka]

Omitting a hole will be at the TDs discretion. If the TD thinks it was intentional to circumvent the rules, he will be DQd. The 2013 rules don't need to be changed in the regard. In fact it is good that it spells out this as an option for those unusual situations. In the past, TDs kind of winged it if a player missed a hole for some of the reasons cited above.