Tired of people not renewing PDGA membership!

[Cgkdisc]

Player is responsible followed by TD. Note that there are times when a player can play in a lower division than their current rating. One, if it's a series where they started in a lower division before their rating went too high. Two, if they properly pre-registered for an event and they got a higher rating when the new ratings update came out within two weeks of the event.

[discgolf4lif3]

If you want to get away from baggers move up! I've played 4 tournies this year played novice and won to get a rating cause I had no idea what it was played rec got 6th moved up. Played intermediate got 28th so I stayed there and won intermediate a few weeks later. I'm not consistent enought to go adavanced but I know I'm too good stick around in intermediate where everyone is going to call me a bagger even though my rating is 916 and refects my bad rounds and dosent highlight any good rounds.. Yea it sucks when people do it to win free gear but if you noticed it only happens in lower divisions so take your time and practice get consistent and get out

[Greatzky]

maybe it's a geographic thing, but in all the tournaments I've played in the PA/NJ/NY/DE area most people either play their division or play up a division and NOT the other way around.
We have tons of 890-930 players playing advanced and a lot of 930+ players playing Pro. I will sadly be rated under 930 again after my disaster at Tyler(lost 20+ rating points in the last year) so technically I should be playing MA2.. I've never played MA2 and always play MA1 or Pro(in small local events).

[JC17393]

Originally Posted by ShopTom.com

I just finally became a PDGA member and it seems every tournament result I click on has players in divisions lower than their rating. So who's to blame?

Any samples you could link to? Personally, I have a hard time buying that there's some kind of wide spread epidemic of players playing divisions for which they are rated too highly. There are just too many people who are overly concerned with being sandbagged for it to be legitimately (as in players truly playing down according to their rating) happening all that often.

[Bugz36984]

I just registered for a tourny in Cincinnati, the CCS at Mt. Airy (Oct 20th), and there is someone rated 937 playing Intermediate. I thought 935+ played advanced? I really don't care either way b/c I'm going to win just stating its happening.

[DavidSauls]

See Chuck's post #101 as to why this might be legitimate. It could also be a mistake, to be corrected by tournament time.

[krupicka]

There are times when the TD doesn't catch it (though it is easier now with some recent updates to the TD tools). A simple email to the TD usually helps catch these mistakes.

[Jay Dub]

Originally Posted by Bugz36984

I just registered for a tourny in Cincinnati, the CCS at Mt. Airy (Oct 20th), and there is someone rated 937 playing Intermediate. I thought 935+ played advanced? I really don't care either way b/c I'm going to win just stating its happening.

The Course Challenge Series (CCS) is a PDGA event at Mt Airy (and other Cincinnati city parks) because the city requires insurance for these events. The other courses/tournaments played in the CCS are not PDGA events.

This is a local series of tournaments that has been going on for a couple decades. Everyone knows everyone else and I won't say that no sand bagging exists but it would be harder for some one to play below their rating/ability because most players know each other.

[JC17393]

Originally Posted by Bugz36984

I just registered for a tourny in Cincinnati, the CCS at Mt. Airy (Oct 20th), and there is someone rated 937 playing Intermediate. I thought 935+ played advanced? I really don't care either way b/c I'm going to win just stating its happening.

It's not "happening", it's potentially happening. As has already been pointed out, a quick email to the TD inquiring about it probably remedies the situation, especially since there's still a week to go before the event.

I'm sure it's just an oversight that can happen when a player is that close to the line...perhaps they signed up before the last update and their rating has gone up in the meantime. Perhaps they just don't pay close enough attention to their rating to realize it is that high. More likely than not, it's not a case of the player being sneaky and trying to get away with something.

What it isn't is a case of the series over-riding rating like Chuck points out as a possible explanation for this kind of thing, primarily because the CCS doesn't track intermediate as a point division. The CCS usually isn't PDGA sanctioned at all, it's just a local series of monthly minis. But apparently some parks (like Mt Airy) require insurance, and the PDGA sanction gives them that cheaply.

[wake911]

So, i just found a reason that "sand bagging" could occur. A disc golf acquaintance of mine, just started getting much better. He started the fall series (8 tournaments in like 3 months) as REC. When he started, he was def an REC player.

BUT...he's been playing a lot, and with tons of different, better players, so his skill level is jumping a lot, he is a solid INT player now. He won the last REC tournament, got 2nd in the one before that. Will likely do the same the rest of the series (3 more events)

If the only event you go to and play REC is one of the next 3, you will yell BAGGER.....but if he moves up he'll lose the series just because he improved? Doesn't feel right to call him a bagger, ya know?

i'd never thought of this until this tournament.