New PDGA Technical Standards

[brutalbrutus]

https://www.pdga.com/announcements/technical-standards-update-effective-september-2018

Confirmed that the Mini Disc Golf Federation determines the rules for minidisc competition including the specifications for minis acceptable for competition.

Target manufacturers may produce permanent or temporary upgrade kits for their PDGA Approved models. Some types of upgrades may not require the target to be re-approved.

Target owners are allowed to make limited enhancements to the deflection assembly on PDGA Approved targets if similar enhancement not available from target manufacturer and the enhancements are done on all targets of the same model on a course.

An alternative chain design option is now available for new target models to receive Championship approval. New targets may now have a single set of crossing chains with small enough gaps. Targets with this alternative chain configuration cannot get official approval until January 1, 2019 but may be used in A-tiers and above for the remainder of 2018 with a waiver from the PDGA. The current Championship standard remains where the traditional two sets of chains will continue to be approved.

 

[Halcón]

What are crossing chains? In other words, linked in a way that a disc cannot slip through?

 

[brutalbrutus]

Not sure myself... Maybe Chuck can elaborate since he wrote the article...

 

[Mocheez]

This was first discussed in last year's Fall Summit...

The following is from the PDGA minutes from the Fall Summit. What basket are they talking about? Or was the conversation purely hypothetical?

Joe – from a manufacturing perspective there may be baskets without inner chains that
maintain a high level of disc "catchability". Less metal equals lower cost to produce and ship. We may want to
relook our criteria for certifying championship baskets. Stork – the PDGA has a history of staying out of the
business of approving specific discs, targets, etc.; "agnostic"; our standard for championship baskets was
intended for a certain catching ability – now an innovation comes along and achieves the same catching ability
– should we re-examine our standard? Stork believes that we should explore this kind of situation – does this
basket fit comfortably in the range of other baskets we approve; he would like the board to task the Tech
committee to check into this particular basket; and what are the implications for our standards? Elaine – we
have set standards that imply a better target, but are they actually better? Need a reproduceable way to test
catchability. Quantifiable. Do we want to investigate further, potentially changing the measurement standard
for a championship basket? Chuck – current process measures failure, not success. All we need to do is add to
the specification that they can add a chain deflection device that does not allow cut-throughs.

https://www.pdga.com/files/pdga_fall_summit_2017_minutes_-_approved.pdf

 

[chevis]

the t3 that inspired the change:

supposedly catches as well as baskets with inner chain assemblies. i bet some people have opinions opcorn:

 

[frasnow]

Confirmed that the Mini Disc Golf Federation determines the rules for minidisc competition including the specifications for minis acceptable for competition.

PDGA Mini Marker Rules:

Mini Marker discs must have a circular shape, with a diameter ranging from 7 cm to 15 cm and a height not exceeding 3 cm.

Mini Disc Golf Federation Disc Regulations:

No Mini Disc greater than 4.5 inches in diameter or 11.43cm may be used in play.

So a Macro Tesla is a legal mini marker, but not legal for mini disc golf play according to the Mini Disc Golf Federation, and therefore the PDGA. Lame! :thmbdown:

The use of English units instead of metric, also lame.

 

[Cgkdisc]

PDGA Mini Marker Rules:


Mini Disc Golf Federation Disc Regulations:


So a Macro Tesla is a legal mini marker, but not legal for mini disc golf play according to the Mini Disc Golf Federation, and therefore the PDGA. Lame! :thmbdown:

The use of English units instead of metric, also lame.

I think you misunderstand. The PDGA does not sanction minigolf play nor has current plans to do so. The PDGA just specifies legal marker discs in metric. Note that official markers do not have to be made of plastic. This new additional spec is just pointing out that the Mini Disc Golf Federation does specify the rules, discs and other equipment for their minigolf play and can do it with metric or English units as they see fit.

 

[frasnow]

I think you misunderstand. The PDGA does not sanction minigolf play nor has current plans to do so. The PDGA just specifies legal marker discs in metric. Note that official markers do not have to be made of plastic. This new additional spec is just pointing out that the Mini Disc Golf Federation does specify the rules, discs and other equipment for their minigolf play and can do it with metric or English units as they see fit.

Ok, so the reference to MDGF is an FYI rather than the PDGA granting them any authority. The statement in the Technical Standards appeared to grant them authority, but I can see it being interpreted either way.

My statement about English vs Metric was about their default unit being English units, which translates to a funky metric number. Most of the PDGA rules are in metric, so I assume most of the mini discs are designed to metric.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Most of the PDGA rules are in metric, so I assume most of the mini discs are designed to metric.

Perhaps that's true but I wouldn't count on it since mini markers can be made of a variety of materials that may have been created with English units.

 

[frasnow]

Perhaps that's true but I wouldn't count on it since mini markers can be made of a variety of materials that may have been created with English units.

MDGF only allows plastic, and they are the ones requiring discs to be a maximum of 11.43cm.

#NotMyMiniDiscOrganization

 

[DiscFifty]

"Target owners are allowed to make limited enhancements to the deflection assembly" I believe this also allows physical items to be attached permanently or temporary in order to enhance difficulty or to change lines to the basket, etc. In effect blocking entrance to an area of the basket.

 

[Cgkdisc]

"Target owners are allowed to make limited enhancements to the deflection assembly" I believe this also allows physical items to be attached permanently or temporary in order to enhance difficulty or to change lines to the basket, etc. In effect blocking entrance to an area of the basket.

This is limited to adding material primarily inside of the existing chain envelope like an internal set of chains if that target manufacturer doesn't offer their own internal chain upgrade option. Or, perhaps someone wants to add some sort of foam or cushioning material to the pipe inside a single chain envelope. Or, you could add a mesh material around the chain envelope to completely prevent cut-throughs. The addition would typically be radially uniform so the basket continues to catch about the same from all directions and the target retain its PDGA Approved status.