Left foot off the pad?

[Steve West]

From the BRP #10 discussion. Thought the question belonged here.

Standing on the right front of the teebox, my right foot on with my left clearly off the pad but still in a legal position

What is "off the pad but still in a legal position"?

 

[kerplunk]

As long you have at least one supporting point on the pad and no supporting points off of the pad when the disc leaves your hand it is legal. So one foot on and the other off is legal as long as the other isn't touching the ground.

 

[Henline]

802.01 Teeing Off

Play begins on each hole with the player throwing from within the teeing area. When the disc is released, the player must have at least one supporting point in contact with the surface of the teeing area, and all supporting points must be in contact only with the surface of the teeing area. Supporting point contact outside the teeing area is allowed if it comes before or after, and not at, the moment the disc is released.

Maybe if they are referring to a walk/run up where their left leg is pushed off before throwing (thus no longer in contact) it'd be legal. If a standstill throw like it seems to be written it's illegal since they have a supporting point in contact outside the tee area.

 

[coupe]

So one foot on and the other off is legal as long as the other isn't touching the ground.

Close, but not quite correct: if the other foot or any other supporting point is in contact with an object capable of providing support outside the teeing area, the stance is illegal. (802.01)

 

[smarkquart]

Close, but not quite correct: if the other foot or any other supporting point is in contact with an object capable of providing support outside the teeing area, the stance is illegal. (802.01)

Then I will concede that I have been making an illegal stance on two holes that I am aware of (BRP #10 and Plymouth #11).

Yet the more I think of it, it would be a close call. Before the throw my right foot would be on the pad, on the upper right corner, and my left foot would be planted on the ground outside of the tee box but not forward of the front edge of it. Because of my twisting motion of my hips and shoulders, I am probably sure that I do indeed lift my left leg before the disc leaves my hand because before the throw my back is to the target but after the moment of release my body is now facing it. I guess I never truly paid too much attention because I thought it was a legal stance because most of my weight is on my right foot, thus creating the support point in what is a legal spot.

So I guess the question now is, is it legal to have one foot off the tee pad during a non-run up throw as long as that foot is lifted before the moment of release (thus truly making the right foot the supporting point)?

The wording of 802.01 suggests that it is legal, and only my poor description of how I throw from the other thread made it seem otherwise (if I indeed do lift my left foot and bring it within the teebox area as I believe I do the more and more I think of it).

 

[Henline]

I don't see how it'd be any different from a jump putt. As long as your foot isn't in contact when you release you're fine, but since it's from the tee I'm sure you'd be much more susceptible to a foot fault being called since it's easier to notice. Probably be easier to just find a different stance that would work or figure out a different approach down the fairway that is legal, but that's my opinion.

 

[coupe]

So I guess the question now is, is it legal to have one foot off the tee pad during a non-run up throw as long as that foot is lifted before the moment of release (thus truly making the right foot the supporting point)?

As long as all your supporting points are within the teeing area at the moment the disc is released, it's no different that starting your run-up outside the teeing area. ("Teeing area" because there are times when a TD may designate a larger teeing area than just the teepad, usually for safety but occasionally for other reasons.)

(if I indeed do lift my left foot and bring it within the teebox area as I believe I do the more and more I think of it).

If you want to be completely sure you're legal, get a buddy to shoot some high speed video of you teeing off a dozen times or so from both teepads. Adjust as necessary.

 

[Steve West]

Tough to call. If your foot is in the air, it's OK. But, if it's in the air, it isn't giving you any leverage from a push-off. So maybe it isn't in the air.

Easier on a X-step, where I'm sure the other foot is off the ground.

I got called for having my left foot OB. I thought I was going to lift it before release, but maybe I didn't. I'm not really paying close attention to that end of the mechanism. Now I just stand with both feet OK.