Question on PDGA sponsored doubles

[pmorgan1214]

Just this last week i was at a pdga sponsored doubles tournament and my partner had to leave during the middle of the round. He had a medical emergency in his family and had to leave. I had to go without a partner on my second round and play singles against everyone else in the field. Is it possible to get the pdga to change the rules where if someone loses a partner they can get an extra shot per hole and an extra putt?

In context to the situation, my partner and i were sitting in first place after the first round. There was no way i could compete with some of the top advanced players by myself at Idlewild Park. I'm not mad at my partner what so ever for leaving, family comes first. I was just curious to see how possible it would be to change the rules for a situation where someone has a chance against the competition.

Any thoughts or ideas would greatly be appreciated.

opcorn:opcorn:

 

[dontBLAMEtheDISC]

Zero to no chance because each doubles player only throws once per shot. If you start to allow one player more then one chance per shot it becomes an advantage to not have a partner.

 

[JC17393]

Not likely they'll ever allow something like that. That's the sort of thing you do in fun pick-up doubles rounds when you happen to have an odd number for random draw, but there's no reason for that in a bring-your-own-partner tournament setting. Yeah, emergencies happen and it's unfortunate, but those are the breaks. You sign up as a team, you finish the tournament as a team. If one partner can't finish, then the other has to finish as if his throw is the best choice each time.

And how does this proposed rule affect doubles tournaments with formats other than best shot? Say alternate shot or tough/worst shot?

 

[Discette]

First, to be clear you were playing in a PDGA Sanctioned Doubles event. It was not "sponsored" by the PDGA.

The PDGA rules for doubles play allow a single player to continue to play alone in Best Shot or Best Disc if the other partner is injured or disqualified. It will not likely be changed as this scenario is already covered in the "rules".


http://www.pdga.com/rules/rules-for-doubles

As currently written, is leaving for a family emergency considered a disqualification?

 

[pmorgan1214]

First, to be clear you were playing in a PDGA Sanctioned Doubles event. It was not "sponsored" by the PDGA.

The PDGA rules for doubles play allow a single player to continue to play alone in Best Shot or Best Disc if the other partner is injured or disqualified. It will not likely be changed as this scenario is already covered in the "rules".


http://www.pdga.com/rules/rules-for-doubles

As currently written, is leaving for a family emergency considered a disqualification?

No probably not. but i was looking for more fairness in the game itself. I understand that not every person had 2 shots. but each team had 2 shots to where i only had 1 shot. any mistake i made i had no way of getting a second chance to correct my shot. So virtually no way to win unless your a top pro in your area.

 

[mikeykline]

Part of the game. Your partner did throw each hole, it just didn't go anywhere. Why should the players that stayed be punished because your partner had a family emergency (you getting more than one shot when they only got one)?

 

[Smigles]

It's doubles. You need two people. A bit like the Sarah Hokum at worlds situation. It sucks, but you are either there and play in time or you get penalty strokes.

If you say "i am not mad at my partner, family comes first" then you certainly wont have any problems withdrawing from the tournament because family comes first.

Next time get a doubles partner who has no kids

 

[pmorgan1214]

It's doubles. You need two people. A bit like the Sarah Hokum at worlds situation. It sucks, but you are either there and play in time or you get penalty strokes.

If you say "i am not mad at my partner, family comes first" then you certainly wont have any problems withdrawing from the tournament because family comes first.

Next time get a doubles partner who has no kids

I dont think he has kids. His dad went to the hospital with a heart attack. I am not mad at him or feel any anger towards my partner. I wanted to see how possible it is to change the rules for a rare circumstance that your partner has to leave the tournament.

 

[pmorgan1214]

Part of the game. Your partner did throw each hole, it just didn't go anywhere. Why should the players that stayed be punished because your partner had a family emergency (you getting more than one shot when they only got one)?

In thoery your right i would get a second shot. however in theory i throw only 1 shot per lie. The 2 of them get 2 shots per lie. 1 per partner. I am talking about a rare situation that would make it more fair to the person that loses his partner.

Also here is what i faced.

I played advanced, there were multiple teams that had over a 945 rated player. the team that won the event had a 984 and a 956 rated player. If my partner had stayed we were in first place. A big chance we could have pulled a big victory but that did not happen. so now you have one person that has to play one shot per lie. while the other teams are getting 1 shot per lie per partner therefore getting 2 shots. Also if you have not played idlewild, there is another big deficit that can really mess up your game. I wanted it to be fair for me since my partner left. even if it was one extra shot per hole that would have been something. That is all that i was going for.

 

[scarpfish]

I admit the situation sucks, but its really no different than someone in a singles tournament who has a great morning round and incurs an injury or has to deal with an emergency and can't complete the tournament, other than the fact that in a doubles event, there's still a theoretical possibly that the remaining partner can compete, albeit greatly hampered.

I suppose the best way to answer your question is to put the shoe on the other foot. What if this had happened to some other team and the remaining player was one of the best rated ones. Would you want that guy to have two shots? Would that be 'fair'?

 

[PhattD]

In thoery your right i would get a second shot. however in theory i throw only 1 shot per lie. The 2 of them get 2 shots per lie. 1 per partner. I am talking about a rare situation that would make it more fair to the person that loses his partner.

Also here is what i faced.

I played advanced, there were multiple teams that had over a 945 rated player. the team that won the event had a 984 and a 956 rated player. If my partner had stayed we were in first place. A big chance we could have pulled a big victory but that did not happen. so now you have one person that has to play one shot per lie. while the other teams are getting 1 shot per lie per partner therefore getting 2 shots. Also if you have not played idlewild, there is another big deficit that can really mess up your game. I wanted it to be fair for me since my partner left. even if it was one extra shot per hole that would have been something. That is all that i was going for.

We know what you faced. It's too bad. You taking two shots from each lie is unfair to everyone else. One person taking two shots from every lie has a big advantage over a team. I don't think taking 1 extra throw per hole would be unreasonable. But from every shot is too much. I also don't think it's unreasonable to say that losing your partner is a risk you take when you play doubles and if it happens you play alone.

 

[Steve West]

There's not enough math in this thread. Yet.

The closer two players are to each other in skill, the more advantage is gained from the best throw format.

Two players with the same rating will play about 8.5% above each player's rating.

If one partner has a rating 250 points below the other, they will play virtually the same rating as the higher rated player.

So, playing as your own partner gives you the most advantage you can get (other than getting a higher-rated partner).

That's not even counting the additional advantage of getting to throw a wind-dummy throw to adjust your second throw.

 

[pmorgan1214]

We know what you faced. It's too bad. You taking two shots from each lie is unfair to everyone else. One person taking two shots from every lie has a big advantage over a team. I don't think taking 1 extra throw per hole would be unreasonable. But from every shot is too much. I also don't think it's unreasonable to say that losing your partner is a risk you take when you play doubles and if it happens you play alone.

one extra throw per hole sounds like that would be fair and make it even. however idlewild is a tough course and most holes take 4-5 shots just to get to the basket :|

 

[JC17393]

one extra throw per hole sounds like that would be fair and make it even. however idlewild is a tough course and most holes take 4-5 shots just to get to the basket :|

As Steve West notes, any extra throws allowed to be made by the same player are an advantage to him and arguably unfair to the other teams for which no individual gets two cracks at a throw.

The intent of doubles is for two different players to throw from a lie and then choose the better of the two. It isn't intended to be two throws by a single player, whether it's from every lie or just one lie per hole. It's a concession that is often made in random draw doubles scenarios since the solo player doesn't have much of a choice and no control over the numbers. But in a doubles tournament in which everyone signs up with a partner, everyone is agreeing to the notion of two players throwing per lie, not one player throwing twice per lie.

The difficulty of the course should really have nothing to do with it, particularly if you're trying to propose a universally utilized rule.

 

[JoakimBL]

I think that even allowing a lone player to continue is more than fair. I can't think of any other sport where that is allowed in a doubles format. If one player withdraws, the team withdraws.

 

[Thumber]

I sure hope they change the rules. Then I will start signing up for doubles tournaments and just say my partner never showed. i get to play Cali and keep all the winnings.

This thread is kinda dumb.