WFDF Official Rules of Flying Disc Sports

Article VI - Field Events

Copyright (c) 1994, WFDF

Outline of Contents

601. Field of Play

601.01. General:

The playing field for field events may have any surface, although well-trimmed grass is suggested, which is essentially flat, free of obstructions and/or holes, and affords reasonable player safety.

601.02. Obstructions:

If there are permanent and predictable obstacles which may affect the completion of a throw, throwing sites should be located to minimize potential problems. Once these obstructions have been noted by the head or site judge, however, no re-throw will be granted if the obstructions come into play. Designated spectator areas shall be considered an obstruction.

601.03. Accuracy:

The playing area in accuracy shall consist of seven throwing stations, set at varying distances and angles from the target; said stations being clearly marked by foul lines which consist of a front line and perpendicular sidelines, both of which are 120 cm in length and between 5 cm and 10 cm in width. Small, flexible cones should be used to mark the front corners. The location of the throwing stations is determined by the target itself and the lateral extension of its plane. See Figures 6.1 and 6.2.

A. Straight-Ahead Throwing Stations:

There are three straight-ahead throwing stations, with respective distances of 13.5 m, 22.5 m, and 31.5 m from the target. The midpoint of these stations shall be on the imaginary line that makes a perpendicular intersection of the target plane at the midpoint of the target.

B. Left-Angle Stations:

There are two left-angle stations which are located to the player's left of the target; one station 13.5 m from the target and at an angle to the target such that a line drawn from the midpoint of the front foul line of the station and intersecting the target plane at a perpendicular angle will be 4.5 m in length; and one station located 22.5 m from the target along the same angle as the 4.5 m line, such that a line drawn from the midpoint of the front foul line of the station and intersecting the target plane at a perpendicular angle shall be 7.5 m in length.

C. Right-Angle Stations:

There are two right-angle stations which are located to the player's right of the target; one station 13.5 m from the target and at an angle to the target such that a line drawn from the midpoint of the front foul line of the station and intersecting the target plane at a perpendicular angle will be 4.5 m in length; and one station located 22.5 m from the target along the same angle as the 4.5 m line, such that a line drawn from the midpoint of the front foul line of the station and intersecting the target plane at a perpendicular angle shall be 7.5 m in length.

D. Optional Field of Play:

The playing area may also use a moveable target to create the correct angle stations. Positioning for the target should be painted on the ground. See Figure 6.3.

601.04. Distance:

The playing area in distance shall be of sufficient size to permit the entire course of the disc flights to be contained within its perimeter, as level as possible to insure an accurate measurement, and in an area which permits an unblocked windflow. The layout of the field shall be such that throws may be made with the prevailing wind. There shall be five throwing sites, each marked with foul lines which consist of a 3 m front line and perpendicular sidelines which are 3 m to 15 m in length. These lines shall be between 5 cm and 10 cm in width. Small, flexible cones should be used to mark the front corners of each site. At least 6 m of additional space shall be provided between each throwing site. See Figure 6.4.

601.05. MTA:

The field for MTA shall be of sufficient size to permit the entire course of the disc flights to be contained within its perimeter, and as level as possible to facilitate player movement. No field markings or other delineations or designations shall be required.

601.06. TRC:

The field for TRC shall be of sufficient size to permit the entire course of the disc flights to be contained within its perimeter, and as level as possible to facilitate player movement. Depending on the field size and wind direction, one or more foul circles shall be clearly marked by painted lines measuring 4 m in inside diameter. The lines shall be between 5 cm and 10 cm in width. See Figure 6.5.

602. Equipment

602.01. Discs:

A player may use one or more of any type of flying disc, so long as they meet the minimum requirements set forth in Article I of the WFDF rules and the specific requirements for accuracy in paragraph 602.01(A). The discs need not be identical.

A. Special Restrictions:

For game design and safety considerations, discs in accuracy play must meet both the W.F.D.F. general disc specifications (section 107) and these additional specifications:

(1) Rim configuration:

must achieve a rim configuration rating of 75 or greater (may not be bevelled - see section 108 [D]).

(2) Leading edge radius:

must have a leading edge radius that is greater than 1/16 in (1.6 mm) (see section 108[E]).

(3) Weight:

must weigh no more than 6.7 gm per cm of outside diameter.

(4) Rigidity:

must be sufficiently flexible to bend to the point of buckling when subjected to no more than 9.1 kg (20 lb) of weight in a standard testing procedure (see section 108 [F]).

602.02. Measuring:

For distance and TRC, either tape measures or electronic measuring devices with the ability to measure throws to the cm up to 200 m in length, shall be provided.

602.03. Stopwatches:

For MTA, four stopwatches with the ability to measure time to one-hundredth of a second shall be provided.

602.04. Field Target:

In accuracy, a field target shall be provided which shall consist of a two - dimensional structure, made of non-flexible material, presenting a square target with 1.5 m sides, the target area being set 1 m above the ground. The field target shall be constructed to be self - supporting and have a light net attached to the rear. See Figure 6.6.

603. Rules of Play

603.01. Accuracy:

A. Play:

A player shall make four throws from each station for a total of 28 throws, with the objective to have as many throws as possible pass through the target area. He shall complete all four throws at each station before moving on to the next station. The stations may be carried out in any order. No one may be positioned in or near the target as a catcher, but someone may assist in retrieving thrown discs.

B. Discs:

The player shall provide at least four of his own discs as per section 602.01. It is advised that an additional disc be available in the event of damage to one of the discs.

C. Time:

A total of 7 minutes shall be allowed for completion of the 28 attempts. A time warning shall be given at 1 minute remaining. Any throw which is released after the expiration of the 7 minute period shall be deemed an unsuccessful throw.

D. Foul:

No supporting point of the player shall rest on or beyond the foul lines or their extensions at the moment of his release. A follow-through motion which crosses the foul line after the release is permissable. Any foul shall count as an unsuccessful throw.

E. Good Throw:

A good throw shall be made whenever the thrown disc passes entirely through the target plane from front to back and a foul or time violation is not committed.

F. Scoring:

A good throw shall count as one point. An unsuccessful throw shall receive no points.

603.02. Distance:

A. Play:

The player shall make five attempts in each round to throw a disc as far as possible.

B. Discs:

The player shall provide at least 5 of his own discs as per section 602.01. It is advised that an additional disc be available in the event of a re-throw.

C. Time:

A player shall make all five of his throws within 2 1/2 minutes from the time the signal is given by the line judge. A time warning shall be given at 30 seconds remaining. In semi or final rounds, the format may be changed to allow simultaneous time periods. Under this format, players are given 4 minutes to make all five of their throws from the time the signal is given by the line judge. All players throw during the same time period. In semi play, two consecutive simultaneous rounds may be used. A time warning shall be given at 2 minutes remaining and at 30 seconds remaining. Under either format, any throw released after the expiration of the throwing time period shall not be marked.

D. Foul:

No supporting point of a player shall rest on or beyond the foul lines at the instant of his release. A follow-through motion which crosses the foul line after the release is permissable. In the event of a foul, the throw shall not be marked.

E. Measurement:

Legal throws shall be measured from the midpoint of the front foul line to the center of the disc at its point of impact. All throws shall be measured to the nearest cm.

F. Score:

The length of a player's longest throw, to the nearest centimeter, shall be his score.

G. Interference:

In the event a throw is touched while in flight by a person or animal, the player shall have the option of counting the throw and having it measured from the point of interference, or immediately choosing to take a rethrow. An additional 30 seconds will be granted for each rethrow.

603.03. MTA:

A. Play:

A player shall attempt to throw the disc in such a fashion that the disc remains airborne for as long as possible, before catching the disc himself. Each player shall make five attempts in each round.

B. Discs:

A player shall provide at least one of his own discs as per section 602.01. It is advised that an additional disc be available in the event a disc is lost or becomes unsuitable for use.

C. Timing of the Throw:

The timing of the flight of the throw shall be measured from the instant of release until the instant the disc is initially touched in the catching attempt. Time shall be calculated to the nearest one-hundredth of a second. The player's time for a throw shall be the median (middle) time rating of three time ratings received from the measurement crew. In the event that only two times are recorded by the measurement crew, the back-up timer's result shall be used as the third rating. If no backup is available, the two ratings shall be averaged. If only one valid time is available, a re-throw is necessary. No time shall be recorded for unsuccessful throws.

D. Time of Play:

A player shall release a throw within 15 seconds after receiving a signal to throw from the site judge. Any throw released after the expiration of the 15 second period shall receive a score of zero.

E. Catch:

A catch shall be deemed valid when the throw is caught and controlled in one hand by the player, without the disc simultaneously touching any other part of the player's body and prior to the disc touching the ground. The player is permitted to touch the disc an unlimited number of times before the catch is made, as long as he only touches the disc with one part of his body at a time. In the event the disc touches the ground simultaneously with the instant the catch is made, the catch shall be valid. A player shall be in full control of the disc before he lets it go, changes hands, or touches the disc with another part of the body for the catch to be valid. The validity of questionable catches shall be announced by the player, subject to review by the event judges.

F. Score:

The player's score shall be the single best time recorded.

G. Groupings:

To facilitate rapid completion of the event, the players shall be placed in groups of five for the purpose of alternating the order of throws. Each player makes one throw, then the order is repeated until each player has made his five throws in the round.

H. Starting Order:

In the first round the starting order is decided by some order of random distribution. In all subsequent rounds, each player, in descending order according to his performance in the previous round, shall be given his choice of throwing order and site. If two or more players have the same results in the previous round, the order of choice in the current round shall be decided by the disc flipping method. See section 104.03.

I. Interference:

Whenever a catchable throw in flight is touched by any person or animal, or a player in pursuit of a catchable throw is impeded by interference, the throw shall be declared void and the player shall receive an additional attempt. Permanent and/or predictable obstructions, as per section 601.02, shall not entitle the player to another attempt.

603.04. TRC:

A. Play:

A player shall attempt to throw the disc from a marked circular area in such a fashion that the disc travels as far as possible before catching the disc himself. Each player shall make five attempts in each round.

B. Discs:

A player shall provide at least one of his own discs as per section 602.01. It is advised that an additional disc be available in the event a disc is lost or becomes unsuitable for use.

C. Foul:

No supporting point of the player shall rest on or beyond the foul line at the instant of his release. A follow-through motion which crosses the foul line after the release is permissable. Any foul shall count as an unsuccessful throw and shall receive a score of zero (0).

D. Measurement:

A throw is measured from the point on the ground directly under the disc when it is first touched by the player in his catching attempt, to the closest point of the foul circle. Readings should be made to the nearest cm. If the measurement point falls on or within the throwing circle, the attempt shall be scored as a zero (0).

E. Catches:

The rules for catches set forth in section 603.03(E) of the MTA rules shall also apply to the rules governing TRC.

F. Time of Play:

The rules regarding time of play set forth in section 603.03(D) of the MTA rules shall also apply to the rules governing TRC.

G. Score:

A player's longest single throw resulting in a valid catch shall be his score.

H. Groupings:

The rules regarding groupings set forth in section 603.03(G) of the MTA rules shall also apply to the rules governing TRC.

I. Starting Order:

The rules regarding starting order set forth in section 603.03(H) of the MTA rules shall also apply to the rules governing TRC.

J. Interference:

The rules regarding interference set forth in section 603.03(I) of the MTA rules shall also apply to the rules governing TRC.

603.05. SCF:

A. Play

SCF combines the events of MTA and TRC by awarding a single sum of points based on a player's MTA and TRC performances. All cuts in SCF events shall include both MTA and TRC. The rules governing MTA and TRC shall apply to SCF.

B. Scoring:

A single SCF score will be determined each round by multiplying the player's MTA score by a factor of 5.5 (rounded to the nearest hundredth) and adding it to the player's TRC score. For example, a 10.05-second MTA, worth 55.28 points, would be added to a 57.41-m TRC performance worth 57.41 points, for an SCF score of 112.69 points.

604. Event Procedures

604.01. Judges:

A. Accuracy:

The head judge shall assign all players to their respective sites and coordinate all other judges. The site judge shall be responsible for timing the players, calling fouls and recording good throws. If available, a second person may assist the site judge in calling hits and misses so that the site judge may concentrate on foul calls.

B. Distance:

The head judge shall assign all players to their respective sites and coordinate all other judges. The site judge shall be responsible for timing the players and calling fouls. A measurement crew, consisting of two persons, shall be assigned to each site, working in concert to mark each throw at its point of impact and assist in measuring the distance of the longest throw(s). A statistician shall record all measured throws.

C. MTA:

The head judge shall assign all players to their respective sites and coordinate all other judges. The site judge shall announce the players, time their throwing periods, and determine and record the official time for successful throws. The measurement crew, consisting of four persons (three timers and one back-up), shall measure the times of the throws with stopwatches.

D. TRC:

The head judge shall assign all players to their respective sites and coordinate all other judges. The site judge shall announce the players, time their throwing periods, and determine and record the official distance for successful throws. The measurement crew, consisting of five persons, shall mark each successful throw and assist in measuring the distance of the longest throws.

604.02. Advancement:

The number of players to advance after each round shall be determined prior to the start of play by the number of entries in the tournament. Top-seeded players shall be evenly spread throughout the preliminary round. Order of play in later rounds is determined by performance. See 603.03(H).

A. Distance, SCF, MTA, TRC:

(1) Competitions of 30 or fewer:

Prelim--cut to 15 plus ties; Semi--cut to 5; Final.

(2) Competitions of 31 to 80:

Prelim--cut to 25 plus ties; Semi--cut to 5; Final.

(3) Competitions of more than 80:

Prelim--cut to 50 plus ties; 2nd Round--cut to 10 plus ties; Semi--cut to 5; Final.

B. Accuracy:

(1) Competitions of 30 or fewer:

Prelim--cut to 12 plus ties; Semi--cut to 2; Final--head-to-head.

(2) Competitions of 31 to 80:

Prelim--cut to 20 plus ties; Semi--cut to 2; Final--head-to-head.

(3) Competitions of more than 80:

Prelim--cut to 40 plus ties; 2nd Round--cut to 8 plus ties; Semi--cut to 2; Final--head-to-head.

604.03. Ties:

A. Accuracy:

If ties must be broken, the tied players shall have a head-to-head playoff with the first player to win a four-throw station advancing or being declared the winner.

B. Distance:

If ties must be broken, the tied players shall have a series of simultaneous throws in a head-to-head format with the first player to win three of these one-throw matches advancing or being declared the winner.

C. SCF:

If ties must be broken, the tied players shall have a head-to-head playoff. The playoff shall consist of one MTA throw and one TRC throw for each player. These results shall be combined in the normal fashion to produce SCF scores. The player with the higher score advances or is declared the winner.

604.04. Late Arrival:

Players must be at the event site prepared to compete when called. The competitive order of these calls is to be posted. In the event of a player not responding to the official's call, the following procedures come into effect:

A. Accuracy:

If a player fails to respond to the official's on deck call, the next player in the order will be called. The absent player shall be called again for the next throwing position. If he responds, he may throw and a two-throw deduction is made from his score. If there is no response to the second call, the player shall be listed as a scratch (SCR).

B. Distance and SCF:

If a player fails to respond to the official's on-deck call, the next player in the order will be called. The absent player is to be called again for the next throwing position. If he responds, he may throw but is only allowed three attempts. If there is no response to the second call, the player shall be listed as a scratch (SCR).

605. Glossary