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I remember it like it was just yesterday. A group of friends and I were playing a round of disc golf at a local park. We were on hole 2 and walking to the basket to start putting.
The first guy goes to putt his disc and releases it a little high. As the putter floats through the air it looks like it’s going to fly over the basket but instead, it lands on top of it. The guy putting looks relieved and pumps his hand in celebration.
But then another guy in the group asks, Why are you celebrating? That doesn’t count. The guy putting looks shocked. “Are you sure? I’m pretty sure that counts” he says. Everyone looks at each and no one is really sure whether it counts or not.
If you’ve played disc golf long enough, you’ve likely run into this situation. If you weren’t sure if this counts or not, I’ll answer your question here:
If a players disc lands on top of the basket it does not count and the player must throw another shot. The reason it doesn’t count is Rule 807 section B. It reads as follows:
“In order to complete a hole with a basket target, the thrower must release the disc and it must enter the target above the top of the tray and below the bottom of the chain support, and come to rest supported by the target.”
Read the rule from the PDGA website by going here.
So, since the disc never went through the space between the bottom of the chain support and the top of the basket, it doesn’t count. But there might be a situation in which the disc landing on top of the basket does count.
That would be if the disc enters the space between the chain supports and the top of the basket and then somehow bounces out and lands on top of the basket. What are the chances of that happening?
What if the disc gets stuck on the side of the basket?
If the disc where to get hung on the side of the basket, would this count? The answer is, it depends on it got there. If the disc entered below the chain supports and above the top of the basket and then came to rest on the site of the basket, it would count.
If this didn’t take place, and the disc just happened to land on the side of the target without passing through the area between chain supports and the top of the basket, it wouldn’t count.
What if the disc hits the basket and bounces out?
Sorry for the bad news but this doesn’t count. Even if the disc enters the target throw the chain supports and the top of the metal basket and bounces out, it doesn’t count.
The key here is the last part of the rule stating that it must be supported by the target. So if the disc bounces out, it’s not supported by the basket so it doesn’t count.
What if the disc flies through the front of the basket and stays in?
Don’t get too excited about this one. The disc is in the basket so it would seem that it should count, right? Unfortunately, while this might seem like it would count because the disc remains in the basket, it doesn’t count.
The important part of this scenario to keep in mind is how the disc enters the basket is important. Because the disc entered through the front on the basket and not between the top of the chain supports and above the top of the basket, it doesn’t count.
What if the disc flies through the chains and comes to rest against the pole on the ground?
Again, this one might seem tricky but it’s not. We have some criteria for a basket but we are missing a crucial part. While the disc did enter through the correct area, it doesn’t count because it’s not supported by the target.
You might be saying, well the pole is a part of the basket. This is correct but in this case, the pole isn’t the target nor is it fully supported by the basket as it is also on the ground so it doesn’t count.
How do I make my own judgment call?
We’ve covered quite a few possible scenarios in this article, but if you play disc golf long enough you are going to run into more. So how do you make a judgment call when it comes to if a shot counts or not?
There are two things to consider when making this judgment. The first is, did the disc enter the basket in the correct way. The second is, did the disc comes to rest supported by the target.
If both are correct, the basket counts. If only one or none of these is correct, the shot doesn’t count. Keeping these two things in mind should help you make the right judgment call when it comes to if a basket counts or not.
If you need a visual to fully grasp this concept, here is a great video that explains which basket counts and which don’t:
Final Thoughts
I hope this article has made it easier to make a judgment call on whether you’ve fully completed a hole or not. On most holes you play during a round, you probably won’t encounter a situation where you have to make a determination on if the basket counted or not.
If you play disc golf casually, it may not even matter that much to you. You are only playing for fun. But if you really want to play by the rules or plan on playing in tournaments, I hope you keep these guidelines in mind. After all, you don’t want to give up points to your opponents, if you don’t have too.
Flickr Image Creative Commons – Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington
