Rule Changes: The Problem
There have been several rule changes approved by the PDGA Board in recent years without the consent of the membership. Now maybe it's just that I'm naturally skeptic of all governments, but when rule (or law) changes are rushed through, it seems that they must have been done as a quick reaction to someone or a small group that makes the most noise. As a touring player, I have found that these sort of rulings lead to a lot of confusion among the players. Even those that carry rule books are left in the dust when they try to argue about a recent change to someone else that says "well, it doesn't say it that way in the rulebook".
Some of the recent rulings I disagree with:
- Not being able to place a towel down for better footing. I really don't understand how a 1/16" of fabric can give someone a competitive advantage. It's for the thrower's safety, and that should preclude any other considerations. At a tournament in early March in Michigan last year, the tee pads were immaculately cleared of snow the day before...however, a layer of frost formed overnight that left invisible slick spots on some of the tee pads. The TD allowed us to tee behind the tee pads, which seemed silly considering how much work was done to clear them ahead of time. Allowing the towel for footing would have helped.
- Not being able to move sticks/debris that interfere with a stance. Once again, for safety's sake, I think this is something that should be the group's call. Clearly there are times when a fallen branch, rock or other item is in the way of getting a safe, legal stance, and moving the item is not giving anyone an unfair advantage. Getting all the people in your foursome to move a log that is blocking the route of your desired throw is a completely different matter. It should be obvious to the other players in your group what is done for safety versus what is cheating.
- Re-tee on a lost disc. I preferred the old method currently used for out-of-bounds - I would leave it to the foursome to determine where the disc became lost. Re-teeing often creates serious back ups...since most players are very loose about enforcing the 3-minute rule, it often ends up being a 5-10 minute search, followed by a long march back to the tee pad and another throw (and hope you don't lose this one, too). This is especially nerve-wracking on courses located on ski hills - #19 at Hickory Hills in Traverse City is a prime example - it could take you 10 minutes just to return to the tee pad (a 600' uphill climb through sand on a very steep grade)! Another big part of the issue might be that many players don't understand provisional throws ("I think that one's a goner - I'd like to take a provisional throw").
I also think the rulebook needs to be audited. Many of the rules are qualified as "should" or "shall", and in my opinion this is weak and leaves too much room for debate. The words "must" and "may only" would be much better choices.
My Solution
PDGA rules changes should only go into effect at the beginning of the calendar year. All changes to the rules must be submitted at the same time as candidates statements so that the entire membership has a chance to vote on the issues. This also allows enough time for the rulebooks to be officially updated.
© 2008 Yeti
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