This is the plain-text version of . Version 1.0 · October 2026 # Official Rules of Speed Disc Golf Play the PDGA Official Rules of Disc Golf (Rev. Jan 1, 2026) exactly as written, plus the speed rules below. Where the two differ, these rules govern a speed round. Where these rules say nothing, PDGA governs. ## The short version - **Speed Score = throws + minutes, keep the seconds.** 54 throws in 38:17 is 92:17. - The clock runs from the group's first tee throw to your last disc at rest in the basket. It never pauses except for safety. - Seven discs at most, carried by you, all of them with you at the finish. - Inside 10 m, stay behind your lie until the putt settles. - Nobody downrange, ever. See also: the [Speed Disc Golf FAQ](https://speeddiscgolf.org/faq.html). "Official" means official for this site. No governing body wrote, approved, or endorses these rules. This site isn't affiliated with the PDGA, the International Speedgolf Alliance, Speedgolf International, or Speedgolf USA. PDGA rules are summarized here; read the [PDGA's own rulebook](https://www.pdga.com/rules/official-rules-disc-golf) for the exact wording. Changes PDGA · New rule · PDGA as written · Each rule is tagged so you can see what speed touches. ## SDG 1 Foundation ### SDG 1.01 What this rulebook is These are the Official Rules of Speed Disc Golf. "Official" means they're this site's rulebook, nothing more. Use them freely for casual rounds, leagues, and events. Tags: New rule ### SDG 1.02 PDGA is the base layer Unless a rule here changes it, every rule in the PDGA Official Rules of Disc Golf (sections 800–813, Rev. Jan 1, 2026) applies exactly as written. Throw counts, penalties, relief, and rulings all work the PDGA way. When an SDG rule and a PDGA rule conflict in a speed round, the SDG rule wins. Tags: PDGA 800–813 as written ### SDG 1.03 How to read the citations Each rule names the PDGA rule it touches. **Changes** means the speed rule modifies that PDGA rule. **PDGA as written** means we're restating it because it matters more at speed. **New** means PDGA has no matching rule. Letters and numbers after a rule (like 806.01.B or 812.A.3.e) follow the PDGA rulebook's own lettering. ### SDG 1.04 Spirit of the game Speedgolf asks for fair, fast, and fun play. So do we, in that order when they clash. Safety beats speed every time: a throw you wait on costs seconds; a throw that hits someone costs far more. Tags: New rule · Borrows Speedgolf USA conduct ### SDG 1.05 Rulings Calls, confirmations, group votes, and appeals work as in PDGA 801.02–801.03. The clock keeps running while the group decides ([SDG 3.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-05)). If a situation isn't covered, decide it by fairness, using the closest existing rule (801.01). In an event, the Tournament Director has the final word. Tags: PDGA 801.01–801.03 as written ### SDG 1.06 Terms - **Speed Score**: Total throws plus elapsed time, written as minutes:seconds ([SDG 2.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-2-03)). - **Clock / elapsed time**: A player's time from clock start to clock stop, less any safety stops. - **Group**: The players who start a round together and verify each other's play. - **Timekeeper**: The person the group picks to keep official time. It can be a player. - **Scorekeeper**: A non-playing person who goes around with a group to keep the card and witness the round. A scorekeeper isn't a caddie and never carries discs. - **Carried discs**: Every disc a player has with them for the round, thrown or not. Minis aren't carried discs. - **Substitute marker**: A carried disc used in place of a mini marker disc ([SDG 6.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-6-03)). - **Safety stop**: The only pause in the clock ([SDG 3.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-07)). ## SDG 2 The Speed Score ### SDG 2.01 Throws Count throws exactly as PDGA 808.D does: every throw on every hole, plus every penalty throw, plus any penalty throws added to the round total. Tags: PDGA 808.D as written ### SDG 2.02 Elapsed time Elapsed time runs from the clock start ([SDG 3.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-02)) to the clock stop ([SDG 3.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-04)), minus any safety stops ([SDG 3.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-07)). Record it in minutes and whole seconds. Round any fraction *up* to the next whole second, so 38:16.2 becomes 38:17. Over an hour, turn the hours into minutes: 1:02:05 is 62:05. Tags: New rule ### SDG 2.03 The formula **Speed Score = T + M, written with the seconds kept: (T + M):SS** - **T** = total throws, penalty throws included ([SDG 2.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-2-01)) - **M** = whole minutes of elapsed time - **SS** = the leftover seconds, 00 to 59 The same score in seconds is (T × 60) + elapsed seconds. Examples: - 54 throws in 38:17 → 54 + 38 = 92 → **92:17** - 78 throws in 46:32 → 78 + 46 = 124 → **124:32** (the speedgolf rulebook's own example) - 60 throws in 1:02:05 → 60 + 62 = 122 → **122:05** See also: the [Speed Score calculator](https://speeddiscgolf.org/calculator.html) does this math for you. Tags: Changes PDGA 808.D · Borrows Speedgolf International scoring ### SDG 2.04 Lowest score wins; seconds break ties The lowest Speed Score wins. Because the seconds are part of the score, 92:17 beats 92:40. Identical scores, same minutes and same seconds, are a tie. An event announces its tiebreak before the round. The default is a sudden-death playoff hole scored the same way. Tags: Changes PDGA 800 (object of the game) ### SDG 2.05 No time, no Speed Score A Speed Score needs both a confirmed throw count and a confirmed finish time ([SDG 12.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-12-04)). If either is missing, the round has no Speed Score. Its throw count still stands as a normal disc golf score. Tags: New rule ## SDG 3 The Clock ### SDG 3.01 Every player has a clock Each player's elapsed time is measured separately, even in a group. Group members can start together and finish at different times. Tags: New rule ### SDG 3.02 Default start: the first tee throw The clock starts at the release of the first tee throw on your group's first hole (hole 1, unless an event assigns another) by anyone in your group. Playing alone, that's your own first throw. This is the default for every speed round. > Speedgolf starts the clock on the first shot. Starting a whole group on its first release stops the last player on the tee from banking a free head start while the others throw. Tags: New rule · Adapts Speedgolf International "Measuring Elapsed Time" ### SDG 3.03 Event option: official start time An event with a starter may start each group's clocks at its official start time instead, as Speedgolf USA rule 7 does. The event must announce this before the round, and it applies to the whole division. Tee order on the first hole is still the scorecard order (PDGA 802.02.A). Tags: New rule · Borrows Speedgolf USA rule 7 ### SDG 3.04 Stop: the last disc at rest in the basket Your clock stops when your final throw on the final hole comes to rest supported by the tray or by the chains below the chain support (PDGA 807.B). A disc that hits the chains and falls out doesn't stop the clock. Neither does a disc on top of the basket. For an object target, the clock stops when the disc strikes the marked target area (807.C). Tags: PDGA 807 as written · New: clock stop ### SDG 3.05 The clock always runs Only a safety stop ([SDG 3.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-07)) pauses the clock. It keeps running through lost-disc searches, waits for a group ahead, rulings and appeals, bathroom breaks (PDGA 802.03.H), broken equipment, and trips back for a forgotten disc. > Time is half the score. A clock that pauses for one thing invites arguments about everything else. Tags: New rule ### SDG 3.06 Timekeeping In a group, pick one timekeeper before the round: a player or a non-playing scorekeeper. Every player also runs their own watch as a backup. When the group finishes, compare times. If they differ, the group decides by vote (PDGA 801.02) using the best evidence it has. A GPS watch file or a video beats memory. Playing alone, you're your own timekeeper. Stop your watch the moment your last putt settles. A late stop only costs you. Tags: New rule · Uses PDGA 801.02 group decisions ### SDG 3.07 Safety stop A safety stop is the only time the clock stops. Call one for: - an event horn or an Official suspending play, usually for weather - lightning or dangerous weather in a casual round - an injury or medical problem, yours or anyone else's - any other real danger, like an aggressive animal Follow these steps (adapted from Speedgolf USA rule 8): 1. Stop play at once. Mark your lie, and your disc's position if it's different. 2. The timekeeper records the clock time at the stop. 3. To resume, everyone goes back to their positions and stands ready. In events, one horn means "return to position." 4. Play resumes on a signal (in events, a second horn). The timekeeper records the clock time at the restart. 5. Subtract the stopped time from elapsed time, using [SDG 2.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-2-02) rounding. If play can't resume, the round has no Speed Score unless the event says otherwise. Calling a safety stop for anything else is a courtesy violation (PDGA 812). Tags: New rule · Borrows Speedgolf USA rule 8 ## SDG 4 Discs and Equipment ### SDG 4.01 Seven-disc cap You may carry no more than seven discs for the round. Every disc you have with you counts, whether you throw it or not. Each one must be legal under PDGA 813.01 and marked so it can be identified (813.01.H). > Speedgolf caps players at seven clubs. In disc golf your discs are your clubs, so the same number applies. See also: [how to pick your seven discs](https://speeddiscgolf.org/how-to-play.html#seven). Tags: New rule · PDGA 813.01 as written · Mirrors Speedgolf International 7-club limit ### SDG 4.02 Minis don't count Mini marker discs (PDGA 802.06.B) are optional and don't count toward the cap. A mini is never thrown. Tags: New rule ### SDG 4.03 Over the cap Playing with more than seven discs costs **2 penalty throws for each hole you play while over the cap**. As soon as it's discovered, declare the extra discs out of play. From then on they don't count toward the cap. You still carry them to the finish ([SDG 4.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-07)), but you can't throw them. Throwing an out-of-play disc costs 2 penalty throws per throw, the same as an illegal disc (813.01.G). > An extra disc helps on every hole, so the penalty is per hole. It's priced like an illegal device (813.02.F) because it's an equipment advantage. Tags: New rule · Adapts PDGA 813.01.G and 813.02.F ### SDG 4.04 No swaps or additions You finish with the discs you started with. You can't pick up, borrow, or swap discs during the round. If you find someone else's disc, you may carry it to return it. It doesn't count toward your cap, and you can never throw it. Tags: New rule ### SDG 4.05 Broken and cracked discs If a thrown disc breaks, its position is the largest piece (PDGA 805.01.D). A cracked disc, or one with a hole, is illegal (813.01.E). Don't throw it again; doing so costs 2 penalty throws (813.01.G). It still counts toward your cap. You can't replace it during the round, and you carry it, plus any pieces you can find, to the finish. > This is stricter than casual practice on purpose. In a speed round, your bag is fixed at the first tee. Tags: PDGA 805.01.D and 813.01.E as written · New: no replacement ### SDG 4.06 Carry your own discs Carry every disc yourself: in your hands, a small bag, a belt, a sling, or your pockets. These aren't allowed: - caddies or anyone else carrying discs for you - pacers - carts, and any wheeled or powered transport A non-playing scorekeeper may carry your water, but never your discs. Getting help carrying discs costs 2 penalty throws for each hole on which it happens. With no caddies, PDGA 808.B's option to hand scorekeeping to a caddie doesn't apply; see [SDG 12.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-12-01). Tags: New rule · Borrows Speedgolf USA rule 2 and Speedgolf International "Carrying Clubs" ### SDG 4.07 Finish with every disc When your clock stops, you must have every disc you started with. Each disc left on the course costs **1 penalty throw**. - Going back for a forgotten disc is allowed. The clock is running. - Stashing discs on the course to collect later counts as leaving them: 1 penalty throw per disc, even if you pick them up before the finish. - Two exceptions: a disc declared lost under PDGA 805.03, and a disc you can't reach without entering water, private property, a road, or another unsafe or off-limits place. A group can't vote to excuse a disc you could reach. Tags: New rule · Borrows Speedgolf USA rule 4 ### SDG 4.08 Other gear GPS watches, phones, rangefinders, towels, gloves, and anything else PDGA 813.02 allows are fine. Headphones are allowed if the volume lets you hear warnings and your surroundings (Speedgolf USA rule 5). Illegal devices under 813.02 are still illegal. Tags: PDGA 813.02 as written · Borrows Speedgolf USA rule 5 ## SDG 5 Throwing, Stance, and Putting ### SDG 5.01 Run-ups are legal You may run up to any throw, on the tee or from a lie. What's judged is where you are at the moment of release. Before and after release, your feet can be anywhere, except inside 10 m ([SDG 5.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-5-05)). Tags: PDGA 802.04.B and 802.07.A as written ### SDG 5.02 On the tee At release, you need at least one supporting point in the teeing area and none outside it (PDGA 802.04.B). Crossing the tee line before you release is a stance violation. Following through past it after you release is fine. Tags: PDGA 802.04 as written ### SDG 5.03 From a lie At release, you need: - at least one supporting point touching the lie - no supporting point closer to the target than the rear edge of the marker disc, or of your thrown disc when it marks the lie - every supporting point in bounds Tags: PDGA 802.07.A as written ### SDG 5.04 Stance violation Breaking [SDG 5.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-5-02) or [5.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-5-03) is a stance violation: **1 penalty throw** (802.04.C, 802.07.C). Another player must confirm the call (801.02). Tags: PDGA 802.04.C and 802.07.C as written ### SDG 5.05 Putting inside 10 m Any throw from within 10 m of the target, measured from the front of your lie to the base of the target, is a putt (PDGA 806.01.A). After you release a putt, you must: - (a) show full control of your balance behind your marker before you move toward the target (806.01.B), **and** - (b) stay behind your lie, not moving toward the target, until the putt has come to rest or is holed. Breaking (a) or (b) is a stance violation: **1 penalty throw**. That covers falling putts, step-through putts, and jump putts that carry you forward. It also covers starting your run to the basket while the disc is still moving. > Speed tempts you to putt on the run and chase the disc. PDGA already bans moving forward before you show balance. Staying put until the disc settles keeps you from running into the basket, deflecting your own disc (810.D), or crowding a partner, and it makes the call easy to see. Tags: Changes PDGA 806.01 (adds part b) ### SDG 5.06 Outside 10 m Jump throws and step-through throws outside 10 m are legal under PDGA, as long as [SDG 5.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-5-03) is met at release: a supporting point still touching the lie. Releasing while both feet are off the ground is a stance violation anywhere on the course. Tags: PDGA 802.07.A as written ### SDG 5.07 Excessive time PDGA 802.03 still applies: 30 seconds to throw from a tee, a drop zone, or within 20 m of the target, and 45 seconds from anywhere else. Your own clock makes this rare, but it's still a rule. Tags: PDGA 802.03 as written ## SDG 6 Marking the Lie ### SDG 6.01 No mini needed Your thrown disc marks your lie (PDGA 802.06.A). You don't have to carry a mini. Tags: PDGA 802.06.A as written ### SDG 6.02 Throw a different disc When your thrown disc marks the lie, leave it where it is, throw a different disc from behind it, and pick it up after you release. If you pick up the marking disc before you throw, your lie isn't marked. That's a marking violation (802.06.D): a warning the first time, then 1 penalty throw for each one after that in the round. Tags: PDGA 802.06.D as written ### SDG 6.03 Substitute marker (speed deviation) Anywhere a PDGA rule calls for a mini marker disc, you may use a mini *or* one of your carried discs as the marker. That includes: - marking in front of your thrown disc so you can throw that disc again (802.06.B) - a disc that isn't on the in-bounds playing surface, or a lie moved by rule (802.06.C) - out-of-bounds relief (806.02.D.2, 806.02.F.2, 806.02.G) - relief from obstacles and casual areas (803.02, 803.03, 806.03) - relief after a disc above two meters (805.02.B) - drop zones played as a marked lie (802.05.C) > A forgotten or lost mini shouldn't end a speed round, and digging one out of a pocket costs seconds. A carried disc does the same job without moving the lie. Tags: Changes PDGA 802.06.B–C ### SDG 6.04 Placing a substitute marker Place the substitute on the line of play so its **rear edge** sits exactly where a mini's rear edge would. Your lie is measured from the marker's rear edge (802.05.D, 802.07.A.2), so a bigger marker gains nothing; the extra size sticks out toward the target. Throw a different disc and pick the marker up after you release. If another player challenges the placement, put it where it belongs. A wrong placement is a marking violation (802.06.D). Tags: Changes PDGA 802.06.B–C · PDGA 802.06.D as written ## SDG 7 Order of Play and Fairway Safety ### SDG 7.01 Nobody downrange Never throw if your throw could hit anyone: players from your own group who ran ahead, other groups, or anyone else in the park (PDGA 812.A.1). Wait. The time it costs is yours to absorb. Throwing when someone could be hit is a courtesy violation, and repeated violations can get you disqualified from an event (812.C). Tags: PDGA 812.A.1 as written ### SDG 7.02 First tee On your group's first hole, throw in scorecard order (PDGA 802.02.A), without delay. Tags: PDGA 802.02.A as written ### SDG 7.03 Ready disc golf After the first tee, the group plays ready disc golf. PDGA 802.02.E lets a player throw out of order when the next player consents. In a speed round, every player gives that consent once, up front, for the whole round. A ready player may throw when nobody could be hit ([SDG 7.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-01)) and nobody else is in their throwing motion. - **On a tee:** whoever gets there first and is ready throws first. Players who arrive together use PDGA tee order (802.02.B). - **From the fairway:** if two players are ready at the same moment, the away player throws first (802.02.C). > Every player is on their own clock. Strict away-first order makes the closer player stand still while the away player catches up. That adds dead time without making anyone safer. Safety comes from [SDG 7.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-01), not from the order. Tags: Changes PDGA 802.02.B–C, 802.02.E–F, and 812.A.2 ### SDG 7.04 Moving past the away player PDGA 812.A.3.e bars advancing beyond the away player. In a speed round, you may move ahead of the away player only: - after the away player has thrown, or - with the away player's clear OK ("go ahead"), while you stay wide of their line and out of reach of their throw. Never move directly downrange of someone who hasn't thrown. Advancing any other way is a courtesy violation. Tags: Changes PDGA 812.A.3.e ### SDG 7.05 Moving while others throw Running is normal in a speed round, so moving behind or well wide of a thrower isn't a distraction. Crossing in front of a thrower, coming within 2 m of them, or making noise during their throwing motion is a courtesy violation (812.A.3.d). Tags: Changes PDGA 812.A.3.d ### SDG 7.06 Calls Shout "Fore!" whenever someone might be hit (812.A.3.a). A clear passing call ([SDG 8.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-8-02)) isn't a courtesy violation. Make it before or after someone's throwing motion, not during it. Tags: PDGA 812.A.3.a as written ### SDG 7.07 Stay with your group Players who start together play the round together. You must watch your group's throws (812.B.2) so calls can be confirmed (801.02). You can't leave a slower group to play ahead. Choose your group with your pace in mind; pairs work best. Tags: PDGA 812.B.2 and 801.02 as written ### SDG 7.08 Missing and absent players PDGA 811.F.4 and 811.F.5 still apply. In ready play, it's "your turn to throw" when everyone else in the group has thrown and is waiting on you. Tags: PDGA 811.F.4–5 as written ## SDG 8 Passing and the Group Ahead ### SDG 8.01 The clock runs while you wait Waiting for a group ahead costs time ([SDG 3.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-05)). That's part of the game. Events prevent it with staggered starts ([SDG 8.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-8-05)). Tags: New rule ### SDG 8.02 Passing another speed player 1. **Signal.** Call "Passing!" loud enough to be heard. 2. **Step aside.** The player being passed moves out of your line right away. 3. **Throw.** While you're running, the passed player may move to their own lie if it's safe. 4. **Yield the tee.** On the next hole, the passed player lets you tee off first, wherever they are. This overrides ready order on that tee ([SDG 7.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-03)). Not stepping aside promptly is a courtesy violation (PDGA 812). Tags: New rule · Adapts Speedgolf USA rule 9 ### SDG 8.03 Passing in events PDGA 802.02.G bars playing through the group ahead unless an Official directs it. In a speed event, the Tournament Director announces at the players' meeting whether [SDG 8.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-8-02) passing is on. That announcement is the Official's direction. If it isn't announced, there's no passing. Tags: Changes PDGA 802.02.G ### SDG 8.04 Players who aren't racing On a public course, other players have as much right to the course as you do. You have no right to pass them. Ask politely if you may play through. If they say no, wait. The clock runs, and that's fine. Never throw over, around, or past another group. Tags: New rule ### SDG 8.05 Staggered starts Events should start groups **5 to 8 minutes apart**, with 6 minutes as the default. Send the groups expected to be fastest first. Use the longer gap on courses with long holes, blind shots, or shared fairways. Casual players: pick quiet times, so you're not stuck behind regular rounds. Tags: New rule ## SDG 9 Lost Discs, Out-of-Bounds, and Penalty Areas ### SDG 9.01 Lost-disc search You get 3 minutes to find your disc, timed from when you reach the area where it's thought to be. Someone in the group starts the timing and tells the group (PDGA 805.03.A). Everyone in the group helps search (805.03.B). The search counts against every player's clock. Tags: PDGA 805.03.A–B as written · New: search time is on the clock ### SDG 9.02 Lost-disc penalty A lost disc costs **1 penalty throw**. Throw next from your previous lie, or from a lost-disc drop zone if the hole has one (805.03.D). Going straight to the drop zone for 2 penalty throws is an option only if the Tournament Director allows it (805.03.F). See also: the [two-chance guide to provisional throws](https://speeddiscgolf.org/how-to-play.html#two-chance). Tags: PDGA 805.03.C–G as written ### SDG 9.03 Lost discs and your seven A declared-lost disc still counts toward your cap. It's excused from the finish-with-every-disc penalty ([SDG 4.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-07)). If it turns up later, you may pick it up and use it (805.03.C). Tags: New rule ### SDG 9.04 Out-of-bounds PDGA 806.02 applies as written. An OB disc costs **1 penalty throw**. Play your next throw from the previous lie, or from a marker placed up to 1 m from where the disc was last in bounds. Drop zones and other options apply when the Tournament Director announces them. Any carried disc can be your marker ([SDG 6.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-6-03)). Don't grab a disc near OB before the group has seen it. If you move it before a ruling, it's OB (806.02.K). Tags: PDGA 806.02 as written ### SDG 9.05 Hazards, casual areas, and required relief areas Unchanged. Hazard: 1 penalty throw, lie unchanged (806.05). Casual area: optional relief, no penalty (806.03). Required relief area: played like OB without the penalty throw (806.04). Tags: PDGA 806.03–806.05 as written ### SDG 9.06 Mandatories Unchanged (804.01). A missed mandatory costs **1 penalty throw**. Play next from the mando's drop zone, or from the previous lie if there's no drop zone. You can't throw a provisional for a possible missed mando (809.02.D.1). Tags: PDGA 804.01 and 809.02.D.1 as written ### SDG 9.07 Two-meter rule In effect only when the Tournament Director declares it (805.02). In a hurry, don't pull a disc out of a tree before the group decides whether it's above 2 m. If you move it first, it counts as above 2 m (805.02.D). Tags: PDGA 805.02 as written ### SDG 9.08 Provisional throws: use them Throw a provisional before you leave the lie when all three are true (809.02.C.3): - you don't know where your disc ended up - it might be lost, OB, or in a required relief area - a provisional would save you from walking back To start one, tell the group three things (809.02.E): that it's a provisional, why you're throwing it, and which throw you'll use for which outcome. Provisionals aren't allowed for a possible missed mando, when you're thinking of abandoning the throw, or when the only question is whether a penalty applies (809.02.D). A provisional that doesn't qualify is a practice throw: 1 penalty throw (809.02.F, 809.03). See the [two-chance guide](https://speeddiscgolf.org/how-to-play.html#two-chance). Tags: PDGA 809.02 as written ## SDG 10 Drops, Tosses, and Other Throws ### SDG 10.01 A drop isn't a throw Dropping a disc while you run, set up, or throw isn't a throw and isn't a practice throw (PDGA 809.03.A). No penalty. Pick it up; you have to finish with it ([SDG 4.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-07)). Tags: PDGA 809.03.A as written ### SDG 10.02 Short tosses are fine Tossing a disc to set it aside, or to hand it back to a playing partner, is fine if it travels less than 5 m in the air (809.03.A). Tags: PDGA 809.03.A as written ### SDG 10.03 Everything else is a practice throw Any other throw that isn't a competitive attempt to change your lie is a practice throw: **1 penalty throw**, and the throw itself doesn't count (809.03.B). That includes flinging discs ahead to the next tee or toward your next lie to avoid carrying them. Tags: PDGA 809.03.B as written ### SDG 10.04 Throwing in anger Throwing or kicking a disc or other equipment in frustration is a courtesy violation (812.A.3.c). If it also counts as a practice throw, apply whichever rule gives more penalty throws (801.02). Tags: PDGA 812.A.3.c and 801.02 as written ### SDG 10.05 Abandoned throw Unchanged (809.01). Count the throw plus **1 penalty throw**, and replay from the previous lie or the abandoned-throw drop zone. At speed, it's often faster than a long search or an ugly lie. If you leave that disc behind, [SDG 4.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-07) applies unless the disc is lost or unreachable. Tags: PDGA 809.01 as written ## SDG 11 Rules That Stay PDGA These apply exactly as written. The notes say what to watch for at speed. ### SDG 11.01 Play the course as you find it Don't alter the course to make a hole easier, and play the disc where it lies unless a rule says otherwise (PDGA 800). Only the scoring changes ([SDG 2](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-2)). Tags: PDGA 800 as written ### SDG 11.02 Throws and lies What counts as a throw (802.01) and how a lie is defined (802.05) don't change. Tags: PDGA 802.01 and 802.05 as written ### SDG 11.03 Obstacles and relief Running through the course gives you no extra right to move or bend obstacles. Casual obstacles, relief, and optional line-of-play relief work as written (803.01–803.03). Tags: PDGA 803.01–803.03 as written ### SDG 11.04 Damaging the course Don't cut through planted beds, saplings, or eroding slopes to save seconds. Intentional damage costs 2 penalty throws and can mean disqualification (803.04). Tags: PDGA 803.04 as written ### SDG 11.05 Interference Don't stand or run where you could interfere with a disc in play (810.G). A disc that hits a running player is played where it comes to rest (810.C). Running into your own putt or kicking your own rolling disc is interfering with your own throw: the throw plus 1 penalty throw, and you replay from the previous lie (810.D). Tags: PDGA 810 as written ### SDG 11.06 Misplay Know the layout before you run. Wrong tee, skipped hole, wrong order: every misplay is penalized as written (811). Being in a hurry isn't an excuse. Tags: PDGA 811 as written ### SDG 11.07 Courtesy PDGA 812 applies except where [SDG 7.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-03), [7.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-04), and [7.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-05) change it. First violation: a warning. Each one after that in the round: 1 penalty throw (812.C). Tags: PDGA 812 as written, except 812.A.2 and 812.A.3.d–e ### SDG 11.08 Discs and devices Disc legality, marking, and devices follow 813.01 and 813.02. [SDG 4](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4) adds the cap and the carry rules. Tags: PDGA 813 as written ## SDG 12 Scoring and the Speed Scorecard ### SDG 12.01 One card is enough A group may keep one shared card, on paper or in an app, instead of a card per player. Its keeper, a player or a non-playing scorekeeper, calls out each player's score after every hole, and each player confirms it. > Writing every score on every card costs every player time. One card, read aloud and confirmed, keeps the same check. Tags: Changes PDGA 808.A–B ### SDG 12.02 Throws per hole Record each player's throws for the hole, penalty throws included, and note any warnings or penalties (808.C–D). Tags: PDGA 808.C–D as written ### SDG 12.03 Finish time When a player's clock stops, record their finish time as m:ss or h:mm:ss. Also record how the clock started (first tee throw or start time) and the clock times of any safety stop ([SDG 3.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-07)). Tags: New rule ### SDG 12.04 Cross-check before you leave At the last basket, the group checks every player's total throws and finish time against the timekeeper's watch and the players' own watches ([SDG 3.06](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-06)). Settle any difference by group vote (801.02) and the best evidence. Tags: New rule · Uses PDGA 801.02 and 808.E ### SDG 12.05 Write the Speed Score For each player, write total throws, elapsed time, and Speed Score ([SDG 2.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-2-03)). The [calculator](https://speeddiscgolf.org/calculator.html) does the arithmetic. Tags: Changes PDGA 808.D ### SDG 12.06 Event cards In events, disputes, submission, and corrections follow 808.E–H: submit within 30 minutes of finishing, and an incorrect card costs 2 penalty throws (808.G.2). Tags: PDGA 808.E–H as written **Sample speed scorecard (first 6 holes shown)** | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | … | Throws | Time | Speed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Player A | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | … | 54 | 38:17 | **92:17** | | Player B | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4\* | 3 | … | 58 | 35:40 | **93:40** | \* includes 1 penalty throw (OB). Start: first tee throw. Safety stops: none. Timekeeper: Player A; cross-checked with both watches. ## SDG 13 Divisions and Events ### SDG 13.01 Suggested divisions These are this site's suggestions, not a standard. Events pick their own and may combine them when fields are small. - **Open**: anyone - **Masters 40+** and **Masters 50+** - **Women** - **Junior**: under 18 - **Casual / Rec**: walk, jog, or run; scored the same way Tags: New rule (suggestion) ### SDG 13.02 Players' meeting Before an event, announce: - how clocks start ([SDG 3.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-02) or [3.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-03)) - whether passing is on ([SDG 8.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-8-03)) and the start interval ([SDG 8.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-8-05)) - OB, mandatories, hazards, drop zones, and whether the two-meter rule is in effect (PDGA 811.A) - the tiebreak ([SDG 2.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-2-04)) and the safety-stop signal ([SDG 3.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-07)) Tags: New rule · Uses PDGA 811.A ### SDG 13.03 Get permission Before you run an event, get permission from whoever manages the course or park. Tags: New rule ## SDG 14 Safety and Running Etiquette ### SDG 14.01 Yield to everyone who isn't racing Other disc golfers, walkers, kids, dogs, and anyone else in the park come first. Slow to a walk near them. Tags: New rule ### SDG 14.02 Tee pads Never run onto or across a tee pad while someone is throwing from it. Wait behind it. Tags: New rule ### SDG 14.03 Other fairways Don't cross a fairway where another group is throwing. Wait or go around. Tags: New rule ### SDG 14.04 Look before you run Watch for blind corners, hills, roots, and wet ground. Tee pads and wet grass get slick. Tags: New rule ### SDG 14.05 Heat and water Carry water or plan where you'll get it. A scorekeeper may carry it for you ([SDG 4.06](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-06)). If you feel dizzy or sick, stop. That's a safety stop ([SDG 3.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-07)). Tags: New rule ### SDG 14.06 Headphones low Keep the volume low enough to hear "Fore!" and what's around you (Speedgolf USA rule 5). Tags: New rule · Borrows Speedgolf USA rule 5 ### SDG 14.07 Local rules come first Follow park and course rules. If a course doesn't allow running or events, don't run there. Tags: New rule ## SDG 15 Records ### SDG 15.01 Notable rounds, not world records speeddiscgolf.org keeps a public [list of notable rounds](https://speeddiscgolf.org/records.html) and marks each one Official or Unofficial under [SDG 15.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-15-02) and [15.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-15-03). No Speed Disc Golf result is an "official world record." A record here means the best known Speed Score on one posted course layout. Tags: New rule ### SDG 15.02 What a record needs 1. **A posted course.** Publish the layout before the attempt: hole order, the tees and basket positions in use, OB, mandatories, hazards, drop zones, and whether the two-meter rule is in effect. 2. **A witnessed scorecard.** At least one witness, a playing partner or a non-playing scorekeeper, sees every throw, counts the discs at the first tee ([SDG 4.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-01)), and signs the card. 3. **Timing evidence.** At least one of: a GPS watch or phone activity file covering the whole round, or video of the first tee throw and the final putt coming to rest. Both is better. Tags: New rule ### SDG 15.03 How to describe a record Say "course record, \[layout\], \[date\], witnessed by \[name\]." Don't call it a world record. Tags: New rule ## Where speed changes PDGA rules / where it doesn't Every PDGA rule from 800 to 813 appears below. The first table is everything speed changes or adds to. The second table is everything that stays exactly as the PDGA wrote it. 813.01 appears in both: speed adds the disc cap next to it without changing what it says. **Speed changes or adds to these** | PDGA | What speed changes | SDG | | --- | --- | --- | | 800 | The goal becomes the lowest Speed Score (throws + time), not the fewest throws. | [2.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-2-04) | | 802.02.B–C, .E–F; 812.A.2 | Ready disc golf: standing consent to throw out of order, so a safe out-of-order throw isn't a courtesy violation; first ready on the tee; away player first only when two are ready at once. | [7.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-03) | | 802.02.G | Passing allowed in events when the TD announces it; that counts as the Official's direction. | [8.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-8-03) | | 802.06.B–C | Any carried disc can stand in for a mini marker, placed by its rear edge. | [6.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-6-03), [6.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-6-04) | | 806.01 | Adds: stay behind your lie until the putt rests or is holed. | [5.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-5-05) | | 808.A–B | One shared card allowed, kept by a player or a non-playing scorekeeper (there are no caddies to delegate to). | [12.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-12-01) | | 808.D | The score adds elapsed time: (throws + minutes):seconds. | [2.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-2-03), [12.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-12-05) | | 812.A.3.d | Running behind or well wide of a thrower isn't a distraction. | [7.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-05) | | 812.A.3.e | You may pass the away player after they throw, or with their OK while staying wide. | [7.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-04) | | 813.01 | Adds the seven-disc cap and its penalty; no swaps; no replacing a cracked disc. | [4.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-01)–[4.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-05) | | New | Carry your own discs: no caddies, carts, pacers, or help carrying discs. | [4.06](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-06) | | New | The clock: start, stop, always running, timekeeping, safety stops. | [3.01–3.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3) | | New | Finish with every disc you started with. | [4.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-07) | | New | Passing calls, yielding to players who aren't racing, staggered starts. | [8.02–8.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-8) | | New | Finish times on the card and a cross-check before leaving. | [12.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-12-03), [12.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-12-04) | | New | Divisions, safety and running etiquette, records. | [13](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-13), [14](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-14), [15](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-15) | **These stay PDGA as written** | PDGA | Rule (speed note) | SDG | | --- | --- | --- | | 801.01–.03 | Fairness, enforcement, appeals (the clock keeps running) | [1.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-1-05) | | 802.01 | Throw | [11.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-11-02) | | 802.02.A, .D | First-tee order; a re-throw from the same lie stays next | [7.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-02) | | 802.03 | Excessive time | [5.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-5-07) | | 802.04 | Teeing off (run-ups judged at release) | [5.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-5-02) | | 802.05 | Lie | [11.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-11-02) | | 802.06.A, .D | Thrown disc marks the lie; marking violations | [6.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-6-01), [6.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-6-02) | | 802.07 | Stance (run-ups judged at release) | [5.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-5-03), [5.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-5-04) | | 803.01–.03 | Obstacles and relief | [11.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-11-03) | | 803.04 | Damaging the course | [11.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-11-04) | | 804.01 | Mandatory routes; no provisionals for mandos | [9.06](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-9-06) | | 805.01 | Establishing a position; broken disc = largest piece | [4.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-05) | | 805.02 | Disc above two meters, if declared | [9.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-9-07) | | 805.03 | Lost disc: 3-minute search, everyone helps, 1 penalty (search time is on the clock) | [9.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-9-01)–[9.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-9-03) | | 806.02 | Out-of-bounds | [9.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-9-04) | | 806.03–.05 | Casual area, required relief area, hazard | [9.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-9-05) | | 807 | Completing the hole (it also stops the clock) | [3.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-3-04) | | 808.C, .E–.H | Recording scores, disputes, submission, corrections | [12.02](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-12-02), [12.06](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-12-06) | | 809.01 | Abandoned throw | [10.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-10-05) | | 809.02 | Provisional throw (encouraged) | [9.08](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-9-08) | | 809.03 | Practice throw; a drop isn't one | [10.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-10-01)–[10.03](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-10-03) | | 810 | Interference | [11.05](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-11-05) | | 811 | Misplay, including missing and absent players | [7.08](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-08), [11.06](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-11-06) | | 812 (rest) | Courtesy, including "nobody downrange" and throwing in anger (except 812.A.2 and 812.A.3.d–e, above) | [7.01](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-7-01), [10.04](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-10-04), [11.07](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-11-07) | | 813.01–.02 | Disc legality and marking; devices | [4.08](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-4-08), [11.08](https://speeddiscgolf.org/rules.html#sdg-11-08) | ## Sources & credits - **PDGA Official Rules of Disc Golf, Rev. Jan 1, 2026.** The base layer for every rule here, and the source of every PDGA rule number. [pdga.com/rules/official-rules-disc-golf](https://www.pdga.com/rules/official-rules-disc-golf) (printable: [pdga.com/rules/print](https://www.pdga.com/rules/print)). - **Speedgolf International, "Official Rules of Speedgolf,"** as reproduced by [Speedgolf Indy](https://www.speedgolfindy.com/) and [Speedgolf Texas](https://www.speedgolftexas.com/). Source of the seven-club limit, carrying your own clubs, no wheeled transport, the score formula, the 78 in 46:32 = 124:32 example, and how elapsed time is measured. - **Speedgolf USA, Player Conduct & Rules.** [speedgolfusa.com/members](https://www.speedgolfusa.com/members). Source of no caddies or pacers (rule 2), finishing with all equipment (rule 4), music (rule 5), official timing (rule 7), weather delays (rule 8), passing (rule 9), and "fair, fast, and fun." - **International Speedgolf Alliance (ISGA).** [World records](https://www.playspeedgolf.com/world-records) and the [2026 Official Rules of Speedgolf](https://www.playspeedgolf.com/isga) reference. Context for records, including the men's speedgolf record of 64 in 40:09 = 104:09.