Courtesy Violations: Warnings, Penalties, and Common Calls
Most disc golf rules are about where your disc is. PDGA 812 Courtesy is about where your manners are. It’s the rule that turns “come on, man” into an actual stroke on the scorecard, and it’s shorter and more specific than most players think.
Related: Etiquette and Safety · Throwing Order and the Away Player · Lost Disc Rule · Moved Discs and Interference · Excessive Time.
What a player must not do (812.A through 812.F)
Under 812, a player must not:
- Throw when it might injure someone or distract another player. Wait for the fairway to clear.
- Throw out of order without consent, or when it would impact another player.
- Engage in distracting or unsportsmanlike actions, and the rule lists examples:
- Shouting, unless you’re warning someone at risk of being hit by a disc (“Fore!” is not a courtesy violation; it’s the point),
- Cursing,
- Striking, kicking, or throwing park, course, or player equipment,
- Moving or talking while another player is throwing,
- Advancing beyond the away player.
- Leave equipment where it may distract other players or interfere with a thrown disc.
- Litter, cigarette butts included.
- Let their smoke disturb other players.
What a player must do (812.G and 812.H)
Courtesy isn’t only about restraint. 812 also says a player must:
- Perform actions the rules expect, specifically including helping find a lost disc, moving equipment when asked, and keeping score properly.
- Watch the other members of the group throw, so the card can confirm rules compliance and help find discs.
That second one surprises people. Scrolling your phone while your cardmate tees off isn’t just rude; under the rule, watching is part of your job.
The penalty ladder (812.I)
Here’s the whole enforcement scheme, straight from the rule:
| Violation in the round | Result |
|---|---|
| First courtesy violation (any courtesy rule) | Warning |
| Each later courtesy violation, same round | One penalty throw |
| Repeated violations | Possible disqualification by the Tournament Director |
Two details matter:
- It’s one ladder, not one per behavior. The warning covers “any courtesy rule,” so a player warned for cursing on hole 3 takes a stroke for walking past the away player on hole 9.
- The slate resets. 801.02 says warnings don’t carry over to the next round or to a playoff.
Who can call it
812 says a courtesy violation may be called or confirmed by any affected player, or by an Official. The general rules in 801.02 fill in the rest:
- A call that only produces a warning doesn’t need confirmation to be enforced.
- A call that produces penalty throws must be confirmed by another player in the group or by an Official.
- An Official’s call needs no confirmation.
- Calls must be made promptly to be enforceable.
Courtesy hiding in other rules
Several other sections of the rulebook route straight back to 812. All of these are courtesy violations:
- Throwing out of order (802.02). Playing out of turn is fine if the next player consents or isn’t affected. See Throwing Order and the Away Player.
- Not helping search for a lost disc (805.03). Every player in the group must help during the three-minute search. See the Lost Disc Rule.
- Arguing or lobbying during a group vote (801.02). When the group decides a disc’s flight, position, or status, the thrower may briefly state an opinion but may not argue or lobby for an outcome.
- Abstaining from a group vote when you were physically present (801.02). You only get to sit it out if you weren’t there.
The head-games question (QA-COU-1)
The PDGA’s Q&A takes on the rival who keeps announcing your score or predicting your missed putts. Can you call courtesy? The official answer is “Maybe.” Being a jerk isn’t specifically listed, but any “distracting or unsportsmanlike” action can be penalized, and you decide whether it’s bad enough to call. If it isn’t, your group works it out. If it’s bad enough, or it’s a pattern, you can notify the TD and/or the PDGA Disciplinary Committee.
Where courtesy ends and misconduct begins
Courtesy violations are the player-called, warning-then-stroke layer. Above that sits Competition Manual 3.03 Player Misconduct, which holds players at PDGA-sanctioned events to “a professional standard of sporting ethics, courtesy, and integrity.” Under 3.03:
- The TD may, in their sole discretion, issue a tournament warning for a first offense, and that kind of warning persists through all rounds and sudden-death play. Otherwise the TD disqualifies the player.
- Listed misconduct includes repeated and overt abusive or profane language, throwing items in anger (other than discs in play), overt rudeness or threatening behavior, willful destruction of property including plants and animals, and excessive alcohol use or public intoxication.
- Some actions get no warning at all, just immediate disqualification: cheating, physical attacks, and certain prohibited-substance and alcohol use during the round. (Alcohol has its own carve-out for Leagues where local law and venue rules allow; see 3.03 for the exact wording.)
So a muttered curse after a missed putt is an 812 matter. A tirade aimed at a cardmate is heading into 3.03 territory, where the TD, not the card, decides.
Quick reference
| Behavior | Rule | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Shouting (not a safety warning), cursing | 812 | Warning, then 1 penalty per violation |
| Kicking or throwing your bag or course equipment | 812 | Warning, then 1 penalty per violation |
| Talking or moving during someone’s throw | 812 | Warning, then 1 penalty per violation |
| Walking past the away player | 812 | Warning, then 1 penalty per violation |
| Throwing out of order (no consent, affects next player) | 802.02 / 812 | Courtesy violation |
| Skipping the lost-disc search | 805.03 / 812 | Courtesy violation |
| Lobbying or abstaining in a group vote | 801.02 / 812 | Courtesy violation |
| Repeated courtesy violations | 812 | Possible DQ by the TD |
| Serious misconduct at a sanctioned event | CM 3.03 | Tournament warning or DQ, at the TD’s discretion |
| Cheating or physical attack | CM 3.03 | Immediate DQ |
Habits that keep you off the courtesy ladder
These aren’t PDGA rules, just good sense:
- Freeze when someone’s in their routine. Feet, bag, and mouth.
- Stand behind the away player, not beside the basket you’re dying to putt at.
- Park your bag and cart out of the line, and move it the moment anyone asks.
- Walk to the lost-disc area with the group, even if it’s not your disc.
- Vote, briefly, when the card votes, and if it’s your throw, say your piece once and let it go.
- If a call feels petty, remember the first one is just a warning. The rule is built to reset behavior, not to win rounds.
Where to read the rules yourself
- PDGA 812 Courtesy
- PDGA 801.02 Enforcement
- PDGA 802.02 Order of Play
- PDGA 805.03 Lost Disc
- PDGA Rules Questions and Answers (QA-COU-1)
- PDGA Competition Manual 3.03 Player Misconduct
Rules checked on 2026-10-25 against pdga.com (812 and CM 3.03 last updated December 31, 2025; 801.02 August 14, 2026; Q&A March 18, 2026). The PDGA updates its rules most years, so check the current text before you settle a dispute on the card.