guides · Updated 2026-09-15

Out of Bounds and Mandos

Two course features show up on almost every competitive layout and plenty of park rounds: out-of-bounds (OB) and mandatory routes (mandos). This page teaches Official Rules literacy so you can read hole notes, group-call a status, and pick a legal next lie. It does not invent local OB lines, hole-by-hole mando lists, or tournament results—confirm those on the course map, caddie book, or players’ meeting.

Out of bounds (806.02)

Per the PDGA Official Rules:

• An OB area is designated by the Tournament Director. You may not play from it and may not take a stance inside it.
• The OB line is part of the OB area. Everything else on the course is in-bounds.
• A disc is OB if its position is clearly and completely surrounded by an OB area.
• Compelling evidence that a disc came to rest in OB is enough—you do not have to find the disc to play it as OB.

Penalty and next-lie options

A player whose disc is OB receives one penalty throw, then may play the next throw from:

1. The previous lie; or
2. A lie marked on the playing surface up to one meter from the point where the disc was last in-bounds. After establishing that lie, you may mark farther from the target on the line of play without an extra penalty.

At the TD’s discretion, additional options may include:

1. A designated drop zone; or
2. A lie up to one meter from the point on the OB line nearest the disc’s position.

Some courses also allow proceeding straight to a drop zone for two penalty throws when the TD announces that option (806.02.G). Always follow the announced course rules for that round.

Vertical plane and one-meter relief

The OB line extends a vertical plane up and down. One-meter relief near the line may be taken from any point on that plane. If your in-bounds disc sits within one meter of an OB line, you may relocate the lie along the one-meter relief line described in 806.02.E (including the corner case).

Do not move a maybe-OB disc yourself

If you move the disc before the group has determined OB status, the disc is considered OB (806.02.I). Let the group call it first. “Benefit of the doubt” is not a phrase in the rules—your group (excluding you as thrower for the status call) makes the best determination they can.

Mandatory routes / mandos (804.01)

A mandatory route restricts the path the disc may take while playing a hole.

• The restricted plane is a vertical plane marked by one or more objects or markers that define its edges (often a tree, pole, or painted mando arrow).
• If any part of a thrown disc clearly enters that restricted plane, you have missed the mando: one penalty throw.
• Next lie: the drop zone for that mandatory, or—if none is designated—the previous lie.
• Releasing a throw from the wrong side of the restricted plane (relative to the rear edge of your marker) is also a missed mando, with the same penalty and next lie.

Flight after the plane does not save you

PDGA Rules Q&A (QA-MAN-1): once the disc has entered the restricted plane, the rest of the flight does not matter—even if it rolls back “to the correct side” and finishes short of the mando. You already missed it.

When OB and a mando both look possible

One throw cannot take multiple violation penalties. Severity and what happened first decide (QA-APP-1 / QA-APP-2).

Practical teaching point:

• Missing a mando is judged when the disc enters the restricted plane (while still in flight).
• OB is judged when the disc comes to rest.

So if a disc crosses the wrong side of a mando and later comes to rest OB, the missed mandatory happened first—play the mando penalty and next lie, not a separate OB penalty for that throw.

Casual-round habits that still help

• Read the tee sign / UDisc notes for which lines are OB and which objects are mandos before you throw.
• Agree as a group where the last in-bounds point was before anyone marks one-meter relief.
• Know whether a mando has a painted drop zone—many park rounds have the mando arrow but no DZ, which means previous lie.
• When unsure in league or a tournament, ask the TD or play a provisional, then confirm against pdga.com/rules.

Related: How to Mark Your Lie · How Disc Golf Works · Disc Golf Etiquette and Safety · Reading a Disc Golf Course Map

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