Who Throws First: Tee Order and the Away Player
Every group has that moment on the first tee: four people holding drivers, nobody moving, someone finally saying “go ahead.” Then halfway down the fairway, two players start lining up at the same time and both stop. Disc golf actually has a clean answer for all of this, and it fits in one rule: PDGA 802.02 Order of Play.
Learn it once and you’ll look like you’ve played for years, even on your third round.
Related: How Disc Golf Works · Disc Golf Scoring Terms · How to Mark Your Lie · Scorekeeping Apps vs Paper · League Night: What to Expect.
The short version
| Situation | Who throws next | Source |
|---|---|---|
| First tee of the round | The order players are listed on the scorecard | 802.02 |
| Every tee after that | Lowest score on the previous hole first, and so on | 802.02 |
| Tie on the previous hole | Ties don’t change the order; keep the order you had | 802.02 |
| Everyone is off the tee | The player farthest from the target (the away player) | 802.02 |
| Two lies the same distance away | Whoever established their lie first | 802.02 |
| Another throw from the same lie, or a re-throw | That same player stays up | 802.02 |
On the tee
Hole one follows the card. In PDGA play, the first-tee order is simply the order names appear on the scorecard. At a sanctioned event, the Tournament Director builds the groups (the Competition Manual, section 1.06 covers how), so you don’t negotiate it; you read it.
After that, you earn the box. On each following tee, the player with the lowest score on the hole just finished throws first, then the next lowest, and so on. Birdie the last hole and you’re up; take a double bogey and you’ll be watching everyone else tee off first. Many players call leading off “having the box” or “honors”; the rule itself just calls it throwing order.
Ties keep the old order. If two players both made par, whoever was ahead of the other in the previous order stays ahead. Nothing gets reshuffled.
A quick example: a group’s card reads Ana, Ben, Cal, Dee. On hole one, Ben birdies, Ana and Dee par, and Cal bogeys. Hole two’s order is Ben, Ana, Dee, Cal. Ana stays ahead of Dee because they tied, and ties keep the order they already had.
In the fairway: the away player
Once every player has a lie that isn’t the teeing area, the order switches from scores to distance. The player whose lie is farthest from the target throws next. That’s the away player.
Two details are worth knowing:
- Equal distances go by who got there first. If two lies are the same distance from the basket, the lie that was established earlier plays first.
- Re-throws keep you up. If you’re throwing again from the same lie, or making a re-throw (an extra throw from the same lie that replaces the original), you stay next. For example, after taking an abandoned-throw penalty under 809.01, you play again from your previous lie, so the group waits.
Distance is measured to the target, not along the fairway. On a dogleg, the player who “looks” farther down the hole may actually be closer to the basket. When in doubt, the group decides; 801.02 says questionable calls about a disc go to a group vote.
Can you ever go out of order?
Yes, and it’s meant to keep the round moving. Under 802.02, a player who isn’t next may throw if:
- the player who is next consents, or
- throwing won’t affect the player who is next.
That’s why you’ll see a short putter tap in while someone 300 feet back is still walking to their disc. It’s fine as long as it doesn’t get in anyone’s way.
What isn’t fine is throwing out of turn without consent when it does affect someone. 802.02 calls that a courtesy violation, and 812 Courtesy lists it right alongside its cousin: advancing beyond the away player. Translation: don’t walk past the person who still has to throw. You could distract them or put yourself in their flight path.
What a courtesy violation costs
Under 812, the first courtesy violation in a round is a warning. Each later courtesy violation by the same player in that round is one penalty throw, and repeated violations can lead to disqualification by the Tournament Director. In a casual round nobody’s writing penalties, but the same manners apply.
Order and the shot clock
Throwing order also starts the clock. PDGA 802.03 Excessive Time says your time doesn’t begin until the previous player has thrown, you’re next in the order, you’ve found and addressed your lie, and the playing area is clear. Once it starts, you get 30 seconds from the tee, a drop zone, or within 20 meters of the target, and 45 seconds from anywhere else. Knowing when you’re up (and being ready) is the easiest way to stay off the warning list.
Groups and starting holes at events
A few tournament wrinkles from the Competition Manual 1.06:
- Groups top out at five and should be four when possible.
- After the first round, players are grouped within their division by score, and the lowest-scoring group starts on the lowest-numbered hole.
- Ghost groups are a second group assigned to a hole that’s already taken. The Competition Manual says they’re for emergencies only, such as a hole that floods unexpectedly, and a ghost group always tees second on that hole.
Casual rounds
Outside a sanctioned event, nobody’s checking. Still, the PDGA order works just as well for a Tuesday-night nine: go in the order of the card or app on hole one, then let the low score lead off each tee, and let the away player throw in the fairway. It settles the standing-around question instantly, and it’s the same habit you’ll need at your first league or tournament.
Where to read the rules yourself
- PDGA 802.02 Order of Play
- PDGA 802.03 Excessive Time
- PDGA 812 Courtesy
- PDGA Competition Manual 1.06 Grouping and Sectioning
- PDGA Rules Questions and Answers
Rules checked against pdga.com on 2026-10-11. The PDGA updates its rules most years, so confirm the current text before you settle a dispute on the card.