End of round: Practice strokes

[Kevin Cole]

I vaguely remember a thread similar to this but I couldn't find it. Apologies if this has been addressed recently.

I had a discussion with another player about throwing after your round. Basically, it came down to -- If I finish on the back 9 (or any hole away from TC), can I throw disc on the way back to tournament central prior to the score card being turned in.

Now, personally, I don't care one way or the other what the answer is. Rules are rules, I'm willing to play by whatever the rule is, I'm just trying to figure out what the rule REALLY is because I've heard both ways and word of mouth is a crappy way to get rules.

After a review of the rule book and the competition manual, this was the only relevant piece I could find.

803.01-B
B. Practice Throws. A player who throws a practice throw or an extra throw with any disc any time after the start of his or her round and prior to his or her finishing the last hole of the round (except
for throws that must be re-thrown in accordance with the rules, provisional throws made
pursuant to 803.01 C and 803.01 D (3), or throws during a suspension or postponement of play) shall receive one penalty throw. The practice throw or extra throw must be observed by any two players or an
official.

My interpretation of this, is that it is ALLOWED to throw discs prior to turning in your scorecard. Once the last hole is finished (holed out), practice throws may no longer be assessed. I've heard several players say it is the other way, and I just want to know the correct ruling and read the text that makes the rule the way it is.

[Matt DeAngelis]

I can't see how this would be considered a practice throw. I also heard this a few weeks back and don't know why this has been coming up lately.

[Titan Bariloni]

what if your tied? and have a playoff is the round considered over? is a playoff considered part of the round? or would it start a new round once playoff begins?

you may not even know if ya have a playoff sometimes while out on course

[Kevin Cole]

what if your tied? and have a playoff is the round considered over? is a playoff considered part of the round? or would it start a new round once playoff begins?

This is exactly the question. You can certainly practice between two rounds of a tournament, why would between 2nd round and playoff be any different? I would imagine "round" refers to the one set of 18 holes, and given the language in 803.01-B, would be over when you finish the last hole. You would then be allowed to throw to your hearts content, regardless of playoffs, or the scorecard being turned in, until the next round 2 minute warning (at which point you could get a warning for practice throws under the competition manual 1.5-B-1).

Unless there is some rule that I have overlooked, I believe the throws I'm talking about are legal, I just want to see if anyone could point out something that would disallow them.

[Drew Smith]

what if your tied? and have a playoff is the round considered over? is a playoff considered part of the round? or would it start a new round once playoff begins?

you may not even know if ya have a playoff sometimes while out on course

Though not clearly defined, I'd say a round is the pre-determined holes that everyone plays not counting the playoffs.

If a playoff is considered part of the round, then we're in trouble ...

From 803.01.A

The competitor who plays the stipulated round or rounds in the fewest throws plus penalty throws is the winner.

Also, 803.01.E actually distinguishes a round from a playoff:

Warnings do not carry over from one round to the next round or to a playoff.

[Josh Connell]

Nowhere in the rule book does it say that the round does not end until the card is turned in. In fact, in rule 804.03, specifically the sections referring to turning in the scorecard and the penalty for not doing so in a timely fashion, there are references to turning the card in after the "end of the round". I think that makes it fairly clear that the end of the round comes well before the card is turned in. Add in the detail from the "practice throw" definition and I think we have the time frame of the "round" defined as the two-minute warning until the last hole is completed/holed out.

And Kevin, you do recall correctly that there was a thread that alluded to this recently. Sudden death tiebreakers covered both the end of round and playoff stuff just a few weeks ago.