Southern National Handbook

Southern National Tournament Series Handbook

Contents:

  • Introduction
  • Section 1.0: Classification of Players
  • Section 2.0: Qualification for Southern National Disc Golf Championship
  • Section 3.0: Southern National Disc Golf Board of Directors
  • Section 4.0: Punishment for Major Rule Violations
  • Section 5.0: Southern National Disc Golf Qualifier Tournaments
  • Section 6.0: Competition Manual
  • Section 7.0: Player Code of Conduct

Introduction

The Southern National Disc Golf (SNDG) tournament series is a sanctioning organization culminating in yearly Championships. SNDG sanctioned Championship qualifying tournaments are individual tournaments run by clubs, organizations or individuals that have requested SNDG sanctioning of their event. No membership is required to participate in the SNDG series or Championships. The series has a Championship qualifying season that starts on January 1st and ends on December 31. Participating in a SNDG sanctioned tournament during the qualifying season, excluding a SNDG Championship, may qualify the participant to compete in the SNDG Championships that follow the season as provided in Section 2.
Any questions concerning information not covered in the SN Series Handbook or clarification on any information that is covered may be directed to the Southern National Board. Go to www.sndg.org/contact for contact information.

Section 1.0: Classification of Players

The division classifications listed in this Section shall be used for all SNDG sanctioned Championship qualifying tournaments. The provisions of this Section do not apply to the Championships except as provided in Section 2. A tournament director may, by giving adequate public notice, restrict the divisions offered. Absent such notice, the tournament director shall offer for competition all divisions listed in this Section for which three (3) or more players offer entry. A tournament director may offer any other division but the finishing results in such other divisions may be combined by the SNDG into one of the divisions listed in this Section and/or Championship qualification may be limited for play in such other division as provided in Section 2.

  • 1.1 Professional (Pro) divisions in which players may compete for money and other prizes.
    • 1.1.1 Pro Open (MPO): The highest skill professional division available to all players.
    • 1.1.2 Pro Master (MP40): A professional division available only to players at least 40 years of age in the calendar year the tournament begins. Example that if a tournament is in May and the player turns 40 years old in November, the player is eligible to play Pro Master (MP40) because he will be 40 years old before the end of the calendar year.
    • 1.1.3 Pro Grandmaster (MP50): A professional division available only to players at least 50 years of age in the calendar year the tournament begins. Example: a player who turns 50 in 2019 cannot play MP50 in an event that begins in 2019, even if the player will be 50 in the qualifying season of the event, because it is age during the calendar year of the event, not the qualifying season, that qualifies for age protection.
    • 1.1.4 Pro Senior Grandmaster (MP60): A professional division available only to players at least 60 years of age in the calendar year the tournament begins. 
    • 1.1.5 Pro Women (FPO): The highest skill professional division available only to all female born players.
    • 1.1.6 Pro Women Master (FP40): A professional division available only to female born players at least 40 years of age in the calendar year the tournament begins.
  • 1.2 Amateur Status divisions in which players may compete for prizes but may not compete for money for their finish. All players have Amateur Status except as provided below:
    • 1.2.1 A male born player who accepts money, or prizes in lieu of money more than once in a six (6) month period, for their finish in a Pro division has thereby lost Amateur Status and may not compete in an Amateur division except as reclassified in accordance with Section 1.3.
    • 1.2.2 Female born players:
    • 1.2.2.1 A female born player who accepts money, or prizes in lieu of money more than once in a six (6) month period, for their finish in a Pro division has thereby lost Amateur Status and may not compete in an Amateur division restricted to female born players except as reclassified in accordance with Section 1.3.
    • 1.2.2.2 A female born player without Amateur Status may compete in an Amateur division not restricted to female born players if and only if;
    • 1.2.2.2.1 there are no other qualified players offering to enter a Pro Women division listed in Section 1 for which the player is qualified by age and birth gender, and
    • 1.2.2.2.2 the player is qualified under any age restrictions provided for the division, and
    • 1.2.2.2.3 the player is not otherwise unqualified for the division under the provisions of Section 1.2.4 below.
    • 1.2.2.3 A female born player does not obtain Amateur Status by competing in an Amateur division not restricted to female born players.
    • 1.2.3 Ancillary awards not earned by the tournament finishing score, such as player packs, CTPs, rings of fire, ace pots and Skins that do not apply to the finishing score, are excluded from the players finish for the purposes of Amateur Status and divisional classification.
    • 1.2.4 The Amateur Status divisions are provided below.
    • 1.2.4.1 Advanced (ADV - MA1): The highest skill Amateur division available only to all players with Amateur Status and to female born players as provided in Section 1.2.2.2 regardless of Amateur status.
    • 1.2.4.2 Advanced Master (MA40): A division available only to players with Amateur Status at least 40 years of age in the calendar year the tournament begins and to female born players as provided in Section 1.2.2.2 regardless of Amateur status.
    • 1.2.4.3 Intermediate (INT - MA2): An amateur division for players who have developed basic skills and/or have tournament experience and available only to players with Amateur Status who have not accepted any award for their finish in any of the above listed divisions or have been reclassified to qualify in accordance with Section 1.3 and to female born players as provided in Section 1.2.2.2 regardless of Amateur status, who have not accepted any award for their finish in either of the Advanced divisions provided by 1.2.4.1 and 1.2.4.2 above or have been reclassified to qualify in accordance with Section 1.3.
    • 1.2.4.4 Recreational (REC - MA3): An amateur division for beginning players available only to players who have not accepted any award for their finish in any of the above listed divisions.
    • 1.2.4.5 Novice (NOV - MA4): An amateur division for players new to Disc Golf participating in their first event(s) who have not accepted any award for their finish in any of the above listed divisions.
    • 1.2.4.6 Junior (JR15): An amateur division available only to players less than 16 years of age on the date the tournament ends.
    • 1.2.4.7 Advanced Women (AW - FA1): The highest skill Amateur division available only to all female born players with Amateur Status.
    • 1.2.4.8 Intermediate Women (IW - FA2): An amateur division available only to all female born players with Amateur Status who have not accepted any award for their finish in any of the above listed female restricted divisions or have been reclassified to qualify in accordance with Section 1.3.
  • 1.3 Player Reclassification:
    • 1.3.1 A player not qualified for an Amateur division due to having accepted a finishing award in a Pro division (gained Professional Status) may compete in an Advanced Amateur division for which the player would otherwise be qualified after finishing four (4) consecutive immediately preceding Championship qualifying tournaments without accepting a finishing award in any and all Pro divisions in which the player accepted a finishing award.
    • 1.3.2 A player not qualified for an Intermediate Amateur division due to having accepted a finishing award in an Advanced Amateur division may compete in an Intermediate Amateur division for which the player would otherwise be qualified after finishing four (4) consecutive immediately preceding Championship qualifying tournaments without accepting a finishing award in any and all Advanced Amateur divisions in which the player accepted a finishing award.
    • 1.3.3 Competition in a tournament without finishing all holes and rounds offered shall be disregarded for the purposes of player reclassification if no finishing award is accepted. Example a DNF (Did Not Finish) with no finishing award accepted will not qualify or disqualify a player for reclassification. Example accepting a finishing prize for a DNF means the player must finish four (4) subsequent events as specified above to be reclassified.
  • 1.4 A player may only compete in a single division of a tournament at one time. Where a tournament offers different divisions at different times, a director may allow a player to play in multiple divisions if otherwise qualified.
  • 1.5 A player’s Amateur Status and divisional classification for a singles event, SNAC or SNPC is not changed or affected by competing or accepting awards of any kind in a SNDG doubles tournament and/or the SNDG Doubles Championship.
  • 1.6 A player may compete in any division for which they are qualified in accordance with the above rules. Exception: the tournament director of a qualifier event may limit the divisions a player may enter in the director’s qualifier event based on the player’s past performance. A tournament director may exclude any player from entry in the director’s qualifier event.

Section 2.0: Qualification for Southern National Disc Golf Championships

The SNDG tournament Series uses individual seasons in determining SNDG Championship eligibility. The SNDG Championships are held after each SNDG qualifying season as provided in the Introduction of these rules. The Southern National Doubles Championship (SNDC) is typically held in late April. The Southern National Amateur Championship (SNAC) is typically mid-May, two weekends prior to the Memorial Day weekend. The Southern National Pro Championship (SNPC) is typically held the last weekend of May (Memorial Day weekend).

  • 2.1 Players competing in SNDG sanctioned qualifier tournaments, whether singles or doubles, in divisions listed in Section 1 above, excluding the Recreational (REC) division, earn two (2) points on the last day of the tournament toward qualifying to compete in the SNDG Championships by finishing at least one (1) full round and at least eighteen (18) holes in the tournament. Players competing in SNDG sanctioned qualifier tournaments in a division not listed in Section 1 above, whether singles or doubles, earn two (2) points on the last day of the tournament toward qualifying to compete in the SNDG Championships by finishing at least one (1) full round and at least eighteen (18) holes in the tournament if the results are combined into a division listed in Section 1 above. The following division classifications, if offered by a tournament director, shall be combined into the next least restricted Section 1 division as follows:
    • 2.1.1 Pro Legends (MP70) results, restricted to players at least 70 years of age in the calendar year the tournament begins, are combined with Pro Senior Grandmaster (P60) in regards to SN points earned and fees collected.
    • 2.1.2 Advanced Grandmaster (MA50), restricted to players at least 50 years of age in the calendar year the tournament begins and Amateur Advanced Senior Grandmaster (A60) results, restricted to players at least 60 years of age in the calendar year the tournament begins, are combined with Advanced Master (MA40) in regards to SN points earned and fees collected.
    • 2.1.3 Advanced Master Women (FA40) results are combined with Advanced Women (AW) in regards to SN points earned and fees collected.
    • 2.1.4 Junior divisions restricted to female born players (JW16) less than 16 years of age on the date the tournament ends are combined with Junior (JR16) in regards to SN points earned.
    • 2.1.5 Any other division results authorized and published by the SNDG are combined in regards to points awarded and fees collected with the closest approximate division listed in Section 1.
  • 2.2 Players qualify for a SNDG Championship by having earned at least two (2) SNDG points in the qualifying season.
    • 2.2.1 Example that to earn any points to qualify for any of the 2020 SNDG Championships (SNDC, SNAC, SNPC) a player must have played in a SNDG qualifying tournament held within the 2019 season in a division listed or combined into a division listed in Section 1.
    • 2.2.4 Example that competing in a tournament without finishing at least one (1) full round and eighteen (18) holes does not earn any points toward qualifying for any Championship.
    • 2.2.5 Example that competing in the Recreational (REC) division or any division with results combined with the Recreational (REC) division does not earn any points toward qualifying for any Championship.
  • 2.3 Player’s points awarded in a SNDG qualifier tournament are recorded in the division the player is registered for or in the Section 1 listed division the results are combined with. It is the player’s responsibility to ensure that the player’s points are reflected accurately in the tournament results for SNDG Championship qualification purposes. Nicknames or one word names such as Madonna or Mike or just last names must be verifiable against an individual player or else they can’t be used to determine eligibility. Example that if a TD does not specify a players first and last name in the submitted results but lists a result for Mike W., Mike W. isn’t specific enough to determine the players identity in regard to SNDG Championship qualification. Any person so affected should contact the TD or SNDG stats person to correct the name to reflect the correct individual.
  • 2.4 A tournament director (1) for each SNDG qualifier event that does not otherwise earn points for competing in the event directed is awarded two (2) points toward qualifying for the Championships in any division the player is otherwise qualified for. The tournament director awarded points should be listed as such in the event details pertaining to the tournament.
  • 2.5 A player is awarded an additional one (1) point for each player or team passed in the players registered division at the end of the tournament. Example that if your division had ten (10) players or teams and you or your team finished 1st, you or you and your teammate each would receive two (2) points for playing and one (1) point for each player or team you beat (9) for a total of eleven (11) points.
  • 2.6 A player’s cumulative points earned in the qualifying season determine whether the player will receive a SNDG Championship invitation for the division(s) the player earned points in. An invitation to compete in a SNDG Championship division certifies the player’s points qualification for the earliest available entry and registration in that Championship division. Invitations are determined only for the SNAC and SNPC.
  • 2.7 Following a period to be specified for invitation only entry and registration, a player with qualifying Amateur points may register for the SNAC and a player with qualifying Pro points may register for the SNPC.
  • 2.8 A player with only qualifying Amateur points is qualified to play in the applicable SNPC but may not register for entry in the SNPC before the last two weeks preceding the date the event begins. Example the Amateur only points holder with no SNPC invitation cannot play in the applicable SNPC if it fills up 15 days before it begins. Example that if the SNPC begins on Saturday, the first day a player with Am points but no Pro points may register for the SNPC is the Saturday 2 weeks before the event.
  • 2.9 A player who has no Amateur SNDG points for the qualifying season but has finished at least one (1) full round and eighteen (18) holes in a SNDG qualifier tournament in the Recreational (REC) division, or any such Amateur division for which no points were awarded, in the qualifying season is qualified to enter the applicable SNAC/SNDC but may not register for the SNAC/SNDC before the last week preceding the date the event begins.
  • 2.10 Player division classification for a SNAC and SNPC is determined by the players Amateur Status and division qualification as provided in Section 1 on the last day of the SNDG qualifying season.
    • 2.10.1 Example this allows players whose skills have improved to move up to start a new SN season without affecting their division qualification at any Championships for the previous season.
    • 2.10.2 Example that a player in the Advanced (ADV) division throughout the 2018 season who first played in the Pro Open (PO) division on May 1, 2019 can accept Pro cash in that event and still play in the SNAC on May 14, 2019 in the Advanced (ADV) division because that was the players division status at the end of the 2018 qualifying season.
    • 2.10.3 Example that a female born player without Amateur Status may compete in the SNAC in an Amateur division not restricted to female born players if Amateur points, age and award acceptance requirements for the division are met.
    • 2.10.4 Example that players with applicable points who turn 40 in 2020 are qualified for the MP40 division at the 2020 Championships, even if they did not play in a Master age division during the qualifying season, because Pro points qualify for all SNPC non-gender-restricted divisions except for invitational purposes. Amateur points qualify in the same cross-division way for the SNAC.
  • 2.11 A SNDG qualifying Doubles tournament and/or Championship team will consist of 2 players.
  • 2.12 Player division classification for the SNDC is determined by the players Amateur Status and division qualification as provided in Section 1 on the last day of the SNDG qualifying season. The team may only enter a division for which both players were qualified per Section 1 at the end of the qualifying season.
    • 2.12.1 Example the team will register in the higher division if the team players are in two different classifications.
    • 2.12.2 Example: two players team up, one is classified as Advanced (ADV) and the other is classified as Intermediate (INT) at the end of the qualifying season. The team would have to sign up in the Advanced (ADV) division because the INT player can move up but the Advanced (ADV) player can’t move down absent reclassification during the qualifying season under 1.3.
  • 2.13 No player may enter or register for a SNDG Championship except as provided above.
  • 2.14 A players Amateur Status and divisional classification for a singles event, SNAC or SNPC is not changed or affected by competing or accepting awards of any kind in a SNDG doubles tournament and/or the SNDG Doubles Championship.

Section 3.0: Southern National Disc Golf Board of Directors

  • 3.1 Board of Directors
    • 3.1.2 The Southern National Disc Golf Tournament Series is managed by a Board of Directors consisting of six voting members and Jim Orum as honorary 7th seat, voting only as a tiebreaker.
    • 3.1.1 There are six elected seats on the Board. Seats 2, 4, and 6 are elected in even numbered years. Seats 1, 3, and 5 are elected in odd numbered years.
  • 3.2 Board Member Election
    • 3.2.1 Election for no more than three opposed or resigning members is held once a year in accordance with this Section.
    • 3.2.2 Election time line provides new members to be elected by and announced at the SNDG Pro Championship. will be as follows:
      • March 1: Nominations open for SN Board Members
      • One week prior to SNDC: Nominations close
      • SNDC: In-person voting opens at check-in, closes at conclusion of event
      • SNAC: In-person voting opens at check-in, closes at conclusion of event
      • SNPC: In-person voting opens at check-in, closes at conclusion of event
      • E-mail voting will be available from conclusion of SNDC to beginning of SNPC.
  • 3.3 SNDG Board Member Eligibility
    • 3.3.1 The individual must be a disc golf player or tournament director having earned two (2) points in the most recent SNDG season that ended prior to the voting closing date and be at least 18 years of age at the end of said season. Example that for the 2019 election, the individual must have earned two (2) SNDG points in the 2018 SNDG Season.
    • 3.3.2 The individual must have access to and use of the internet including E-mail and Messenger for meetings and communication.
  • 3.4 SNDG Voter Eligibility
    • 3.4.1 Only persons who earned two (2) points in the most recent SNDG season that ended prior to the voting closing date or the current season of the voting closing date may vote. Example that for the person to be eligible to vote in the 2018 SNDG Board election the person must have earned two (2) SNDG points in the 2016 or 2017 SNDG season.
  • 3.5 Board Member Nominees
    • 3.5.1 Players interested in serving on the SNDG Board of Directors must declare by sending an e-mail including name, address, and phone number to the designated election coordinator. Declarations for Board Member will only be accepted and confirmed through e-mail. Midnight May 1 is the deadline for a player to declare. Results will be posted on the SNDG Forum.
    • 3.5.2 Votes will be accepted via e-mail, pm or other established means and must include full name of voter. No nicknames will be accepted (i.e. – Banger, Treeknocker, or T-bone). The candidates for the SNDG Board of Directors will be posted on the SNDG Forum.
  • 3.6 Board Member Candidates
    • 3.6.1 Voting for candidates to serve on the SNDG Board will begin at SNDC.
    • 3.6.2 Voting options will be made available at the SNDG Doubles Championship, SNDG Am Championship and the SNDG Pro Championship.
    • 3.6.3 The conclusion of SNDG Pro Championship second round is the deadline for written ballots to be deposited in ballot boxes provided at the Championship.
    • 3.6.4 The newly elected Board Members will be announced the week after SNPC and posted on the SNDG Forum.
    • 3.6.5 The newly elected Board Members will begin their terms on June 1st.
  • 3.7 Board Member Attendance
    • 3.7.1 Any Board Member that misses 3 consecutive meetings may be removed from the Board of Directors by a unanimous vote in favor of removal by the remaining Board members. If 6 consecutive meetings are missed the Board Member will be automatically removed without a vote.
  • 3.8 Board Member Conduct
    • 3.8.1 Any Board Member whose conduct is detrimental to the SN series and the SN Board may be removed from the Board of Directors by a unanimous 5-0 vote in favor of removal by the remaining Board members. Example: a SN Board Member is disqualified from a SN sanctioned tournament.
  • 3.9 Board Member Removal, Resignation or Demise
    • 3.9.1 The removal, resignation or demise of a board member shall vacate the seat of the board member.
    • 3.9.2 Upon an elected SN board member (seats 1-6) vacancy the remaining Board members will determine based on length of vacancy whether to fill the vacancy or wait until the next election.
      • 3.9.2.1 If less than 6 months remains until the next SN Board election date the position shall remain empty.
      • 3.9.2.2 If more than 6 months remains the board member will be replaced.
    • 3.9.3 If the SN Board falls below four (4) active elected members an election will be held regardless of the time until the next election.
    • 3.9.4 Additional elections to replace a vacant elected position will follow the same parameters as Section 3.3 through 3.6 but the timeline and dates will be condensed/ determined by the board.
    • 3.9.5 The honorary 7th seat if vacated by Jim Orum will remain unfilled until the next election. The position will revert to a fully participating elected two (2) year position and will follow the election parameters as outlined above in determining a replacement.

Section 4.0: Punishment for Major Rule Violations

  • 4.1 A player shall be disqualified by the tournament director or post tournament, by the board of directors, for committing any of the following acts during a Southern National qualifying or championship event.
    • 4.1.1 Playing in any SN Championship (SNPC, SNAC, SNDC) without the required points.
    • 4.1.2 Playing in a division not qualified for per Section 1.0. Example 1: playing in Pro Grandmasters without meeting the requisite age requirement, i.e. too young. Example 2: playing advanced, but having accepted cash as a pro 2 tournaments ago.
  • 4.2 A player shall be subject to disqualification or warning of disqualification by the tournament director for committing any of the following acts during a Southern National qualifying or championship event.
    • 4.2.1 Unsportsmanlike conduct towards players or spectators, such as; loud cursing, throwing things in anger (other than discs in play), or overt rudeness to anyone present (spectator, player, or official).
    • 4.2.2 Willful and overt destruction or abuse of plant life, course hardware, or any other property considered part of the disc golf course or the park.
    • 4.2.3 Cheating: a willful attempt to circumvent the rules of play.
    • 4.2.4 Physical attacks or threatening behavior to anyone present.
    • 4.2.5 Activities which are in violation of the law or park regulation or disc golf course rule.
    • 4.2.6 The possession of illegal substances in violation of Federal, State or Local laws.
    • 4.2.7 Alcohol use at tournaments in violation of Federal, State or Local laws or ordinances, park regulation, disc golf course rule or Tournament Director determination.
    • 4.2.8 Excessive use of alcohol at the tournament. When alcohol is allowed by the course or park management and at the discretion of the TD, it is up to the player to do so responsibly.
    • 4.2.9 Overt failure or refusal to enforce the rules of disc golf during competition.
    • 4.2.10 Failure or refusal to cooperate with, or obstruction of any investigation by an official into the competitor’s conduct or the conduct of another competitor.
  • 4.3 Tournament Directors are granted the discretion to disqualify a player based on the severity of the offending conduct. An official warning of disqualification may be issued by a director where they deem appropriate. Both player warnings and/or disqualification will be communicated to the SN Board.
  • 4.4 Disqualified players shall forfeit any prize money and shall not receive a refund of entry fees. No SN points will be awarded if a player is disqualified.
  • 4.5 Players who commit a major rules violation may also be subject to disciplinary actions. The SN Series reserves the right to determine and enforce further disciplinary action upon its players, which may result in probation or suspension from SN sanctioned events. Any warnings or DQs according to the guidelines above reported to the SN Board will be counted against that player. A single disqualification or two warnings within a 12 month period will carry a 12 month probation period effective on the date of the disqualification or 2nd warning. During that probation period another warning or disqualification will carry a 3 month suspension from ANY SN disc golf event AND that player will not be allowed to play in any SN championship event for the SN year that the second infraction occurred. The probation period will also be restarted from the date of the second infraction for another year. Another infraction of these rules during the new probationary period will result in a minimum 1 year suspension from SN tournament play, permanent probation, and the player must request reinstatement after that year from the board before participating in another SN qualifier or championship. A third infraction will be dealt with specifically by the board but a permanent ban from SN events will be seriously considered.
  • 4.6 In terms of these rules a tournament event should be specifically defined as all time periods during which a required, tournament associated event is taking place on the facilities of the disc golf course or courses. This should include, but not be limited to, all rounds of disc golf and the player’s meeting. Any additional events that the Tournament Director deems included are also eligible to fall under these rules.
  • 4.7 Players who commit Player Misconduct may also be subject to disciplinary actions. The SN Series reserves the right to determine and enforce disciplinary action upon its players, which may result in probation or suspension from SN sanctioned events.

Section 5.0: Southern National Disc Golf Qualifier Tournaments

  • 5.1 Any Tournament Director may submit an SN Tournament Qualifier Application to have his or her tournament deemed a SNDG Qualifier. SNDG Qualifying Tournaments must adhere to the following guidelines. Further information may be found on the SN Tournament Qualifier Application.
    • 5.1.1 The tournament must be at least 100 miles away from any other  SNDG Qualifier occurring on the same day.
      • 5.1.1.1 Exception: If within the mileage restriction the TD for the first event scheduled can waive the mileage restriction and allow SN sanctioning of the second tournament. (Example: if the second tournament is 80 miles away the TD of the first SN tournament sanctioned/scheduled may allow SN sanctioning/scheduling of the second).
    • 5.1.2 $2 must be collected from each entrant and sent to the SNDG Treasurer. Exceptions are made for the Novice, and Junior divisions for which the $2 SN fee does not apply. (There is typically no Novice division at the SNAC and no SN fees are taken from the Junior division to keep their entry fees lower).
      • 5.1.2.1 For singles tournaments, $2 of each qualifier fee is returned to the respective division from which it was collected at the Southern National Am and Pro Championships. $.50 of each qualifier fee is used for SN expenses.
      • 5.1.2.2 For doubles tournaments, $2 of each qualifier fee is returned to the Southern National Doubles Championships. $.50 of each qualifier fee is used for SN expenses. Exceptions are made for the Novice and Junior divisions for which the $2 SN fee does not apply. The SN fees sent to the SNDC are allocated per team participating. (Example: The total collected SN fees were $800. There are 20 teams total, 7 Pro Open, 3 Pro women and 10 Am men. The $800 would be divided by 20 equaling $40 per team. Therefore $280 would go to Pro Open, $120 to Pro Women and $400 to Am Men).
      • 5.1.2.3 For the sake of accountability, SN Tournament Directors have a 1 month allotted timeframe in which to submit the SN fees to the SN treasurer. After 1 month the fees are considered delinquent and will be defined as such, and any subsequent SN sanctioned events by the delinquent TD will have the SN sanctioning removed and the tournament taken off the SN schedule until the delinquent SN fees are paid.
    • 5.1.3 The SN requests that each sanctioned tournament consists of at least 36 holes of scheduled play. Typically this is defined as 2 scheduled rounds of a minimum of 18 holes (36 holes total). If a tournament fails to meet the 36 hole requirement, (Example: 1st round of 18, 2nd round is only 14), the tournament director may seek sanctioning through a vote by the Board of Directors. Requests must be made at least 30 days before the event takes place.
    • 5.1.4 SN sanctioning and subsequent placement on the SN schedule of a tournament held annually is not automatic and up to the TD/club to contact the SN scheduler to request both SN sanctioning and placement on the SN schedule for each tournament.
    • 5.1.4.1 For a previous/annually sanctioned tournament the same weekend is reserved the following season. The weekend is no longer reserved nine (9) months after the tournament or three (3) months prior to the same subsequent weekend the following year.
  • 5.2 The following dates are protected and may not be used for any other SN Qualifier Tournaments (may be waived by the SN Board based upon request).
    • 5.2.1 The SN Doubles Championships (SNDC) – the first full weekend of April.
    • 5.2.2 The SN Amateur Championships (SNAC) – Mid-May, two weekends before Memorial Day weekend (if combined with the SNPC will be held on Memorial Day weekend).
    • 5.2.3 The SN Pro Championships (SNPC) – Memorial Day weekend, typically the last full weekend in May.

  • 5.3 Charity events may seek a $1 reduction for Southern National Tournament sanctioning, effectively lowering the cost to $1 per player (not including novice, recreational, and junior divisions) if they meet the following criteria:

  • 5.3.1 The event must be used to raise money for a 501c3 charity.
  • 5.3.2 The BOD must be provided with the charity’s tax ID number prior to approval.
  • 5.3.3 The Southern Nationals must be listed as an event sponsor.
  • 5.3.4 The Tournament Director must apply for the waiver at least 45 days in advance of the event.
  • 5.3.5 A minimum of $1 dollars per player must be set aside from the entry fees and sent to the charity.
  • 5.3.6 A minimum of 25% of the remaining event value after $1 sanctioning fee and $1 from each player is removed must be sent to the charity.

  • 5.4 Tournament Director Responsibilities

  • 5.4.1 Once SN sanctioning has been requested and granted the TD has a responsibility to both the SN series and to the players in regards to running a quality event.
  • 5.4.2 Tournament results and fees are submitted to the Board within 30 days.
  • 5.4.3 Proof of donation through a receipt or letter from the charity stating the amount donated must be presented to the Board within 30 days. (charity events only) 
  • 5.4.4 SN sanctioning is not guaranteed and may be denied if the TD has not demonstrated consistency in handling TD responsibilities at previous events.

Section 6.0: Southern National Competition Manual

  • 6.1 Tournament Registration
    • 6.1.1 A player is officially “entered” in the event when their entry fee is received by the TD.
    • 6.1.2 All openings in the field of play will be filled on a first come-first serve basis, until the allocated places have been filled.
  • 6.2 Withdrawal and Refunds
    • 6.2.1 A player may officially withdraw only by contacting the Tournament Director.
    • 6.2.2 Players must email or phone their withdrawals to the Tournament Director only at the contact information posted.
    • 6.2.3 Withdrawals made prior to the start of the event shall receive a 100% refund, less any expenses incurred by the TD in returning the entry fee (i.e. postage). The refund at the discretion of the TD may include full entry fee or entry fee (minus cost of players pack) and a tournament player’s pack.
  • 6.3 Beginning Play
    • 6.3.1 It is the sole responsibility of the player to be at the course, ready to play in time for the start of their round.
    • 6.3.2 Two types of starts will be used to begin competitive play: (1) Shotgun Starts (rounds where several groups start simultaneously): At a scheduled time, scorecard(s) shall be distributed to the player listed first on each hole. After the cards have been distributed, groups shall be given adequate time to reach their assigned teeing areas. A loud noisemaker, such as an air horn, shall be used to indicate that there are two minutes remaining until tee off. This signal shall be a series of short blasts. At this time, players are to end practice and all practice shots and move promptly to their teeing areas. A throw by a player between the two minute signal and the start of the round shall receive a warning if observed by two or more players or an official. After being warned, subsequent throws by the player during this period, if observed by two or more players or an official, shall result in one penalty throw added to the players score, regardless of the number of throws. An extended blast of the noisemaker begins the round and signals the scorekeepers to call the throwing orders. If a player is not present to throw when it is his or her turn, the scorekeeper shall allow 30 seconds. If the player has not thrown after the 30 seconds has elapsed, a score of par plus four is to be entered for that hole. This procedure continues on any subsequent holes for which a player is absent. No holes shall be replayed. If a complete round is missed, or if a player does not finish a round, the player may, at the discretion of the director, be disqualified. (2) Staggered Starts (rounds where groups start one after another on a certain hole): The player shall start at the time announced by the director. Players may practice until their group prepares to tee off provided their practice does not distract players on the course. If a player is not present to throw when it is his or her turn, the scorekeeper shall allow 30 seconds. If the player has not thrown by then, a score of par plus four is to be entered for that hole. This procedure continues on any subsequent tee offs for which a player is absent. No holes shall be replayed. If a complete round is missed, or if a player does not finish a round, the player may, at the discretion of the director, be disqualified.
  • 6.4 Grouping and Sectioning
    • 6.4.1 At the TDs discretion the first round pairing may be determined 2 ways, subject to the immediately following sub-section:
      • 6.4.1.1 Divisions mixed randomly. Pro and Amateur divisions on the same card. The TD will make an effort to ensure the grouping of different divisions is done fairly across the board, i.e. divisions are represented equally on all cards.
      • 6.4.1.2 Division grouping; players within a division may be randomly grouped for the first round
    • 6.4.2 TD discretion is allowed in grouping to facilitate ease of play.
    • 6.4.3 Subsequent rounds pairing should be within the division and determined based on player performance.
    • 6.4.4 To promote fairness, groups shall not be less than three players, except under extenuating circumstances, as deemed necessary by the tournament director. In cases where fewer than three players are required to play together players, a tournament official/bipartisan observer is required to accompany the group and may play as long as this does not interfere with the competing players.
    • 6.4.5 Groups should not be more than five players and should be limited to four players whenever possible. (TD discretion is allowed in determining number of players on each hole).
    • 6.4.6 When there are more entrants than can play together in one round, the field of competitors may be split into sections or pools.
  • 6.5 Suspension of Play
    • 6.5.1 If, in the opinion of the tournament director, excessive rain or hazardous conditions exist that make it impractical or dangerous to continue play, the tournament shall be suspended. The signal to suspend play shall be the same as the signal to start.
    • 6.5.2 Players shall immediately stop play and mark the lie of each member of the group. A natural object is sufficient to mark the approximate lie from which the player shall resume play. Players shall then return to the first teeing area, clubhouse, tournament central or area designated by the director.
    • 6.5.3 Players shall resume play from their approximate lies as established when the round was halted. The approximate lie is determined by a majority of the group.
    • 6.5.4 The director may allow players to take a break while waiting for weather to improve, but may require players to return at a time assigned by the director until play resumes or until the round is postponed.
    • 6.5.5 Partial round scores shall be carried forward to the completion of the round whenever the round is resumed.
    • 6.5.6 A player who stops playing before a signal to stop has been given shall receive two penalty throws if, in the opinion of the director, the player stopped playing prematurely.
    • 6.5.7 The tournament director will make every effort to complete all rounds of the tournament as scheduled.
    • 6.5.8 Incomplete rounds will be voided and not count towards the final outcome of the tournament.
    • 6.5.9 As long as 1 round of 18 has been completed in a SN sanctioned tournament the tournament will be deemed complete and final.
  • 6.6 Reduction of Field Size
    • 6.6.1 The field may be cut for a semifinals or finals at the discretion of the tournament director, provided this is announced well in advance of the event.
    • 6.6.2 Unless announced in advance by the tournament director all ties for a semifinal or final cut will be broken by the use of a tiebreaker.
    • 6.6.3 Any eligible player who chooses not to participate in a semifinal or final shall receive cash or prizes equal to finishing last in the appropriate cut if that place is eligible for cash or prizes.
  • 6.7 Tie Breakers
    • 6.7.1 Between rounds when the groups are being reset, tied positions shall be broken. The player with the lowest score in the most recent round shall have the highest ranking when the scorecards/positions are reset. In the event of ties for lowest score, the ties shall be broken by the director through a consistently applied manner (i.e. alphabetically, number of birdies, etc.).
    • 6.7.2 Final ties for first place in any division may be broken by sudden death play at the TD’s discretion. Sudden death play shall begin with hole number one unless a different hole or series of holes is designated by the tournament director.
    • 6.7.3 Final ties shall be officially recorded as ties. Prize money distribution to tied players (other than for first place) shall be determined by adding the total money allocated to the number of positions represented by the tied players and dividing that by the number of players tied. Trophy distribution for ties may be determined by sudden death play or by any related disc golf skill event determined by the TD.
  • 6.8 Distribution of Prizes
    • 6.8.1 Any prizes (money or merchandise) declined by a player must pass down to the next finishing position. (Example: If a player placing third declines his prize, the player in fourth place will receive third place prize, the player in fifth will receive fourth place prize, etc.)
    • 6.8.2 Any prizes that a player has earned will be distributed at the completion of the event once the results have been tabulated and verified.
      • 6.8.2.1 Tournament Directors may award prizes earlier at their discretion.
      • 6.8.2.2 Players who leave before the official distribution of prizes do not relinquish their winnings but are responsible for coordinating with the TD in regards to getting their prizes.
      • 6.8.3 Cash and prizes outside of the determined payout (such as player’s packs, CTPs, Ring of Fires, skins, etc.) can be reflected in the SN tournament total payout. To be included in the payout the cash/prizes has to be slotted against an individual player.
  • 6.9 Officials
    • 6.9.1 TDs and their designated representatives act as officials for SN tournaments.
    • 6.9.2 The PDGA Rules of Disc Golf (801 Conduct of Players, 802 Equipment, 803 Rules of Play, and 804 Tournament Procedure) apply in regards to individual round play (i.e. from the 2-minute warning until the completion of the round PDGA Rules of Disc Golf apply). Exceptions are:
      • 6.9.2.1 Rule 804.01 D. Special Conditions (See 6.9.3)
      • 6.9.2.2 Rule 804.04 Rain or Hazardous Conditions (See 6.5)
        • 6.9.2.2.1 Rule 804.05 Disqualification and Suspension (See 4.0)
      • 6.9.2.3 Rule 804.06 Grouping and Sectioning (See 6.4)
      • 6.9.2.4 Rule 804.07 Ties (See 6.7)
      • 6.9.2.5 Rule 804.08 Classification of Players (See 1.0)
      • 6.9.2.6 Rule 804.09 Officials (See 6.9.1)
    • 6.9.3 No other rules may be stipulated which conflict with the PDGA Rules of Play, unless approved by the SN Board. Examples: the use of mulligans as a fundraising tool in charity tournaments.
  • 6.10 Combined SN and PDGA tournaments
    • 6.10.1 For dual sanctioned events the SN Series cedes any conflicting rules of play between the SN Series and the PDGA to the PDGA with the exception of qualifying for the SN Championships (i.e. PDGA rules trump SN rules for dual sanctioned events except for qualifying for a dual sanctioned SN Championship).
    • 6.10.2 For dual sanctioned events the SN Series cedes any conflicting rules between the SN Series and the PDGA in regards to the competition manual to the PDGA.
    • 6.10.3 For dual sanctioned events (excluding dual sanctioned SN Championships) a suspended or banned SN player may play at the discretion of the PDGA/TD however that players results will not be reflected in the official SN results and no SN points will be awarded and no SN fees collected (from the SN point of view the player did not play).

Section 7.0: Player Code of Conduct

  • 7.1 General
    • 7.1.1 All SN players should refrain from any conduct which is detrimental to the game of disc golf and to the SN Series, both on and off of the course.
    • 7.1.2 All players must abide by the SN Rules as stated in the Southern National Tournament Series Handbook.
    • 7.1.3 Players are requested to place any audible mobile phones or audible pagers to a silent mode during any competitive round. In addition, personal music players and other devices must be used exclusively with personal headphones and the volume must be kept at a level so as not to be heard by other players (unless all players in the group consent).
    • 7.1.4 Animals, with the exception of service animals, may not accompany players during competition (unless the TD and all players in the group consent).
  • 7.2 The SN Series reserves the right to determine and enforce disciplinary action upon its players, which may result in probation or suspension from SN sanctioned events for actions not uniquely specified in the SN handbook but deemed detrimental to the SN series. (See also Section 4.0: Punishment for Major Rule Violations)