I’ve been on a bit of a foot-fault kick lately …
Thanks for putting up with it.
While the topic of foot faults often feels beaten to a bloody pulp, today’s issue is one that needs covering. And more than that, it’s one that needs understanding – from everybody. Of the many means through which foot faults can be committed, this one’s not as well-known as the others …
The skinny of the situation?
You can’t throw from OB.
Simple enough, right?
Wrong.
This isn’t an all-or-nothing sort of no-no. Clearly, one or both feet firmly planted in OB territory will result in a foot fault (or stance violation) and penalty stroke. But if ANY supporting point of the foot comes in contact with OB at the time the disc leaves the hand, it’s a foot fault, as well.
That goes for an entire foot, as well as the mere tip of a toe.
Contact is the keyword. Because it’s required for a foot fault to take place, overhangs are perfectly kosher. Or in other words, the foot hovers above an OB area when the disc is thrown.
That’s fine.
This largely comes into play on two fronts:
- Front No. 1 – When a shot comes to rest near an OB line.
- Front No. 2 – When a shot goes OB, and a meter of relief is taken.
For example, Gannon Buhr comes WAY close to a foot fault here …
I think it came off the ground but it was hard to tell , definitely wouldn’t have attempted to make the call live . pic.twitter.com/IdAyPXDGx8
— Mark Myers (@MarkMye47519000) March 25, 2023
Click here to see a still-frame – you decide.
And if you’re putting, yet again, it’s more of the same.
Here’s Buhr preparing to putt while straddling an OB line …
To see how the legal putt played out, click here – the link’s been time-stamped.
* Note: This isn’t a subtle jab at Gannon. It’s pure coincidence he’s in both examples.
In each instance, be it a millimeter or a mile, as long as the back foot comes off the ground before the disc exits the hand, no foot-fault-penalty is assessed. If a run-up’s preferred, consider throwing from a standstill to make things easier. And if you’d rather stagger your stance when putting, to work within the allotted meter, opting for a straddle putt might be your best bet.
Either way, be careful.
On the Pro Tour, you don’t see this kind of foot fault often …
But at the amateur level, you see it ALL the time.
Know the rules; enforce the rules.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Editor’s Suggestions:
- Disc golf: The tragic life cycle of a chalk bag
- The most impressive thing Sai Ananda did in Houston
- Disc golf: What makes a tournament ‘sanctioned,’ exactly?
Real quick, if you happen to buy something through a link in this article, there’s a chance we’ll get a small share of the sale. It’s how we keep the lights on. To learn more, click here.
