During a game yesterday, I shanked a drive from a tee at the top of a very large hill. It was getting very dark very quickly, and we lost sight of the disc as it was sailing toward a wooded (in-bounds) area. It had a very small chance of turning back and clearing the woods (it would've taken a miracle to do so), but if it didn't, there was no way I wasn't going to abandon that shot. Since it would've easily taken ten minutes to go down the hill, look for my disc, and go back up the hill to re-tee after abandoning it, and we didn't have that much daylight left, I took a provisional shot right away from the tee. We went down the hill afterward and found my disc, deep in the woods and locked in by trees. I declared it abandoned, and went to the lie of my provisional shot to shoot for my 4th stroke.
Can provisional throws be used alongside abandoned throws in this way? That is, can a provisional throw be made right away, with the expectation that your first throw will most likely be abandoned? My group thinks that this has a high potential for abuse. Rule 809.02.B.1.b of the 2018 revision says that a provisional throw can be used when the group agrees that it may save time; that seems appropriate here. The strange part here IMO is the rest of 809.02.B.1, regarding which throw is used for a provisional - the rule says that play continues from the throw with "the correct lie". However, if you find your disc and it's in-bounds, that's the correct lie; but since you have the option of abandoning that throw for a one-stroke penalty, you're not required to throw from that lie. What options do the rules say that you legally have in this situation, and in what order are you required to take them?
Any input from anyone with any sort of authority on PDGA rules interpretation would be very appreciated here. I'd like to put this argument to rest.
Can provisional throws be used alongside abandoned throws in this way? That is, can a provisional throw be made right away, with the expectation that your first throw will most likely be abandoned? My group thinks that this has a high potential for abuse. Rule 809.02.B.1.b of the 2018 revision says that a provisional throw can be used when the group agrees that it may save time; that seems appropriate here. The strange part here IMO is the rest of 809.02.B.1, regarding which throw is used for a provisional - the rule says that play continues from the throw with "the correct lie". However, if you find your disc and it's in-bounds, that's the correct lie; but since you have the option of abandoning that throw for a one-stroke penalty, you're not required to throw from that lie. What options do the rules say that you legally have in this situation, and in what order are you required to take them?
Any input from anyone with any sort of authority on PDGA rules interpretation would be very appreciated here. I'd like to put this argument to rest.