Stickers on discs, PDGA legal or not?

[Cgkdisc]

Here's wording from the PDGA Tech Standards (bottom of first page) for manufacturing discs: "Indelible markers, hotstamps, stickers (7 cm max in any direction) and mold markings are all acceptable methods of marking discs."

http://www.pdga.com/documents/pdga-technical-standards-manufacturers-guidelines

The rulebook specifically prevents players from adding stickers in the post production modification section 802.01C. I believe it should be made more clear but technically this would require removal of retailer price stickers since those would have been added after the manufacturer completed "production."

 

[martinb]

legal in PDGA competition, a disc must:

(1) have a saucer-like configuration with a flight plate unbroken by perforations and an inner rim depth which exceeds five percent of the outside disc diameter. The flight plate is defined as the upper (or dorsal) section of the disc;
(2) be made of solid, non-magnetic plastic material, without any inflatable components;
(3) not be less than 21 cm in outside disc diameter, nor exceed 40 cm in outside disc diameter; (4) not exceed 8.3 g per cm in outside disc diameter;


an argument can be made that a sticker is NOT - "solid, non-magnetic plastic material". thus illegal.

 

[Vegan Ray]

Thanx, Chuck.

Regarding a disc bearing a retailer's price sticker, though - as the player did not make the modification, I can see no wording prohibiting the throwing of it, or for that matter the throwing of any modified disc; it is evident that only the making of the modification (and then only if performed by the player) is prohibited.

 

[Vegan Ray]

legal in PDGA competition, a disc must:

(1) have a saucer-like configuration with a flight plate unbroken by perforations and an inner rim depth which exceeds five percent of the outside disc diameter. The flight plate is defined as the upper (or dorsal) section of the disc;
(2) be made of solid, non-magnetic plastic material, without any inflatable components;
(3) not be less than 21 cm in outside disc diameter, nor exceed 40 cm in outside disc diameter; (4) not exceed 8.3 g per cm in outside disc diameter;


an argument can be made that a sticker is NOT - "solid, non-magnetic plastic material". thus illegal.

Very interesting (& alarming). It could then also be said that all Vibram discs are also illegal, as they are not "made of solid, non-magnetic plastic material, without any inflatable components", but are molded from rubber.

 

[cc0049]

I've always heard that it was illegal, so I take all stickers off before putting them in my bag just to be safe.

 

[Cgkdisc]

If you check the definition for plastic, rubber falls under that umbrella. I asked the same thing before checking. The more interesting issue is the wood flakes in the R-Pro Wood material. But apparently those organic compounds can also be stretched to fall under the generic plastic arena.

 

[Vegan Ray]

Very interesting (& alarming). It could then also be said that all Vibram discs are also illegal, as they are not "made of solid, non-magnetic plastic material, without any inflatable components", but are molded from rubber.

Or is plastic used as an adjective there? The lack of a comma after non-magnetic (and the redundancy of putting in an adjective meaning "easily shaped or molded" to describe something that has already been shaped or molded) makes me think, "No," so I am still alarmed.

Fortunately, I am quite confident that the enforcement of this will be equally lax as that of all other PDGA "rules", so I feel pretty safe throwing my rubber VP.

 

[Vegan Ray]

If you check the definition for plastic, rubber falls under that umbrella. I asked the same thing before checking. The more interesting issue is the wood flakes in the R-Pro Wood material. But apparently those organic compounds can also be stretched to fall under the generic plastic arena.

Good thought. Wood is pretty obviously neither plastic nor plastic (adj), but the "rules" are never really enforced, anyway, when inconvenient. How 'bout the inorganic metal (potentially magnetic?) flakes in sparkle discs? Slippery, meet slope.

 

[Cgkdisc]

It's my understanding those are plastic non-metallic flakes. I think if metal flakes were used, there would be excessive mold wear plus maybe weird cooling issues.

 

[Vegan Ray]

Very well, then.

Back to stickers - what was the rationale for disallowing the Discraft Ultra-Grip sticker, as the pictures I posted make it evident that it came in under the "7cm max in any direction" guideline?

 

[Cgkdisc]

Under the disc is not an issue versus on top of the disc or leading edge. We are in the midst of trying to shore up wording in this area right now, working with the manufacturers for establishing proper disc identification so people can still tell whether a disc is PDGA approved, even when there's a custom hotstamp or has been custom dyed.

 

[80playedin10states]

any carolina golfers in here that know carlton howard? he wrote/writes? the rule book...ask him?

 

[Vegan Ray]

Of course it is not, realistically. But it seems to be the same issue either way as the "rule" is written.

You are correct, a rewrite is in order for that "rule", as well as 75+% of PDGA "rules".

 

[Vegan Ray]

any carolina golfers in here that know carlton howard? he wrote/writes? the rule book...ask him?

So wrong! Just as with our US Constitution, the "intent of the framers" is not what governs, but rather the explicit text of the document. If what is written does not convey what the pertinent "powers that be" want it to, they must go through the proper channels to amend the document.

 

[JR Stengele]

NOT LEGAL AT ALL. Affects the weight of the disc.

 

[biscoe]

NOT LEGAL AT ALL. Affects the weight of the disc.

this horse has already been beaten to death on the pdga bored and manufacturers stickers are indeed legal, as silly as that seems.

 

[Vegan Ray]

W3rd. This "rule", while silly, is at least specifically codified (as Chuck has demonstrated), unlike many other silly PDGA "rules" & "non-rules".

 

[discgolphinmafaukner]

I wish manufacturers/sellers wouldn't put stickers on discs period. I like how innova writes the weight on the bottom of the disc. I've seen discraft discs w/ a sticker on them for weight. I hate peeling off stickers and I despise removing the white remnants that a sticker leaves behind even more!

 

[mashnut]

I wish manufacturers/sellers wouldn't put stickers on discs period. I like how innova writes the weight on the bottom of the disc. I've seen discraft discs w/ a sticker on them for weight. I hate peeling off stickers and I despise removing the white remnants that a sticker leaves behind even more!

I agree, though I understand the tiny stickers on the rims so the discs don't stick together and create suction while they're stacked together. Most of the manufacturers stickers come off pretty easily, but other price tag stickers tend to be terrible. I've got a dx valkrie that still has the remnants of the Dick's price tag from 7 years ago despite goo gone and multiple washings (and lots of throws0.

 

[Vegan Ray]

I despise removing the white remnants

That's what she said