Learn to Play

A Treatise on Disc Sport (1899)

INTRODUCTION

A new and diverting activity has emerged, combining the accuracy of target games with the invigorating exercise of a brisk walk in the countryside. It is most commonly referred to as “Disc Sport” or simply “Disc”, as it involves the throwing of a disc-shaped object across a course of natural obstacles, aiming for a series of designated objects. It is the experience of this author that those engaging in this pursuit report great merriment and camaraderie, as it provides novel outdoor competition, combining elements of skill and athleticism.

The author has had the fortune of being in association with fellow Disc enthusiasts for four years. During this time, this club has established and maintains a fixed playing ground for club members and guests, adopted rules for competitive play and acquired certain habits for the casual play of club members.

The author hopes this short treatise will introduce the reader to this sport, and thus to new means to enjoy the bounties provided to us in our natural environment, to better comprehend the physical laws established to govern the movement of the body and objects in flight, and to develop and maintain human relations characterized by rightly-oriented affection and sportsmanship.

The Sport

The Objective

The aim of the sport is to traverse a designated course, marked by a series of “Targets” (often designated by a physical marker, such as a post, or device suitable for catching, such as barrel or basket), and to achieve each target in the fewest number of throws of a “Disc”, a circular object, an oblate spheroid or plate. Some sportsmen posit that Disc is akin to the esteemed game of Golf, but with a flying object replacing a ball and club. Any similarity is quickly dispelled with direct experience.

Equipment

One requires but a single disc, typically of a hardwood encased in supple leather or firm rubber or stiffened leather. Some enthusiasts may possess a variety of discs for different throwing styles and distances, but a single all-purpose disc is perfectly sufficient for commencing play. The disc should be between 8 and 10 inches in diameter and no more than one half inch in thickness, weighing between 100 and 200 grams. The disc should be well-balanced, the surface carefully smoothed. The edge may contain a lip to ensure firm grip and clean release. 

The Course

A course consists of a series of “Targets”, each with a designated starting point (the “Launching Ground” ) and corresponding objective (“Get”). The course should ideally utilize the natural features of the landscape, presenting challenges in the form of trees, bushes, and changes in elevation.

Each Target has a designated object having a zone of approximately two square feet, which must be struck by the disc while in flight. A Get may have catching apparatuses wherein a disc can come to rest or arrest a disc in flight.
Suitable objects might include:

• A fixed tree or stout post, with zone clearly identified.  
• A barrel, crate or basket, approximately 24 inches in diameter, which may or may not be raised, and which may be situated so that the disc may enter it from the top or from the side.
• A “catching cage”, consisting of basket but with a middle post supporting a plate from which netting (ropes or chains) are suspended. The netting may be gathered at the bottom around the post within the basket.  

The Play

Commencing a Target: The Sling

Players typically exert the most force in the initial stroke toward the objective. As such it is commonly referred to as “The Sling” or the “Slingshot”.

1. Each Target begins at the designated “Launching Ground”. The player must make their initial throw from within this area.
2. Great force is required to propel the disc any significant distance. The throwing motion should function to sling the disc, that is cause it to rapidly rotate as it leaves the hand and assumes a trajectory toward the objective. A proper stance and follow-through, as in lawn bowling, is recommended.
3. Control of body is necessary; the player must avoid any movement that results in coming in contact with the ground beyond the front edge of the launch area before the disc is released.

Subsequent Throws: The Approach

1. After a throw, the player’s next throw is made from the spot where their previous throw came to rest.
2. A player must make a reasonable effort to locate their disc.
3. The boundary of the disc at rest closest to the objective is designated as the player’s “lie”.
4. On subsequent throws, players must release the disc while one foot is in contact with the ground directly behind their lie, in an area approximately one foot square, and may not come in contact with the ground in from the lie before the release of the disc.
5. Within 10 meters of the Objective, the player cannot come in contact with the ground beyond the lie until the disc comes to rest.

Order of Play

1. On the first Launching Ground, the order of play is often determined by agreement or chance.
2. On subsequent Launching Grounds, the player who scored best on the preceding Target typically throws first. If the score of two players is equal, the order of play of the previous Target is repeated.
3. During the Approach, the player whose disc is farthest from the Object throws next.

Completing a Target

A Target is considered complete when the player’s disc achieves the Objective, that is strikes a designated zone and, if present, comes to rest within a catching apparatus.

Scoring

1. Each throw required to complete a Target is counted as one “stroke.”
2. A record is kept in which the stroke each player performed for each Target is enumerated.
3. Upon course completion, the strokes of each player are tallied. The player with the lowest total number of strokes for the entire course is declared the winner.

Obstacles (Optional)

For a more challenging game, the players may agree upon certain obstacles to the advancement of the disc toward the object.

1. Areas of the course may be designated as being “Out of Bounds” (e.g., roads, bodies of water). If a disc comes to rest Out of Bounds, the player typically incurs a penalty throw and must make their next throw from a designated area or from a point within bounds nearest to where the disc first crossed the boundary.
2. Flight paths may be designated as “Mandatory” (e.g., a post which a disc may only pass on one designated side, two trees forming an archway). The player is required to have the disc pass through a specific aspect of the course. If the disc comes to rest closer to the object than the Mandatory’s threshold then the player incurs a penalty throw and must make their next throw from a designated area.
3. Areas of the course may be designated as “Casual Relief” (e.g. excessive slope making a throw impractical, or terrain with pernicious or noxious ground cover). If the disc comes to the rest in the Casual Relief area the player can modify the lie without penalty. The modified lie may not be closer to the Object.

General Etiquette

1. Take care not to damage the course or surrounding flora.
2. Locate discs promptly and execute each throw in a timely manner to maintain a reasonable pace of play.
3. It is considered proper form to progress on the course only so far as the player engaged in throwing. Allow fellow players ample room for their throws. Avoid throwing when others are within range.
4. Exhibit modesty and maintain a calm composure. Loud exclamations or boisterous behavior are considered a breach of decorum.
5. A spirit of friendly competition is to be encouraged.

Throwing Techniques

Athletes engaged in track and field competitions have modeled the discus throw after Greek and Roman depictions of Olympians, in which the body completes a full rotation before release. What is found with this technique is that what benefit is gained in distance is lost in lack of control in the directing the flight of the disc. Given, it is the author’s recommendation that those engaged in the sport of disc may make use of alternative throwing technique which better suite the objective of obtaining an Object.

Backhand Stroke

The athlete should hold the disc firmly in hand with the back of the hand facing the target and the corresponding foot parallel to the Object, firmly planted. Reaching with the arm backward, one should with expediency move the disc across the body at chest height. The arm should then swing outward, causing the disc to release from the hand as it crosses above the planted foot. Given enough force in the motion, the body will pivot on the planted foot resulting in the back leg swinging forward and the corresponding foot landing on the ground closer to the Object. The reader will recall, however, it is required that the disc be released while the thrower is behind the boundary of the launch ground and therefore before coming in contact with the ground beyond the launch ground.

Those without experience express dismay in the significant challenge of aim presents in this technique, given that with this positioning, the thrower starts with the face looking away from the target. It is the author’s experience that aim is better achieved by proper alignment of the body, and not with the eyes.

Some athletes will find benefit to make use of prior steps before planting the foot, so as to gain additional momentum in the body, which is then transferred to the arm and finally to the disc. This may result in a complex series of foot movements of which carefully management is required.

Forehand Stroke

A secondary technique has been developed in which the disc is held with palm of one’s hand facing upward and the opposite foot planted, again parallel to the Object, much akin to throwing a baseball or skipping a stone, according to the angle the disc is held. The thrower is bent at the waist and the elbow of the throwing arm is held close to the body. The lower portion of the throwing arm is rapidly moved cause the disc to release. This technique allows the thrower to be facing the Object more directly, which aids in aim.

Straddle Stroke

This third technique is beneficial for short distances, and especially for Objects whose zone is level, for example a basket or barrel. It provides more precise control over the disc.
The player stands with feet apart, firmly planted and knees slightly bent, as if astride a horse. The Object is faced directly. The disc is held in hand, horizontal or vertical, at waist height pointed at the Object. The thrower then moves the arm downward, bringing the disc between the legs, then rapidly upward the direction of the Object and released at a point between the waist and the chest. When performed smoothly, the disc will move in a vertical arc.

If directly behind an obstacle, such as a tree, the player may hold the disc askew, at angle between horizontal and vertical, and when bringing the disc between the knees, pull it closer to the opposite knee, then upward draw it toward the throwing side of the body, again releasing it between the waist and chest. When executed well, the disc will move upward on a trajectory aside of the obstacle, and then at the apex of the flight’s arc, back toward the Object.

Rolling Stroke

A fourth technique functions to keep the disc on the ground and rolling toward the target. This technique is most frequently employed by those scrambling, but may serve those on the launching ground or fairway when natural obstacles such as branches threaten progress through the air.

The thrower should firmly hold the disc in palm of hand, similar to the forehand throw grip, but clearly holding the disc vertically oriented. Bending the arm so as to have the disc at chest or head height, execute a swift downward motion, forcing the disc toward the ground beyond the lie. The downward motion should spin the disc in the direction toward the target and upon hitting the ground assume the character of a wheel. With the aid of providence, the disc will roll uninterrupted in the general direction of the target. Those employing this technique will discover that objects in the path of the disc, visible or not, will modify the trajectory and redirect the disc. This author is often shocked to discover the impact of what was estimated to be an insignificant change in the terrain.

Club Association

Course Design and Maintanence

It is the practice of the disc sport club with whom this author has an association to maintain a course consisting of ten acres of wooded and cleared land in which are situated nine fabricated metal cages with chained netting, each with three launching grounds of various distance from said cage. This affords the club member 27 unique Targets.

Each Target has what may be considered the most direct route for the player to progress. This is designated as the “Fairway”. The fairway is not necessary obstacle free, but rather is maintained so as to provide the player a reasonable opportunity to achieve the target uninterrupted if the disc is thrown with skill.

When the disc is thrown and comes to rest off the fairway, the player will find inherit difficulty find a route to the target. This typically results in the player selecting more circuitous routes, and even sometimes opting to simply pitch the disc unto the fairway. It is permissible, and may even be prudent, for the player to throw the disc away from the target in order to achieve a better lie and more accessible route. Those finding themselves off the fairway and thus engaged in difficult approaches are said to be “scrambling.”

Distances, direction, and elevation are varied. The average distance of the target from a launching ground is 70 meters. No distances is shorter than 40 meters feet. The longest distance is 120 meters.

Elevation change between Launching Ground and Target enhances the experience of the game. An undulating hillside can easily provide 5 to 15 meters of elevation. Thirty meters elevation change between Launching Ground and Target is not uncommon and certainly not unreasonable. More than fifty meters elevation change is not unheard of, especially given the Sauratown Mountains bordering the Piedmont region of North Carolina where this player has domicile, but presents significant challenge, better suited for the more experienced “slinger”.

It is the club’s habit that not all 27 Targets are used in a given game, rather in a given meeting of the club, a specific “Layout” is employed, one designed to make use of a set number of Launching Grounds in a particular sequence. Layouts provide for variety in play and allow for club records of individual achievements.

Club Habits

Each club member should adopt at least one moniker. A moniker should have significance to the player and to fellow disc enthusiasts.

It is common for club members to designate their lie by flipping over the disc that has come to rest toward the target. However, some players will mark their lie with an specifically designated object, a “lie marker”, thus allowing the disc at rest to be utilized or set aside for safe-keeping.

It is the habit of our club members that during casual play after all members of the party have thrown a slingshot on the first launching ground, a second slingshot is taken providing the thrower an alternative approach. This habit, commonly called “two off the top”, allows club members to graciously ignore an occasional, nay common, occurrence, that is: the wildly misdirected first throw.
It is the practice of our club to celebrate the rare feat of achieving the target from the launching ground, that is to say, with one stroke. The feat should be well documented; the player and witnesses being recorded and then published. This feat is cause for great merriment and certainly worthy of a toast, and the player is gracious who supplies a round to the witnesses.

Club Competitions

Two clubs may engage in unique form of competition, called Team Match Play. Each club supplies the same number of players. A matched pair is then formed consisting of a player from each team. Each matched pair is then engaged in a competition to win a Target by achieving the Object in the fewest strokes. For each match, only one point is awarded per Target, given to the player who bests his competitor. If the matched players achieve the Object in the same number of strokes, no point is awarded. Given, the most points a single player can win is 18. At the end of the course, each match’s contribution to the Team’s total score is tallied using the following calculation:

• No points are awarded to either team when the players of a match have a tie, that is each member of the pair has the same number of points.
• One point is awarded to the team whose player scores a simple majority of points in the match
• Two points are awarded to the team whose player scores twice as many points as the opponent in the match. This is called a “Double Opponent”.
• Three points are awarded to the team whose player scores three times or more as many points as the opponent in the match. This is called a “Triple Opponent”.

In the case of team score tie, each team selects one player to engage in a matched play, the win going to the team whose player first wins a point.

A Final Word

The author is convinced of the many benefits of the sport of Disc and it his sincere hope this short treatise will serve well fellow disc enthusiast and boon companions.