Most of the time it's pretty easy for disc golfers to know where to throw their next shot from. They just need to go to where their disc landed, stand behind it, and throw. However, there are some cases where that's either against the rules or simply not possible. In these cases, players can take relief. However, exactly how players take relief changes based on the situation.
In this entry in our Disc Golf Rules Explained series, we tackle the rules surrounding relief and provide plenty of visual examples to help you know the right thing to do in almost any relief situation.
Most rules discussed here relate to 803.2, 806.03, and 806.04 in the Professional Disc Golf Association's (PDGA's) Official Rules of Disc Golf, which you can find a fully searchable version of in the More tab of the UDisc app. The regulations we talk about are based on rules that went into effect on January 1, 2025.
Get a complete overview of relief rules by reading the post in full or jump to the information you're looking for by clicking/tapping a topic below:
Post Navigation
- What is relief in disc golf?
- Why does the line of play matter for relief?
- How do I know what the line of play is?
- I landed in a tree or somewhere else above the ground. What now?
- Taking relief after going OB or getting a two-meter penalty
-Relief after OB rules only
-Relief after two-meter rules only - Relief (or not) from casual areas
- Relief areas
- Relief when you're in-bounds but within one meter of OB or a relief area
- Relief from harmful animals/insects
- Relief from an obstacle that makes it impossible to take a legal stance
- "How do I take relief?" overview table
- Optional relief with one-throw penalty
- I took relief incorrectly. What happens now?
This is just one in our series of articles seeking to help players better understand disc golf rules. If you're interested, check out our others on out of bounds (OB), mandatories (mandos), foot faults/legal stances, the two-meter rule
What Is Relief in Disc Golf?
When disc golfers take relief, they are able to take their next throw from a place that is different from where their disc came to rest. There are lots of situations where relief is possible. A couple of options include when a disc lands in or immediately next to an out-of-bounds (OB) area or when it comes to rest in a position that's impossible to play from.
But as simple as the basic idea of relief sounds, figuring out how to take it legally isn't always obvious. Read on to have a clear idea how to take relief in almost any situation you'll encounter.
Disc Golf's "Line of Play" & Why It Matters for Relief
Every time a disc golfer takes relief, they have to do it along what's called the "line of play," so it's really important to understand what the line of play is before diving into relief rules.
The line of play is always determined by a player's position in relation to the basket. Years ago, mandatories could affect the line of play – but that changed with a rules update made by the PDGA in 2022.
We should note, too, that not every course has baskets. There are object courses and ones that use alternative targets like tone poles. Since most disc golfers play on courses with baskets, our descriptions and visual aids revolve around them for the rest of this piece. However, know that the line of play is always in reference to the center of a hole's target no matter what that target is.
What Is Disc Golf's Line of Play? (802.05)
The line of play is always an imaginary line running through the middle of a player's disc or marker to the pole of the basket. You can see a basic example below:
The basket always determines the line of play whether a hole's fairway follows that line of play or not. Here's an example of a time it could get confusing:
On the horseshoe-shaped fairway shown above, the line of play is determined by the basket – not the fairway – no matter where a player lands. Importantly, lines of play can pass through OB areas, too, so even if the forested area between the player and the basket was OB, the line of play would stay exactly the same as shown in the image above.
What to Do in Disc Golf When You Land in a Tree or Anywhere Above the Ground
Most of the time, if your disc lands above the ground (e.g., in a tree or bush) in an in-bounds area, you put down a marker on the ground directly below your disc and continue playing from there with no penalty.
The exception is when the two-meter rule is in effect (fairly rare in most places around the world) and your disc is two meters/6.6 feet or more above the ground or other playing surface.
Looking for what to do when the two-meter rule is in effect? Jump to it by clicking/tapping here.
Relief After Going OB or a Two-Meter Penalty (803.02 E)
Before we get going, know that we assume readers have a working knowledge of disc golf's OB and two-meter rules in this section. If you'd like to brush up on those, give our Disc Golf Rules Explained pieces on those topics (linked in the previous sentence) a read.
Additionally, we cover rules on how to take relief if you land near and not in OB in a later section: 'Relief from OB or Relief Area.'
Relief After Going OB
Most disc golfers who've played competitively are aware that when they land in OB, they can take up to one meter of relief from the OB line in any in-bounds direction (including closer to the basket). See an example in this graphic:
What's less known is that after a player goes OB, they can take relief from OB backward along the line of play (i.e., away from the basket) as far as they like.
Why would someone want to move farther from the basket? They might want to avoid obstacles like bushes or low-hanging branches or open up a different shot angle. Here's an example of what could happen after a disc lands in OB water:
It costs no extra strokes to take relief like this after going OB.
Keep in mind that this rule doesn't always allow for a lot of movement like in the example above. Sometimes a player's options for relief after OB are severely limited:
In the situation shown above, there's not much relief to be had. A player can't throw from an OB area, and the OB extends infinitely behind where the player landed, meaning significant movement along the line of play to a playable position isn't possible.
If you're wondering about the multiple lines of play, they're there because a player can choose to have their line of play to pass through any in-bounds point within one meter of where they went OB. We wanted to emphasize that by showing multiple lines of play.
You can see the last thing we want to point out about taking relief after going OB in this image:
Here we just want to show how lines of play can continue past OB areas. If a player wanted to take their next shot along a valid line of play behind the water to avoid the tree, it would be completely legal to do so.
Relief After a Two-Meter Penalty
The rules about taking relief after a two-meter penalty are very similar to those related to relief after OB. The biggest difference is that after a two-meter penalty, there's only one point the line of play will pass through: The point on the playing surface directly below a player's disc1.
Other than that, everything is essentially the same. A player can take relief (i.e., back up) from the point on the playing surface directly below their disc as far as they like along the line of play with no additional penalty.
Here's an example:
Before we move on, just a reminder that the two-meter rule is an optional rule, and the rules we described here only apply when players are penalized for landing over two meters from the playing surface.
If a player landed in the same spot as shown in the image above when the two-meter rule was not in effect, they could take their next shot penalty-free at the point where the X is. They could not, however, back up along the line of play (e.g., to any of the blue dots) penalty-free.
Relief from Casual Areas (Casual Relief) in Disc Golf (806.03)
A spot or feature on a course can be designated a "casual area" in tournament or course rules. Here are the important things to know about casual areas:
- If your disc lands in a casual area, you can – but do not have to – take penalty-free relief by moving backward (i.e., away from the basket) along the line of play, but...
- ...you can't move backward forever like after OB or two-meter penalties.
- Penalty-free relief from casual areas ends at the nearest in-bounds point that's not in the casual area (e.g., dry land right next to the edge of a puddle).
- It doesn't matter where your disc entered the casual area. Always base the line of play for casual area situations on where the disc is.
- All bodies of water – from puddles to oceans – not specifically mentioned in tournament or course rules are considered casual areas (806.03.B). Snow and ice do not count as bodies of water (see QA-CAS-2 from PDGA Question and Answers).
- Other than water, nothing on a course is a casual area unless official rules for an event or a course say it is.
- Again, casual relief is optional. If you want to putt with your foot in a creek or puddle that's casual, you can. You cannot, though, put down a rock/branch/etc. to stand on so that your foot won't get wet (see QA-CAS-1 from PDGA Question and Answers). That's an illegal alteration of your lie.
- Casual areas are not relief areas.
The image below shows a fairly extreme case of standing water on a course, but it should help you get an even clearer idea of how casual areas work:
Just to reiterate some important points related to the photo:
- There is no penalty added to a player's score for landing in this water – the same is true of all casual areas.
- A player could play from a lie at the yellow or green dot without penalty. There are no other penalty-free options. At the yellow dot, they could either play from behind their disc or put down a marker. At the green dot, they'd put down a marker at the first spot of dry land.
- It doesn't matter how the disc reached the yellow dot's position – the line of play is based on where the disc came to rest, not where it entered the casual area.
- A player who moved farther back than the green dot would be taking optional relief at the cost of a one-stroke penalty.
Disc Golf Relief Areas (806.04)
Tournament directors can create relief areas anywhere on the course according to rule 806.04. Relief areas are not in bounds, but they aren't exactly like OB in all respects.
Here are the most important things to know about relief areas:
- You do not get a penalty for landing in a relief area.
- A relief area is not the same thing as a casual area.
- You cannot throw from inside a relief area (or have a supporting point in one when releasing a throw).
- You can play from any point within one meter of the spot your disc was last in-bounds before entering the relief area.
- You cannot back up along the line of play as far as you want without a penalty after you land in a relief area.
As usual, we have a visual of how things work when you land in a relief area. The light blue, one-meter relief area is the only area where a player could take penalty-free relief following the throw:
Unlike many of our other graphics, we didn't include a line of play here because it isn't as relevant to the situation.
If you've landed near and not in a relief area, the rules are a bit different. See the section immediately below.
Relief from OB or Relief Area (806.02.E)
If you land closer than one meter to OB or a relief area but your disc (even the tiniest part of it) is in bounds, you can move your lie up to one meter away in a line that's perpendicular to the line indicating OB or the relief area. You cannot, however, move it in any direction you like.
If you land in bounds but in a corner created by OB or relief area boundaries, the rules let you take relief on a one-meter line extending from that corner:
The reason you can take these sorts of relief from a relief area is because 806.04 states that "a relief area is considered and played as an out-of-bounds area." That means the rule 806.02.E that allows perpendicular relief from most OB and relief from OB corners also applies to relief areas.
Relief From Obstacles (803.02 A & B)
The rules also allow for players to take relief in situations when they land in-bounds but in a place where A) harmful animals or insects could endanger them or B) taking a legal stance is impossible. We cover these relief rules in two subsections below.
Relief from Harmful Animals or Insects
If any harmful animals/insects make it impossble for you to safely play from where your disc came to rest, you can take penalty-free relief back along the line of play to the first position that provides relief from the animals/insects – but not as far back as you like.
No matter how awkward or uncomfortable the position is, you must throw from the first in-bounds spot back along the line of play that provides relief from the harmful insects/animals. It is up to your group to determine where that spot is:
While relief from harmful insects/animals is always allowed penalty-free, a TD can make a longer list of things players can take relief from if they want.
Something important to note before we move on from this part of relief regulations is that players can't take penalty-free relief from harmful plants unless a tournament director has said so. This means players who land in patches of poison ivy or stinging nettles cannot take penalty-free relief under normal circumstances.
Relief When an Obstacle Makes a Legal Stance Impossible
On rare occasions, players land in a spot where taking a legal stance is prevented due to a solid, unmovable obstacle. When this happens, players can take relief along the line of play to the first spot where a legal stance is possible. They cannot back up as far as they like.
In the example below, a disc has landed below a statue in a position that wouldn't allow the player to take a stance behind their lie:
Keep in mind that this sort of relief is only allowed when taking a stance is impossible and not just inconvenient. Having to take an awkward stance around an object, being surrounded by small branches, or other things that are simply unpleasant or undesirable are not reasons a player can take penalty-free relief.
An important note here is that a player can never be forced to use a mini marker. For example, imagine if a player's disc landed directly in front of a tree with a very large trunk and there was no room for a player to take a legal stance behind the disc. Even if a legal stance could be taken with the use of a mini marker, the player doesn't have to use one. They can opt to take relief along the line of play to the first playable position behind the tree with no penalty if they prefer.
Disc Golf Relief: Basic Overview
Here's a table that gives simple answers to all the questions we've answered in detail above. Click or tap the underlined words in the "I landed..." column to jump to the in-depth explanation for those rules in this post.
| I landed... | Penalty? | Where’s my next lie? | Where’s my line of play? | Single or multiple possible lines of play? | Can I back up along a line of play as far as I want with no extra penalty after landing here? |
| …OB | One-throw penalty | Either… A) any spot within one meter of where your disc was last in bounds or… B) away from the target at any in-bounds point along a legal line of play |
From the basket’s center through any point within one meter of the spot your disc was last in bounds | Multiple | Yes |
| …in a casual area | No penalty | Either…
A) where your disc came to rest or… B) away from the target at the first spot outside the casual area that’s along the line of play |
From the basket’s center through the center of your disc where it came to rest | Single (unless within one meter of OB or relief area) | No |
| …in a relief area | No penalty | Any point within one meter of where your disc was last in-bounds | From the basket’s center through any point where the disc was last in bounds | Multiple | No |
| …in-bounds but within one meter of OB or a relief area | No penalty | Either… A) anywhere along a one-meter line perpendicular to the OB/relief area line extending through the center of the disc or… B) if you land in a place where OB/relief area boundaries create a corner, a one-meter line extending from the corner through the center of your disc |
From the basket's center through any point on the one-meter line used for relief | Multiple | No |
| …in an in-bounds spot where it’s impossible to take a legal stance | No penalty | Away from the target at the first spot that allows a legal stance along the line of play – no matter how uncomfortable or awkward | From the basket’s center through the center of your disc where it came to rest | Single (unless within one meter of OB or relief area) | No |
| …in a spot where harmful animals/insects pose a threat | No penalty | Away from the target at the first spot along the line of play that provides relief from the animals/insects – no matter how uncomfortable or awkward | From the basket’s center through the center of your disc where it came to rest | Single (unless within one meter of OB or relief area) | No |
| ...two-meters or more above the playing surface when the two-meter rule is in effect | One-throw penalty | Either… A) on the playing surface (very likely the ground) directly under the place where your disc came to rest or… B) away from the target at any in-bounds point along the line of play |
From the basket’s center through the spot on the playing surface (very likely the ground) directly under where your disc came to rest | Single (unless within one meter of OB or relief area) | Yes |
| ...any height above the playing surface (e.g., in a tree) when the two meter rule is not in effect | No penalty | On the playing surface (very likely the ground) directly under the place where your disc came to rest | From the basket’s center through the spot on the playing surface (very likely the ground) directly under where your disc came to rest | Single (unless within one meter of OB or relief area) | No |
Optional Relief with One-Stroke Penalty (803.02 D)
The final relief rule we'll go over is so simple we don't even need pictures to explain it. If at any point a player would like to take relief along the line of play farther from the basket, they can do that at the cost of one stroke on the hole. Players might do this if they land in a thickly-wooded area or other position where they believe the stroke sacrifice could be worth it.
Though it's not technically relief, don't forget players can also opt to abandon any throw at the cost of one stroke and re-throw from their last lie.
What Happens If I Take Illegal Relief in Disc Golf?
If you take relief the wrong way at any point, it's considered a misplay due to playing from an incorrect lie, which is governed by rules laid out in 811.F.1. There are two options when you've unintentionally played played from an incorrect lie, one that earns you a single penalty stroke and one that earns you two penalty strokes.
You get a single penalty stroke on a hole for taking relief incorrectly if...
- You throw from a lie that's based on incorrect relief rules (i.e., commit a misplay). This is probably not your first shot, so we'll call this Shot 2M (M for "misplay").
- Before you throw Shot 3, your card realizes Shot 2M was a misplay.
- You go back to a place where you could have taken legal relief and throw Shot 2L (L for "legal") from there.
- You continue playing the hole from where Shot 2L came to rest.
In the above scenario, any penalty for going OB, missing a mando, etc. from Shot 2M is completely disregarded.
You get two penalty strokes on a hole for taking incorrect relief if...
- You throw from a lie that's based on incorrect relief rules (i.e., commit a misplay). This is probably not your first shot, so we'll call this Shot 2M (M for "misplay").
- You throw Shot 3 based on where Shot 2M came to rest.
After this, there is literally no going back. Simply play on even if the misplay is noticed before you finish the hole.
You receive the two penalty strokes for the hole no matter how many other throws you make after the misplay or when the misplay is noticed. The strokes for this misplay can be added at any point before an event is completed by the TD.
All penalties for going OB, missing a mando, etc. earned by Shot 2M are still counted in the player's score in addition to the misplay penalty. The misplay penalty doesn't cancel out other penalties.
Want More Disc Golf Rules Explained?
Are there disc golf rules we haven't covered that have you scratching your head? We'd be interested to know which ones. Write to us at [email protected] with the subject "Disc Golf Rules."
1. Technically, a player does have the chance for multiple lines of play after getting a two-meter penalty if the point on the playing surface directly below their disc is in-bounds but within one meter of an OB or relief area line. In this case, the line of play can go through any spot that is along a one-meter line extending through the point on the playing surface below a player's disc that is perpendicular to the OB/relief area line.
