They never get called.
And when they do, it’s weird – nobody quite knows what to do. Obviously, the rules are worth following. Are you somebody who’d like to normalize the actual self-officiating of disc golf? Believe it or not, an appropriate reaction to being called for a foot fault could help out.
Here’s how to NOT respond …
1. With poor play
Duh.
If only being good at disc golf were as easy as flipping a switch, right? So random is the calling of a foot fault that being on the receiving end of the violation is more than enough to put your game in a tailspin. You can’t simply close your eyes and hope for better play – not a chance.
All you can do is control what you can control. The officiating of others isn’t one of those things. Fortunately, playing steady, deliberate disc golf is. What happened, happened – it’s in the past.
Move on.
2. With the silent treatment
When you were younger, you probably did some of this with siblings or your parents when you didn’t get your way. The silent treatment is a shoddy (and pathetic) attempt at a power-grab. It’s most commonly seen in children, because the best way to describe it would be “childish.”
It’s pouting.
With foot faults needing to be seconded to actually count for something, assuming someone else notices, there’s a dang-good chance you’re guilty of the infraction. No matter the sport, rules are meant to be followed. When they aren’t, there are penalties in place to keep things in order.
After getting called out, don’t suddenly go silent.
It’s weird, annoying and in a roundabout way, selfish …
See the final point on this list for clarification.
3. With a profanity-laced tirade
I’ve never been much for profanity.
In large part, this is due to something my grandmother taught me growing up:
“Dumb people are profane, because they need an obvious way to express anger.”
Regardless of whether or not you subscribe to Grandma Jensen’s philosophy, immediately following a foot-fault decision, keep the colorful language to yourself. This has nothing to do with ethics, individual morality or the feelings of others – this kind of behavior causes a scene.
The same can be said for your bag …
Be Nice: Leave the kicking for soccer balls.
4. With a vindictive foot-fault call of your own
Oh, this one’s good …
Internally, it’s okay to have a certain degree of beef with the guy who called you on a foot fault, as well as the dude who backed him up on it – this is natural. But resist the urge to bust out a magnifying glass to try and get him a penalty stroke for the SAME issue on the next hole.
If there’s a clear-cut foot fault, call it.
Do tread lightly, though …
Vindictiveness is ugly on everyone.
5. With an aura different from that of previous holes
Remember that “selfish” thing I mentioned earlier on?
This is where I drive the point home.
Disc golfers on the same card are all about “good vibes,” it seems. I can’t think of a better way to absolutely shred the positive feeling of a card than to pull a complete 180 after being called for a foot fault. If you were talkative before, keep it up. If you kept to yourself before, keep it up. Post-foot fault, however, if you’re all of a sudden a completely different person?
That’s self-centered.
You project tension onto others – it messes with them, too.
Every time you set foot on a disc golf course, the goal is to card your best score possible. As I see it, with or without foot faults, clinging close to the above isn’t a bad way to help your cause.
Give ‘em a whirl.
You’ll be more of a pleasure to play with.
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I have never called a foot fault on someone else. Only had one called on me once. It really pissed me off although I didn’t say anything. And it was by a guy who hasn’t been playing more than a few months. And I’m not sure if I actually faulted. I usually throw stand stills from the fairway. The only things I call is OB or missed mando’s. Typically those are self-explanatory. I really don’t see any way of calling someone on a foot fault and not creating conflict. For that reason I tend to just let them go. I mean I understand it’s the rules but in all reality a couple feet left or right or behind the disc is not giving any real advantage anyway
True …
But in the woods, depending on where a disc comes to rest, they can REALLY matter.
I’ve seen guys get generous with their feet to avoid an annoying obstacle, you know?
It happens.
Yeah I guess I wasn’t thinking of standstill type foot fault (cheating). I was thinking more of a run up where somebody just accidentally steps a little to the side. If somebody’s fudging in the woods then they absolutely need to be called on it
[Insert Digital Handshake of Agreement]