Discathon

Setting Up the Course

A Discathon course is best set up in a public park, using natural obstacles like trees, lampposts, benches, and fences. The course consists of mandatory obstacles (or "mandatories"), which the disc must pass on a specific side—either left or right. Some obstacles stand alone, while others are paired to create a "gate" that the disc must pass through.

Certain areas of the course include tests, where a player must throw the disc through a target (like a hula-hoop or a height-restricted window). Failing a test means the player must take a penalty route before continuing.

Types of Obstacles

1. Single Obstacles (Mandatories)

   • The disc must pass on the designated left or right side.

2. Double Obstacles (Gates)

   • The disc must pass between two obstacles, sometimes with an added height restriction (e.g., a rope between two trees).

3. Tests & Penalty Courses

   • A test requires the disc to pass through a specific target.
   • If the disc fails the test, the player must throw around an extra penalty obstacle before proceeding.
   • Players may choose to skip a test but must still complete all mandatory obstacles, including the penalty route.

Finishing the Course

• The finish line is always a double obstacle with a height restriction (like a gate).
• The race is complete only when a player’s disc fully passes through the gate.

Discathon Rules

1. Starting the Race

   • Players begin with two discs and may carry a third spare in case of an out-of-bounds throw.
   • Four to five players can race at once.
   • The race starts with a countdown: "Ready, two, one, THROW!"

2. Throwing & Running

   • Players throw one disc at a time, then run to it before making their next throw.
   • A new throw must be made from within 1.5 meters of where the previous disc landed.
   • A player cannot pick up their last-thrown disc until they have thrown the next one.

3. Flight & Interference

   • Players cannot touch a disc while it's in the air.
   • Exception: A player may catch their own disc after it clears an obstacle, then throw it again from the catch point.
   • Players may not block or interfere with other competitors. The right-of-way goes to the player ready to throw.

4. Out of Bounds & Lost Discs

   • Natural boundaries (roads, flowerbeds, lakes) mark the edges of the course.
   • If a disc lands out of bounds, it cannot be used again.
   • A player with a spare disc may continue from where the previous disc left the course.
   • If a player loses a disc and has no spare, they cannot finish the race.
   • A lost disc results in a 10-second penalty if a spare is available.

5. Finishing the Race

   • To complete the course, a player must have two discs in play when reaching the finish.

Sample Course

Arrows & numbers indicate mandatories. T denotes Test. P denotes Penalty.