Disc golf out-of-bounds rules: the penalty and where to throw next

An out-of-bounds throw costs one penalty throw. Then you pick where to throw next: up to one meter in from the spot where your disc was last in bounds, back where you threw from, or a drop zone if the course has one. The last-in-bounds spot is usually the better choice, since it’s closer to the basket.

That’s rule 806.02 of the PDGA’s Official Rules of Disc Golf.

When is a disc out of bounds?

Only when it’s completely surrounded by OB. The OB line itself counts as OB, so a disc resting on a painted line or a rope is out if no part of it is over in-bounds ground.

OB isn’t about the surface. The line rises as an invisible wall, straight up and down, and anything past that wall is out. A disc sitting dry on a rock in the middle of an OB creek is still OB.

Close calls:

• If it’s clear your disc went into the OB pond, it’s OB even if nobody finds it. A disc lost in OB is still played as OB, which the PDGA’s simplified rules spell out too.
• If you pick up your disc before the group makes the call, it’s OB.
• If someone else moves it, it isn’t automatically in or out. Put it back where the group agrees it was.

Your options after an OB throw

Add one throw, then choose:

Option	Where you throw from	When it’s available
Last spot in bounds	Up to 1 meter in from where the disc was last in bounds	Always
Previous lie	Where you just threw from	Always
Drop zone	The marked drop zone	If the course or event has one
Nearest point on the line	Up to 1 meter in from the OB line, nearest to where the disc stopped	Only if the tournament director allows it

Some tournaments also let you skip straight to the drop zone for two penalty throws instead of one.

After you mark the one-meter lie, you can also move back along the line of play, away from the basket, at no extra cost. That helps when the one-meter spot leaves you behind a tree. It only works in that order: you can’t take the line-of-play step first and then the one-meter step.

“Last in bounds” means where the disc last crossed into OB, not where it stopped. A drive that skips onto an OB road and rolls 30 feet down it is played from the spot where it crossed onto the road.

In bounds, but close to the line

If your disc is in bounds but within a meter of the OB line, you can move your lie up to one meter away from the line, measured straight out through your disc, with no penalty. You can’t stand in OB when you throw, so this keeps your feet legal.

OB vs hazard vs casual vs relief areas

There are four kinds of marked area, and only two of them cost you a throw.

Area	Penalty	Where you throw next	Can you stand in it?
Out of bounds	1 throw	Last spot in bounds, previous lie, or drop zone	No
Hazard	1 throw	Exactly where the disc landed	Yes
Casual area	None	Where it landed, or back on the line of play until you’re out of it	Yes
Required relief area	None	Last spot in bounds, or drop zone	No

Hazards catch people out. You pay a throw and still play from where the disc landed, with no relief. A casual area is the opposite. It costs nothing, and moving out of it is up to you. Unless the event says otherwise, any in-bounds water counts as casual. A required relief area is played like OB, without the penalty, and you can’t go back to your previous lie.

From January 1, 2027, the updated rules define hazards and casual areas as in-bounds areas, and a required relief area as an out-of-bounds area.

At the PDGA’s Majors and Elite Series events, the areas are marked by color: white for OB, yellow for hazards, blue for casual areas, red for required relief, and orange for drop zones and mandos. Other events and local courses use whatever they have, so read the hole signs and the event rules.

OB in a casual round

Check the tee sign for OB first. If it says nothing, agree with your group on the tee before anyone throws: “the road’s OB, the creek is casual”. Arguing about it after a drive lands is how rounds go sour.